New Owner needs help with Johnson Sailmaster please

[Domorox]

Hey folks. I hope everyone is doing well! I bought a 78' Oday 25 back in October and it has a mid 90's model Johnson Sailmaster 9.0 outboard. Shortly after I bought it I had some health issues that kept me away from the boat for a while, but I'm back in action now.

When I took it out with the previous owner he told me that he usually disconnects the fuel line and and lets the engine die on it's own, which I imagine helps to keep fuel from gumming up the carbs if it sits too long. Now the motor has not been run since October, and I didn't do any winterizing. Is there anything special I need to do before running the engine? Is the gas in the can still good, or do I need to discard it and start with new gas? Also, what are the essential tools or spares I should take with me when I go out?

Thank you in advance for your help. I'm very new to outboards...

Danny

 

[Stu Jackson]

Get new gas. Go to www.boatus.com and read about ethanol in fuel. Get replacement sprakplugs, a gapper, and know how to change them.

http://www.marineengine.com/parts/parts.php#manuals

Do some internet research on your engine.

Good luck.

 

[caguy]

Evinrude as some nice blow up diagrams of the Johnson motors as well.

http://shop2.evinrude.com/Index.aspx?s1=chro610u55rrrs2liqk70k3114&catalog_id=0&siteid=1

 

[kloudie1]

If ya don't know when the water pump impeller was last changed, ya probably want to do that and the lower unit oil(grease).. I don't remember if that is a four stroke motor or not? If 4 stroke, change engine oil, check the valve clearance and adjust as necessary. Have Fun

Welcome Aboard!

 

[Ron20324]

Like with all boats, track down owner's manuals for ALL the equipment on the boat. Don't wait until you need the manual to get them. Then it's too late.

 

[Chief RA]

The carb will likely need to be cleaned as the jets tend to clog if not run dry and sits too long. One trick I can impart to you is to open the drain screw and drain it, then turn the drain tube up and shoot lots of carb cleaner in it to fill the float bowl. Close the drain screw and leave it overnight. Drain the next day, reclose screw. Hook up tank with fresh gas and start her up! If this fails, carb teardown is necessary to clean jets. Good luck! Chief

 

[celticwinds]

Start the engine and if it runs o.k. then don`t worry about it. If the carb has blockage in the low circuit the engine will not idle correctly. If the high speed circuit is clogged the engine will not run at high speed. You can see schematics and find parts at boat parts .net. If the carb has to be cleaned,go ahead and rebuild it and change all fuel lines at the same time. I do not recommend fuel additives to clean carburetors. Have a skilled person rebuild the carb. Changing the water pump impeller and lower unit lubricant would be good maintenance. The info that I have posted is from experience. Good luck.