Reply To: Timing a 6HP Johnson 1989

[Don]

OK, well let’s start with the primer hose…Which hose are you pinching off? I am assuming you are pinching off the tiny hose that runs from the primer to the top of the carb…I can’t really tell how the primer is plumbed on this engine by the parts break down…In any event, the engine shouldn’t stall out when the primer hose is removed…Perhaps the primer is leaking, and you have just adjusted the carb lean to account for the extra fuel the primer is delivering. Are you sure the primer is pushed all the way in? Remember it has three positions. How about pulling off the primer hose and pumping the fuel bulb, no fuel should squirt from the little primer hose with the primer in the off position, pushed all the way in…
Gee, that thing fooled me, sure sounds like it is running on two cylinders…As for your water theory, it only takes a few minutes to drop that gearcase so you can run it with no water going through it to see if things change…This engine has no shift connector, simply shift into forward gear, remove the gearcase bolts and it should drip right down…Make sure the lever is in forward position when you reassemble…
PS Dont put too much pressure on the gearcase trying to pull it down…True, the grommet may be stuck to the water tube, but the driveshaft splines may be seized as well…Don’t want you opening that can of worms…If the gearcase won’t come down with minimal effort,(you may have to pry a bit to free up the impeller housing water tube grommet), reinstall the bolts and forget it…