6hp Johnson Seahorse idles but not full speed

[WeeIrishRascal]

New here and hopefully I'm posting for advice in the right location.

I have an old Johnson 6hp Seahorse. Model #:6R79E

I can troll fine with it but as soon as I try and give it throttle, she bogs  down and quits. Idles good too.

I just put a brand new fuel pump on it, fresh fuel, clean tank, new lines and bulb last year (stored under cover). I have a new carb that was apparently rebuilt. It came with a parts motor that I picked up. Im a wee bit head shy to put it on as I don't know how to adjust it and at least this one runs. Advice?

Any ideas or should I put the other carb on? 

[rolmops]

Put that new carb on there now and close the adjusting screw all the way but not tight. You may have to pull the knob that is on the needle off in order to close it all the way. Then just open it up one and a quarter turn and put the knob back on with the pointer in the up position. Start the engine and screw the knob back in a bit . You will probably hear the RPMs go up. Screw in until it reaches the highest rpm and then turn it back out a quarter turn. That's all there is to it.

[WeeIrishRascal]

THANK you for the advice. Im not sure what you mean but il Google and try and understand 

[rolmops]

check this out : 15 is the needle I talked about .17 is the part that holds it in place. Do not remove 17.  The carburetor on your engine has a knob on it that allows you to adjust the needle. when you adjust the needle you change the fuel /air mixture to fuel richer or poorer.

Edited September 6, 2020 by rolmops

[WeeIrishRascal]

OMG, THANK YOU! Very helpful!

[rolmops]

If you decide to try and fix it yourself ,make sure that no parts can fall in the water(You'll never find them back).

You should probably start with buying a spray can of carburetor cleaner. Then, unscrew #29 and washer 28. It is a tricky thing to get #27 out so leave it in. Now put the red straw on the nuzzle of the spray can and stick it in the hole that 29 came out of. Spray the cleaner in there and let it sit a minute or so. Then spray it again.This time with a lot more spray so all the gunk is flushed out. Now , put everything back together, make sure that your engine is in the water or on the muffs, start it up and see what happens.

Make sure to wear eye protection. Carburetor cleaner is wicked stuff to get in your eyes!!!

Edited September 6, 2020 by rolmops

[HB2]

And NEVER use ethanol fuel in older outboard motors . EVER . 

[tuffishooker]

As you describe #1 check for a blocked exhaust ! drop the lower unit , the exhaust is clearly visible !

                           #2  clean all electrical contacts with dielectric grease esp the ground behind the power pack ! If you can run the engine in the dark , if you see a spark you have the diagnosis !

#3 c, heck compression  with a gauge that bolts into to block not the one with the short hose , it will give a false low reading !

#4 let us know if you fixed it ! Hope this helps !

[WeeIrishRascal]

On 9/6/2020 at 9:57 PM, HB2 said:

And NEVER use ethanol fuel in older outboard motors . EVER . 

With the risk of sounding dumb, what's ethanol fuel? I've been using just regular fuel but yesterday bought some super for the old girl

[WeeIrishRascal]

Update: I wanted to try one thing before I followed the carb advice and other tips.

I added a substantial amount of Sea Foam to my fuel started her up and took her out. She burped and farted and blew white smoke and then...accelerated without stalling! She didn't stay smooth and bogged down but after about 15 minutes much better. I let it sit and took it out again a few hours later. Much better. Not one stall! Still not 100% tho. 

I'm going to get some new plugs (anyone know which brand is best and the plug number?) Also will check the gap on new ones.

[WeeIrishRascal]

On 9/6/2020 at 8:39 AM, rolmops said:

If you decide to try and fix it yourself ,make sure that no parts can fall in the water(You'll never find them back).

You should probably start with buying a spray can of carburetor cleaner. Then, unscrew #29 and washer 28. It is a tricky thing to get #27 out so leave it in. Now put the red straw on the nuzzle of the spray can and stick it in the hole that 29 came out of. Spray the cleaner in there and let it sit a minute or so. Then spray it again.This time with a lot more spray so all the gunk is flushed out. Now , put everything back together, make sure that your engine is in the water or on the muffs, start it up and see what happens.

Make sure to wear eye protection. Carburetor cleaner is wicked stuff to get in your eyes!!!

I'm going to do this too!

[rolmops]

Champion 178V

[HB2]

All fuel now unless specified at the pump has 10 % ethanol in it . 

 

The ethanol attracts water   . 

 

Worse than that it's caustic and will break down the rubber components of older engines and tanks not made to take it.  Anything that disintegrates , get dissolved and pushed thru the carb. It causes all kinds of problems . 

 

 

Look for stations that offer non ethanol gas .

[WeeIrishRascal]

8 hours ago, rolmops said:

Champion 178V

Thank you. That's what I've been using

[tuffishooker]

Do you know when the impeller [ water pump ] was changed if not do it if you have the skills ! From what I read you are on a " steep learning curve " , you may be better off taking the engine to a dedicated shop !

[WeeIrishRascal]

15 minutes ago, tuffishooker said:

Do you know when the impeller [ water pump ] was changed if not do it if you have the skills ! From what I read you are on a " steep learning curve " , you may be better off taking the engine to a dedicated shop !

It's all fun. I love this kind of thing! I have a spare parts motor for it too. I hear that most of the service shops nearby are not interested in working on these old girls. I would if necessary but for now, mini am money spent is good.

It pumping water at a steady clear flow so told that pump/impeller should be good. good