I just bought an old in good condition Johnson 8 H.P. kicker and I need a little help/advice. I'm not very astute when it comes to motors, I can change the oil, filters, blades on my lawn mower but don't know much about a marine 2 stroke kicker. Can anyone help me? Need to know where the engine oil is (if any 2 stroke?), where is the fuel filter or do I need to place one on the fuel line to the outboard tank? Any thing important to do, look for etc. It is a Johnson, 1987 8, it has a knob that you pull out push in (I imagine it's the choke?). Any basic bullet point help is appreciated, thank you.
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simple tips
Only oil is in the lower unit. This should be changed. There is a drain screw and a vent screw. Replace with outboard gear oil - squeeze into bottom hole until it comes out of top hole. 2 strokes take a mixture of oil and gas - engine this old would probably be 50 to 1 but it wouldn't hurt to run 25"1. I'd replace the plugs (2). There is an inline fuel filter - it should be visible in the fuel line when you take the cover off. I'd remove the carbureter and clean it thouroughly with that spray on carb cleaner. Mabe dure the float bowl is clean and the jets are clear. That knob is the choke.
Only oil is in the lower unit. This should be changed. There is a drain screw and a vent screw. Replace with outboard gear oil - squeeze into bottom hole until it comes out of top hole. 2 strokes take a mixture of oil and gas - engine this old would probably be 50 to 1 but it wouldn't hurt to run 25"1. I'd replace the plugs (2). There is an inline fuel filter - it should be visible in the fuel line when you take the cover off. I'd remove the carbureter and clean it thouroughly with that spray on carb cleaner. Mabe dure the float bowl is clean and the jets are clear. That knob is the choke.
See A Dealer for Manual
Visit a local dealer. He may be able to order a user manual for you. There isn't much you can do to these except change the plug, fuel filter and lower leg oil. I leave adjusting the carb to a dealer.
Visit a local dealer. He may be able to order a user manual for you. There isn't much you can do to these except change the plug, fuel filter and lower leg oil. I leave adjusting the carb to a dealer.
Also water pump
Make sure when you start the motor that there is a little stream of water coming out the hole on the lower portion of the rear of the powerhead. That is a telltale stream that assures you the motor is pumping water thru the colling system. If no water stream, then shut the motor down or it will likely overheat. The water pump impeller is in the lower unit, and should be replaced every couple of years. If you're not intimate with your motor, it's probably a job for a pro. The OMC 8HP has fuel filter in the fuel tank, and another one at the fuel pump. But I'd put one in the fuel line from the tank to the motor too. Can't have fuel that's too clean. And I wouldn't use 25:1 mix on a regular basis. If you do you'll foul plugs and carbon up the cylinders. 50:1 is right. And take a look at this site. Lots of good info here in their message boards.
Make sure when you start the motor that there is a little stream of water coming out the hole on the lower portion of the rear of the powerhead. That is a telltale stream that assures you the motor is pumping water thru the colling system. If no water stream, then shut the motor down or it will likely overheat. The water pump impeller is in the lower unit, and should be replaced every couple of years. If you're not intimate with your motor, it's probably a job for a pro. The OMC 8HP has fuel filter in the fuel tank, and another one at the fuel pump. But I'd put one in the fuel line from the tank to the motor too. Can't have fuel that's too clean. And I wouldn't use 25:1 mix on a regular basis. If you do you'll foul plugs and carbon up the cylinders. 50:1 is right. And take a look at this site. Lots of good info here in their message boards.
Get a service manual
Get a Johnson service manual(not the owners manual, although that wouldn't hurt)from a dealer or online. About $35. 50:1 is the correct gas/oil mixture, even if the motor has a sticker that says 100:1. That's a pint of BIA TCW3 oil per 6 gallons regular gas. Get an oil measuring cup that's graduated for the amount of oil per gallons of gas. Boat stores have them & it makes the measuring process easy. Always put the oil in w/ the gas so you don't forget to add it. Maybe have a dealer service it the first time & see if they will explain basic maintenence procedures. Have them replace the water pump impeller. They wear out or become brittle w/ age & then fall apart. Nothing will kill an engine quicker than overheating. Be careful w/ lower unit fill. Some motors(not sure about yours) have another screw near vent screw that shouldn't be removed unless you are working on the shift mechanism. You are right about choke knob. Pull it out when cold. Advance the gas a bit. The tiller may have a start position indicated if it isn't worn off. Some motors won't start if the throttle is advanced too far. Spark plug gap is .035" I think. Always use Champion plugs on OMC outboards. Be careful putting the plugs back in. Always hand start gently & tighten the plugs before using the wrench. The plugs cross thread easily in the aluminum head. A little oil on plug threads helps. If they only seem to go in a couple turns by hand, take them out & start again. Being carefull to put them in perpendicular to engine. You should be able to screw the spark plug in all the way. PS. Did I mention the manual.
Outboards really are simple. Maintenence is the key. A little time learning how to take care of it & they usually won't let you down.
