DaySailer.org Forum

The starter spring sprung on my 4hp Johnson outbard..anyone know the fix? I have no idea where to start.

Also I just trailered to Lake Powell,Utah...the sceanery is magnificent and the lake is Huge and Deep..and I was the only sailboat there!..The shoreline is bigger than the entire US West Coast and most of it is over 100 ft deep.

Thanks....

Try searching for Johnson outboard parts on Google. Someone must sell them.

What were the winds like on Lake Powell?

Pull the top off, there are probably 4 screws that hold it in place.
You ,may have to pull the plastic or metal around the outside of the motor first.

once apart, pull the rope and see if the spring is broken.
or the tang has slipped the area that holds it.
If broken of course youhave to buy a new spring.

If the tang has slipped out, you have to rewind the spring and then slip the tang in place and then screw the holder back inplace.

BUT thats for my 4 hp johnson. Yours may be completely different.

Everybody's fixing their OB's. Dragged out my Mercury 3hp which hasn't ran a lick in 5 years. Dumped out the old fuel. Cleaned the plug. Added fresh fuel. Sprayed a little WD40 into the cylinder along with a little 2 stroke oil. Cranked on the 3rd pull. Ran it for a while. Now it starts on the first pull. Buuuuutttttttt. I will run this in the flush barrel for an hour or so before trusting it on the water. "bout time I caught a break with this project.

Thanks for the suggestions,,have been trying to rewind spring...hoping for a shortcut or "trade secret" LOL

If you haven't seen lake Powell it's hard to explain,but it's surrounded by majestic red rock formations and it's huge , winds range from mild to wild,I haden't sailed in 20 years so I stayed out of the stiff ones,but I never needed the outboard even leaving the ramps.It's also a national park so theres nothing manmade on any shore...If they had lakes on the moon this is what they would look like..also almost all banks and beaches are powder soft red sand so you can beach anywhere...and legally camp anywhere....If you can check it out.

Funny thing is,even with all the boats ,I never saw another sail,not a sailboat,windsurfer,Hobiecat or anything...very surprising seeing the present gas sitution....I guess most people like toys you can rev up.

On lawn mowers, I used a heavyduty spring clamp
it held the windings in place when I needed to rest my hand.