Reply To: Timing a 6HP Johnson 1989

[Don]

Yes, only 6 bolts on the head is no good for sure, just a cost cutting move…
OK, let us know how you make out running the engine in the barrel with no gearcase….If the issue seems to go away with no water going through the powerhead, there is one more test you can do to really confirm your suspicions….
Make up some sort of adapter so you can attach the garden hose to the copper water tube…
Start the engine with the water off, then turn the hose on very slightly, if the engine starts to misbehave, shut the hose off again to see if the issue goes away…. We will talk about how to pinpoint the leak once you have confirmed that water leakage is the issue… Don’t rip the engine apart until we talk more about pinpointing the actual leak…The issue could be porosity somewhere, not just a bad gasket….
As for the primer issue, don’t know what to tell you….Pinching off the little primer hose then having the engine stall indicates a leaky primer, but you seems like you have done all the right tests to check for a leaky primer….