Get a Johnson service manual(not the owners manual, although that wouldn't hurt)from a dealer or online. About $35. 50:1 is the correct gas/oil mixture, even if the motor has a sticker that says 100:1. That's a pint of BIA TCW3 oil per 6 gallons regular gas. Get an oil measuring cup that's graduated for the amount of oil per gallons of gas. Boat stores have them & it makes the measuring process easy. Always put the oil in w/ the gas so you don't forget to add it. Maybe have a dealer service it the first time & see if they will explain basic maintenence procedures. Have them replace the water pump impeller. They wear out or become brittle w/ age & then fall apart. Nothing will kill an engine quicker than overheating. Be careful w/ lower unit fill. Some motors(not sure about yours) have another screw near vent screw that shouldn't be removed unless you are working on the shift mechanism. You are right about choke knob. Pull it out when cold. Advance the gas a bit. The tiller may have a start position indicated if it isn't worn off. Some motors won't start if the throttle is advanced too far. Spark plug gap is .035" I think. Always use Champion plugs on OMC outboards. Be careful putting the plugs back in. Always hand start gently & tighten the plugs before using the wrench. The plugs cross thread easily in the aluminum head. A little oil on plug threads helps. If they only seem to go in a couple turns by hand, take them out & start again. Being carefull to put them in perpendicular to engine. You should be able to screw the spark plug in all the way. PS. Did I mention the manual.
Outboards really are simple. Maintenence is the key. A little time learning how to take care of it & they usually won't let you down.Keeping it alive
I've owned one of these engines in the past and would recommend the following. Have the water impeller replaced when you service it as these need to be replaced every couple of years. Nothing will ruin these motors quicker than the lack of water. This is probably best done when you change the lower end unit gear oil. Make sure you have the fuel system checked out, specifically the filter as these motors can quickly run rough with dirty fuel. I would recommend carrying a spare set of spark plugs with these motors as they have a tendency to foul plugs. Make sure you have something to put them and have done it before. If you're going to be using this engine in salt water you may want to check the annodes, grease points, paint, etc to ensure this engine will give you years of service.
I've owned one of these engines in the past and would recommend the following. Have the water impeller replaced when you service it as these need to be replaced every couple of years. Nothing will ruin these motors quicker than the lack of water. This is probably best done when you change the lower end unit gear oil. Make sure you have the fuel system checked out, specifically the filter as these motors can quickly run rough with dirty fuel. I would recommend carrying a spare set of spark plugs with these motors as they have a tendency to foul plugs. Make sure you have something to put them and have done it before. If you're going to be using this engine in salt water you may want to check the annodes, grease points, paint, etc to ensure this engine will give you years of service.
rich mixtures
When I had my 15 HP OMC rebuilt 2 years ago the mechanic who did the work recommended that I go to a pure synthetic oil and up the ratio to 75 or even 100:1. The reason being is that the original motivation for the rebuild is that the crank case "coked up" causing too much pressure in the crank case and the crank seals popped out. Not good. I suppose that staying at 50:1 will do no short term harm but at 25:1 you can be sure that the engine will load up with deposits and that the plugs will be more likely to foul out unless you run the engine WFO all the time. If you run the engine at low RPM's for extended lengths of time the 25:1 mix may do more harm than good. In the end using the sail is the best way to use an outboard or even inboard engine. Saves on fuel, less noise and takes away all oil mix worries. Mike Pitterpat
When I had my 15 HP OMC rebuilt 2 years ago the mechanic who did the work recommended that I go to a pure synthetic oil and up the ratio to 75 or even 100:1. The reason being is that the original motivation for the rebuild is that the crank case "coked up" causing too much pressure in the crank case and the crank seals popped out. Not good. I suppose that staying at 50:1 will do no short term harm but at 25:1 you can be sure that the engine will load up with deposits and that the plugs will be more likely to foul out unless you run the engine WFO all the time. If you run the engine at low RPM's for extended lengths of time the 25:1 mix may do more harm than good. In the end using the sail is the best way to use an outboard or even inboard engine. Saves on fuel, less noise and takes away all oil mix worries. Mike Pitterpat
run it wide open
Mike's right about running at low rpm's too much. It will cause carbon(coke) to build up which will cause all kind of problems. One of the best thing you can do for a 2 stroke engine is to run it wide open on a regular basis. Another good thing to do is to decarbon the engine w/ engine tuner made by Bombardeer(formerly OMC/Johnson)or Seafoam(found in auto stores). I would do this a couple times w/ a old outboard.
Mike's right about running at low rpm's too much. It will cause carbon(coke) to build up which will cause all kind of problems. One of the best thing you can do for a 2 stroke engine is to run it wide open on a regular basis. Another good thing to do is to decarbon the engine w/ engine tuner made by Bombardeer(formerly OMC/Johnson)or Seafoam(found in auto stores). I would do this a couple times w/ a old outboard.
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