Motor mechanic

Any one out there familiar with adjusting the idle and throttle cables on a Johnson 88 hp. I got to tinkering with it and just cant seem to got my motor right.

Wish I could help. My kill switch quit working on a 25 Johnson. Scares me. Got any thoughts?

The kill switches are easily replaced. You might try browns point motors. they have online diagrams of the motor and you can see exactly what you need to replace. Also, you can purchase a service manual for your motor on ebay is a good place. I learned to work on my zuke 25 that way, it will show you everything that your local mechanic will do to it from water pump to carb tune up and clean out etc. I just never purchased a service manual for my bigger johnson. It is stick steering and has a couple cables I am not familiar with. I will probably get one for it but was hoping for a quick fix so I could fish on Monday. The service manuals run about 40 dollars and if you use it one time without having to take your boat in to the shop it will pay for itself.

Unless your cables or control box have gone south it should be an easy enough adjustment at the motor end. If you get it adjusted and then everything seems to change then look for an issue in the cables or the box.

Browns Point won't be able to help with the johnyrude, they are a Suzuki dealer. Ishop Marine, boats.net and some others are a good online parts source for OMC. If it's a tiller with the switch in the arm your probably going to need an oem part to get the right fit, remote control about as bad. If it's in the front of the pan a generic switch will usually fit. Solder any joints that might get made, the crimps will let you down.

Disconnect your cables at the motor assuming you have the quick connect ends on cables. Make sure motor is in neutral, adjust shift cable end until it slips into the leaver with no pressure. Do same thing with throttle cable. Then you should. Have a screw that sits touching a leaver that connects both carbs. That should be your idle adjustment screw.

Take the cables off at the engine. Make sure the shifter arm on the engine is in the neutral position, and the throttle arm on the engine is in the idle position. You will have to loosen the acorn shaped cable adjuster holder so that the adjuster will will turn. Also make sure that your shifter is in the neutral position. Adjust the cables until the hole in the end of the cable lines up with the studs on the shifter arm, and the throttle arm, and reattach the cables. If that doesn't work, you more than likely have bad cables. If only one cable is bad still replace them both. You will have to buy Johnson cables because of the type of adjuster on them. The really older ones have a wire in the cable that you attach to the cable adjusters as well.

I'm betting if it worked properly at first, one of the cables is bad. They hardly ever come out of adjustment other wise. More info would help. Could have a lower unit going bad too.


BRM

Thanks for the help i am gonna look at it tommorow again. He engine idles fine with the idle advances a little bit. It was idling fine last season but as the season progressed the idle kept slowing down or speeding up i cant quite remember. I tinkered with it and had it better but just cant seem to get it right. I will try to take some picts tomorrow under the cover of the motor.

Thanks guys I got it fixed after Undoing the throttle cable I got the engine to idle fine, then reconnected back up the throttle cable to where the engine idling fine and everything works great thank you. Got er done

Glád you got er done. I wouldn't have mentioned the lower unit if I would have read your post better. I thought you might be having trouble with the throttle AND the shifter cables.


BRM

Thanks for all the tips guys