rough idle and poor charging on 40hp 1991????

[JonPrice]

hello new to the site
my name is jon and i own a 1991 bass tracker with a 40hp johnson

it has always been hard to start, it will pop right off and run for a short time and die quickly many times i would have to take the cover off and give it more gas right as it starts till it warms up a bit- or as soon as it starts i must put it in gear and take off and all will be fine... i changed the choke seloniod and it didnt really help and i have cleaned the carbs my self fresh gas and cleaned the gas tank completly. im starting to lean towards that there is a leak some where on the fuel system? any other ideas what it can be
it will have a rough idle and after a while of idle it will die on its own (maybe 5 minutes or so)

then the last time i took it out i noticed the battery gauge was low while driving at 4200 rpm the gauge was reading @10 to 11 volts and i noticed that starter was slowing down a bit before heading back to the slip, after doing some fishing. i was wondering what is the odds that my battery is going south or is it the Stator?

can i connect a volt meter to it and check the output much like on a cars battery while checking the alternator?
if so what should it be running at?

and if it may be the Stator can you point me in the direction of which one i have/ need?

i saw that they sell a Stator for @$17 looks like a coil on a small lawn mower but sits under the flywheel

or is it the one that looks like a chargeing system off of a large lawn trackter rounded with several coils on it maybe 6 and that runs about 150 - 180 bucks???

thanks for any help

i would love to take it to a shop and have them look at it but i just dont have the cash to spare and i am very good with my hands and know my way around and engine but im rather new to outboards!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: rough idle and poor charging on 40hp 1991????

take your battery to the auto parts store, they will load test it for free. if you are using the same battery for the trolling motor, do not expect the outboard to completely charge the battery. don't go changing parts until you trouble shoot. the stator is the second type. your recitfier may be shot.

starting problem, when were your carbs last disassembled, clean, and rebuild kit installed?

your best money spent will be a service manual # 508143.

 

[JonPrice]

Re: rough idle and poor charging on 40hp 1991????

i can do the test on the battery myself i was wondering if any one could tell me what the charging system should be sending back to the battery

i work on cars and small motors alomst like a hobby so i know alot of things are simlar with small engines and boat motors

the carbs were cleaned last spring but that really didnt help as far as the starting issue

i work lot so i have to make the most out of the time that i do have

next chance i get ill go out and test for a air leak on the carbs/ power head
do i need to use a fogging system or can i just use a regular carb/ throttle body spray?

and also use the battery tester to see what the stator is putting back to the battery

 

[Silvertip]

Re: rough idle and poor charging on 40hp 1991????

With the engine at idle, the voltmeter will read battery voltage. A good battery will normally read 12.6. As you rev the engine to 1500 RPM or so you should see the voltage rise to something between 13 and 14.5 volts. If it doesn't you have a charging system problem. Since you have a voltmeter in the boat you have already tested the system and it is not charging, that's why battery voltage is dropping. Have the battery load tested. And don't buy a stator unless you've tested the one you have. Prove parts are bad before you replace them.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: rough idle and poor charging on 40hp 1991????

carbs can be clean last week and crud breaks loose and clogs the jets. did you do this when you did them. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=244013