chrisg

Thats ok...run the motor from cold on the flushers with the hood off. Every 30 secs touch the thermostat housing (raised circle housing above the top plug) After a few minutes it will get warm as the thermo opens...after five minutes you should be able to hold your fingers on it for a few secs. What we are looking for is for the housing to just feel a little warm. This is very imprecise admittedly but if its only slightly warm your thermo maybe stuck open and the engine running too cold. Iv'e seen the problem you have described with a motor that is too cold and running the plugs you had in. C.

Thats ok..a tad low but all within 10% so unlikely you have a major issue with one particular cylinder. Get the right plugs in next. Out of interest do you have a temperature gauge on the dash? If so whats the temp after its run for 10 mins or so? C.

Properly for a start! The coil pack, electrics, carburettor are spec'd for that plug. It may not cure your problem if you have one but you can't possibly test any further until the correct plugs are in. Did you get a comp test done? C.

I'll save Huey the typing....not a good plug for that motor. Get three Champion QL77JC4 (correct me if wrong Huey)in there and start your checking process over again. The plug you had is the recommended NGK replacement but many Johno 70 running problems I've heard about stem from using this plug. Change plugs, run and let us know how you go. C. ps. If you can get a compression test done whist the plugs are being swapped all the better.

Jay What plugs are in the motor? What is their condition and do they all look the same? C.

Wonder if the right plugs were put in? C.

I think its probably too stuffed to be repaired successfully sorry to say. Which Pro tactic was it? C.

Jewie Probably a little high but remember there's no back pressure from the water around the exhaust gases coming from the prop. If it idles at 700rpm odd on the water the idle is set about right. Consider getting one of those prop silencers (boat places have them) for flushing. Rpm's will drop to usual levels plus your flushing will be much quieter and appreciated by all. C.

Hi all Anyone know of Charlies Island on the Manning River..somewhere around Taree or Harrington? Up there next weekend and a fishing club guy told me it was a good spot but now I can't find him or the spot on the map. Anyone know the area? C.

Thanks mate..actually got rid of the bulk of the marks using mothers old favourite...bicarb soda paste...cleans really well without scratching. Now to just get the gloss back! C.

Does the 'box move at all? You may have missed a bolt under the trim tab. You'll have to disconnect the gear linkage at the head end...could be a small nut or a push in and twist pin and hole arrangement. In the meantime have you poked a bit of wire up the tell tale..could just be blocked by weed or crud. C.

Its a good first outfit..no problems there. Fluorocarbon is a good choice but get a spool of mono in 6lb as well for the surface lures. A couple of cheap poppers around 5cm should see you have some fun in the early morning and evening. C.

Start off with 6lb braid and a 6lb leader. When you get more comfortable with using the outfit you could go down to 4lb but 6lb will give you a bit of leeway for some rough handling. Go for a good value braid first like Fireline or Stren Microfuse and don't over fill the spool. Make sure the line is 3mm from the lip to reduce wind knots until you get more comfortable. Search the forums as there's heaps of stuff on the right knots for braid and how to get started. What fish are you chasing so we can help you with lures etc. C.

Yeah used a soft cloth and hazed is a good description. How should I best deal with that? C.

Now I've looked closer it looks like tar. Some oysters posts are painted with a tar paint for protection. I've got the residue off but the remainder seems like a deep stain in the gel coat. Out of interest I tried a marine extra cut compound in an inconspicuous spot, Good job I did cos now I have a heavily scratched matt finish spot that I cannot get a gloss on regardless of what I do. Tub says it will produce a high gloss finish. Just used small circular motion by hand..what went wrong? C.

Hi all Anyone got any clever tips for removing black rubber "grazes" from fibreglass. Over time a few oyster poles and posts have left their mark. A cutting polish doesn't do much nor WD40 which was the last tip I got. Any ideas? C.

First thing to do...run it on some fresh unleaded and see how you go the. Also I found NGK plugs were more prone to fouling and maybe a combination of that and the lead substitute is causing the problem. I found the recommended Champion plugs to be much better in a Johnson/Evinrude. Fresh fuel and a long run and let us know if things improve. C.

Is it a 2 or 4 stroke? Why are you using a lead supplement? Have you taken a plug out to see how it looks? C.

Did it do it before the service? C.

So both batteries are charging from the motor at the same time? If so the 17v battery is overcharged hence the voltage ie its full...really full. Ideally you should have something like a voltage sensitive relay or charging cluster which allows charging of the first battery to 13.7 volts and then switches to charge the second battery. Boat shops have them. You might also be able to do something with heavy duty battery switch. Will require a bit of thought and reaseach or good advice from a marine electrician. Thats all assuming the volts and wiring are correct. C.

What motor are you running? Could be your regulator has gone on the alternator. Some early motors were un-regulated but even then 17V is too high if its correct. Whilst your elecronics are at risk the biggest issue is your battery will be venting ie the water will be evaporating which will eventually kill it especially if its a sealed maint free one. C.

Not a Kota owner but MOM is "momentary" and CON is "constant"....ie on/off or stay on. As for the electonics they may appear to be exposed but could be resin sealed inside. Never seen one so not too sure. C.

Number 2 is the fill plug and number 3 drain plug...sort of! Read on. Put a dish or tray under the leg and remove plug 3. A little oil should come out. The unscrew plug 2 and the flow should increase. Leave to drain for 30 mins or so. To fill you need to put oil in via plug 3. You can use a squeezy bottle and tube or big syringe but ideally Johnson do a pump that screws in..no mess, no fuss. Use Johnson HiViz gear oil or similar. When the oil starts to flow from the upper plug 2 your done. Screw plug 2 in first using a new washer as this will stop the oil you have put in draining away when you do the bottom screw...you'll lose a little but not much. Screw in the bottom plug with a new washer...then undo the top screw again and top up until oil flows from the hole...just to be sure you replaced any oil you have lost. Check tightness of both. The drained oil can anything from brown to black but if its like coffee with milk or there's water floating in it you have a duff seal somewhere to be attended to. Hope that helps C.

Spence The bearing protectors should tap in just like the dust covers. There should be no gap, no silicon, just a tight fit. Sounds like a size problem. Pics might help. C.

Red Despite having a bad rep I believe it was only the 150hp and above motors that were the problem motors. Sadly this tainted the whole brand. The 90 was guilty by association and by all accounts was a good motor and if you look on the US sites the vast majority of Ficht owners actually loved them..even the problem models. I'm sure Huey can add something but I wouldn't let it stop you from buying the boat if everything else fits for you. Cheers C.