Weird condition Johnson 55 hp

[maineiac5586]

So my new to me 1987 johnson 55 hp commercial tiller motor is exhibiting a weird issue. When I try to start it just pops loud through the exhaust and won't fire up. The small wires that go to the coil posts are connected the right way at the coil (orange wire with blue stripe on the upper coil) orange wire with green stripe on lower coil. I was using a spark tester and hooked the bottom coil lead to the tester while the other end of the spark tester was plugged into the top cylinder spark plug. It fired right up like this. So I took the tester off and made the plug wire from the bottom coil go to the spark plug of the top cylinder and upper coil firing the lower cylinder. It started right up and seems to run fine. So basically the coils are connected to the wrong cylinders allows it to run. I switched back to the proper coil for proper cylinder and it wouldn't start just backfire and pop through the exhaust. Never seem this before. Please help

 

[maineiac5586]

Wanted to add I tried to remove the flywheel with no success. I tried a puller with bolts in the 3 threaded holes and used an impact gun on the puller after soaking the area in pb blaster and heating with a torch. Also tried a 3 jaw puller hooked under the flywheel still no success. I'd like to pull the flywheel to check the key. This motor is too good to reduce it to a parts motor but I'm really struggling. Ideas?

 

[racerone]

Sounds like the flywheel key might be sheared.----With the factory puller the flywheels usually pop off fairly easy.----Soaking and heat are not required at all.

 

[maineiac5586]

Any good idea where to get the factory puller? Kind of makes sense that it might be sheared because i found 2 broken pieces of metal on the flywheel where maybe someone was trying to beat it off. I have a replacement flywheel. Can you look at my pictures here to see if you can tell if I made any progress in removing it. Thanks

 

[maineiac5586]

These are the 2 pullers I was using. The 3rd puller (black one I also have but didn't try it) is it a bad idea using my impact gun on this as I have been trying? I don't know how else to hold the flywheel from turning which isn't a problem when using impact.

 

[Crosbyman]

with the left one installed and screwed down as much as possible have you tried a good hammer blow on the extractor bolt.

 

[maineiac5586]

with the left one installed and screwed down as much as possible have you tried a good hammer blow on the extractor bolt.

Pretty good but I'm afraid of hurting the crank or bearings

 

[Crosbyman]

keep soaking... patience brings joy...

 

[maineiac5586]

I took the top spark plug out and observed the piston motion. When the flywheel mark for TDC aligns with the arrow on the bracket near the carbs the number 1 piston is all the way down towards the intake side. Shouldn't it be at the top of its stroke near the spark plug hole?

 

[racerone]

Hurry to your local friendly boat shop.---Ask them to pull the flywheel off.----It will save you / money / more damage / aggravation !

 

[maineiac5586]

Hurry to your local friendly boat shop.---Ask them to pull the flywheel off.----It will save you / money / more damage / aggravation !

Probably a good idea. Any thoughts why when tdc is lined up the piston isn't near the top of the bore? Points to keyway issue?

 

[saltchuckmatt]

I use the steering wheel puller like you have on the upper left hand picture. I tighten the heck out of it and give it several big taps with a large size steel hammer.

 

[maineiac5586]

Praise the lord. Finally got it off using the puller pictured below. And yes there is the broken key. Assuming I should put some valve grinding paste on the taper of the crank and flywheel and turn them back and forth to make the surface ready for install? Anybody have the torque spec for the flywheel nut? Haven't gotten a manual yet. Thank you to you guys for all the tips.

 

[maineiac5586]

I got a new used flywheel nut but the guy sent the one on the right in the picture. One I took off is on the left in the picture. Any difference?