This is the third time I’ve tired to post today and they won’t stick. Perhaps it’s because I tried to post photos…very confusing.

I got the Johnson started today. I found the fine tuning jet on the carb to be very sensitive. a 1/16 turn either way and it’d start to kill. But in the sweet spot it ran strong. I had it on a stand with the power shaft down in a garbage can full of water, no prop, obviously.  Shortly, I noticed a minimal amount of water dribbling out of the orifice on the shaft. The engine was heating up so I shut it off.

I pulled the pump and took it apart. Seemed pretty clean. The pump cylinder and spring worked well and weren’t binding. The cylinder was in good shape with no holes or problems. The check valves were clean and seemed to be free motion. The only thing I saw was that someone soldered in the screen at the bottom of the intake on the pump and got a little too aggressive with the solder, probably plugging up 25% of the area.  I tried blowing and shooting air through the water channels and it seemed to go, but I wasn’t sure. Key question: Do they or the water channels in the head plug up often? None of the tubes were kinked, but at least this morning there wasn’t enough cooling.

I’ll try to post some pictures in a subsequent posting, but in the last three tries that has been the kiss of death for the whole thing.

Success! Today I checked out the water line and found no clear blockages as best I could. I also was able to removed some of the solder over the screen in the water intake port in the pump.

Set up the motor again in the garbage can with the water in it. Pulled the rope once and it fired off, adjusted the carb and the fuel mixture jet…….and the water was shooting out of the discharge port just as it should. It was able to keep the cylinder cool enough so I could touch it. It was warm, but not as hot as before.

All seems to be working well.

Thank you to those who offered the good advice I relied on heavily to get this 89 year old going again. I’ve worked on a couple of Champions from the 40’s but this was a different bird.  I’ll sleep well tonight.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by redpackman.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by redpackman.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by redpackman.