Boat motor question

sremim · Mar 31, 2011

I have a 3hp Johnson I use to push a 12' aluminum boat.
It hasn't been run for about 6 years but ran perfect when I did use it.

I want to start using it again and was wondering what shod be done
to it before getting it going? Or can I just put gas in it and see if it runs?

BuckSnort · Mar 31, 2011

LAST EDITED ON Mar-31-11 AT 09:48PM (MST)[p]I wouldn't be a bit surprised if it just fires right up.. You will however want to change the fuel lines to the new stuff that handles the ethanol ... The new additives eat up the old stuff...Also good cheap insurance to run Marine Stabil additive...This stuff will keep corrosion down for fuel that sits..

As easy as it is to do, pull the drain screw from the bottom of the carb bowl and let the old fuel drain if there is any...then replace screw add new fuel and fire it up...

Disclaimer:
The poster does not take any responsibility for any hurt or bad feelings. Reading threads poses inherent risks. The poster would like to remind readers to make sure they have a functional sense of humor before they visit any discussion board.

BuckSnort · Mar 31, 2011

Forgot to add that you should put a new impeller (water pump) in it...Easy to do, these motors are simple to work on..

Disclaimer:
The poster does not take any responsibility for any hurt or bad feelings. Reading threads poses inherent risks. The poster would like to remind readers to make sure they have a functional sense of humor before they visit any discussion board.

philthy · Mar 31, 2011

May not be a bad idea to change the lower end grease before you put it to use on a regular basis...after you get it running, of course. I'd probably pull the plugs and take a look at them. Don't forget to take a peek inside the gas tank as well. Stabil is wonderful stuff for gas that sits. I should have known better and I paid 600 bucks for a new fuel pump and injectors for my BMW bike because I didn't!

Analseepage · Mar 31, 2011

What the????? U need to do some neck stretches n make sure ur neck muscles are in good shape and that ur cheeks can make that blur blurb blurb sound when placing ur head between those double d's. Or are u talking about a different motorboat?

driftersifter · Apr 1, 2011

You really need to add sea foam to your first tank of gas this product will actually clean up some of the varnish that was left by your gasoline oil mix. The stabil the earlier posts mentioned is for protecting gas from seperating into alcohol and regular gas it won't really help the existing problem you have. I have seven boats and about a 10 3-10 horse old and antique outboard motors. If you can get noneathonal gasoline you should use that exclusively in your older outboards as the gaskets can't handle alcohol.
If you have any other questions or problems feel free to ask.
Driftersifter

alp75 · Apr 1, 2011

I would dump any old gasoline and start fresh. Most the suggestions are spot on. If it is a two stroke I would definitely change out the spark plug and run a little extra oil in the first tank of fuel. I always add an extra pint of oil to all my snowmobiles when new or after they have sat for a summer prior to running them the following winter. Helps to really lube up the motor. Like drifter said, find a gas station with non ethanol and use the stabil prior to storing it again at the end of the season.

I also like to fog my motors prior to storage with some fogging oil. To do so first run the motor and spray a heavy dose into the air intake so that the fogging oil coats the carbs real well and into the motor. Then choke it till it dies. Lastly pull the spark plug and spray a good heavy dose of fogging oil into the cylinder and pull the starter rope a couple times to oil up the internals. Then you are good for storage for a while.

philthy · Apr 1, 2011

Great points drifter and alp. The varnish was terrible in my bike's gas tank. I ended up dumping a gallon of varnish thinner in it overnight and it even got rid of the melted rubber from the fuel pump isolation damper. Hooked up a shop vac in reverse and vented the tank a few hours while it was out in the sun and let it sit another couple of days. I'll have to remember the fogging oil for next winter if I can do it on a BMW. The "choke" does nothing more than "trick" the EFI module, though....not connected to the throttle bodies at all.

alp75 · Apr 1, 2011

Is your bike EFI? And it has a choke? Most EFI motors do not have a choke as they don't need it because it is all controlled by mapping in the ECU.

gknutson · Apr 1, 2011

I only do one type of "motor boating". And that wouldnt help you much here.

philthy · Apr 1, 2011

>Is your bike EFI? And
>it has a choke?
>Most EFI motors do not
>have a choke as they
>don't need it because it
>is all controlled by mapping
>in the ECU.

Yea it does LOL! We're talking 1983...on "new" technology for bikes, anyway. Somehow it works just fine and warms up the engine. Everything on it is made by Bosch. Bosch=expensive in German. I haven't "tinkered" with the guts to see how things work and really don't want to go too far into it for good financial reasons. The damn fuel pump by itself (Bosch of course) was $385 and I'm trying to show some constraint. Some things you just have to trust as being correct...damn Germans!

I've been told that if you take care of it with oil changes/maintenance, it'll go 400K before it needs an overhaul. Mine has a little over 33K, so I guess I shouldn't worry about it!