150 Johnson has set up for 20 years - what steps to put it back in service?

I think it's an 84 year model outboard and was running when it got retired due to a one bad powerpack (I think), and life getting in the way.

Fast forward 20 years and we are wanting to get it back running and put it on a different boat - a 96 Cajun 18' center console.

What is the recommended way to prep the motor before turning the flywheel and moving anything.

I'm sure the carb bowls didn't get drained on the 150 back 20 years ago, the VRO had already been neutered while it was still in use - I think because they wouldn't sell just the oil side diaphragm and I didn't want to pay for the whole fuel/oil all-in-one assembly at the time.

What drained out of the hard as a rock gas line last night when I cut it loose looked like 2-stroke oil. I guess all the gas had evaporated.

We have both motors pulled off their respective boats now and are fixing to start back with putting the 150 on the Cajun.

I do have a brand new Morse cable still in the box for it that never got installed but don't know if it will fit the current Cajun boat. The single cable running the 130 on the Cajun worked and steered fine.

I'll make someone a hellva good deal on a vintage HybridBass brand hull that was hand made in Grand Prairie TX.
Comes with a 12/24 trolling motor and just needs another outboard and a different trailer, and a little TLC to get her back on the water. It'd be a great fixer-upper for someone who was looking for a project.

Dock anchor

I think you may have some major issues. I would pull the plugs out and drip a little penetrating oil down each cylinder. Make sure the engine will even turn over. You will probably have to pull the carbs off and clean and rebuild them. Anything rubber, fuel lines, diaphragms, breather hoses, etc...will probably have to be replaced. Fuel tank will have to be cleaned or maybe replaced. Does that motor have a coil or a mag? Make sure it is getting fire to the plugs before you get to far and replace the plugs. Honestly, there is a lot to do to bring that beast back to life....and then there are no guarantees.

Thanks TBS. I think it has individual coils for each plug. We got new fuel lines and going to put a “vro delete”
pulse pump on it for fuel. We got 2 new power packs. Already sprayed some sea foam stuff into all the cylinders that’s supposed to free up any stuck stuff like piston rings. Also going to turn it on it’s back and squirt that through the throttle openings to hopefully get it to the intake side of the reed valves. Before we tear the carbs apart, I may just take out the jets and B-12 them good and let some B-12 soak in the carb bowls to see if that brown gunk won’t dissolve and drain out. May be able to jiggle the floats up and down from the drain holes while squirting B12 into that area also. We also got a new water pump impeller to put on. We’re going to try and see if it will run before tearing into the carburetors.
Maybe.....

It being a two stroke I would suggest doing a real carb job on it before trying to run or you could potentially crank it and have one or more cylinders not getting fuel which means not getting lube. I'm not saying this to be ugly at all, but b-12 is not a replacement for going through the carbs thoroughly. I've had too redo mine several times, canned mechanic never got me to where I needed to be. Now that does not mean it won't work for you, but you are asking a lot of it. If you are going to spend the time to get it running and go to the trouble to hang it on a hull I would suggest you do not skip steps. There is not a fast way too do this. Good luck

trot line weight. finding parts will drive you nuts.

Thank you Dawson. In my heart, I know you’re right. I’ve rebuilt these carbs once about 21 years ago and helped my fishing partner due his almost identical 150 evinrude about 10-12. Years ago so sort of know what is involved. Not that hard, just time consuming to do it right. But easier in the shop instead of 5 miles up the Pecos past the high bridge though. We’re trying to pull this off to still hit the white bass run but don’t know if that’ll happen. Our other option is to pull the lower unit of my 150, slap that impeller in and bolt it onto my brothers 130 on the Cajun which has trashed gears but a good powerhead that was run last year. Only issue is supposed to be possibly different gear ratio which would require different prop selection. Thanks for your advice I know your right. As to the other partners in this adventure, I don’t know. I still want to see if it’s going to at least fire on any cylinders before tearing into those carbs and linkage and all that stuff. The nice thing about the 130/150 hybrid thing is that 130 was all wired up and running with contrrols, steering, everything all wired up to go. Theoretically we could slap my lower on it and head for the river. Sounds easy huh? Right I know how that can go too. But thanks for the correct suggestion to do it right!!

Yeah, finding parts may be tricky but we got most of what may be needed already.
Nothing but a power pack was really broke. And we got most of the soft parts already located. We found a really helpful boat parts counter guy down in San Angelo who has been real helpful on that so far. New ones are just so dang expensive!!

Hey guys,
Not the 150, but some interesting news about a 1978 15 HP Evinrude hat hasn't been run in 15 years.

Pulled the plugs, and squirted some Sea Foam deep creep into both the cylinders. Let that sit overnight and then rolled the fly wheel a couple times. Put the plugs back in, Squirted some deep creep into the intake with the throttle plates full open and rolled the flywheel couple more times. Let that sit a few hours, put a new fuel line on and stuck the inlet into a small container of AV gas with 2 stroke oil in it and pumped the bulb till hard. squirted some WalMart carb cleaner into the intake and jerked on the starter rope.

That Sucker fired and ran on the second pull!! It died pretty quick, but some more carb cleaner down the intake and a couple more pulls kept it running till the gas got going and that sucker ran on its own for till we shut it down - pretty quick.

Then we let the lower down into a trashcan full of water and cranked it up again and let it run till the cylinders got a little warm - no water out the telltale so we need to install the new impeller we already bought. I think the prop shaft seals are going to need replacing and not sure what else but I thought it was pretty damn cool that it fired up and ran like it did that easy.
5 miles up the river might be a different story!!

Still working on the 150. And pouring in a new Transom to replace the rotted out mess that was in the back end of the Cajun, and...the list goes on for the 2 big boats and motors. We seem to like to have quite a few projects going at the same time!! Just thought I'd update about whats going on. The 15 which is going onto a little 14' tiller steer looks for sure like not a trotline weight and hoping for such good luck with the 150!!!

Good deal

On the big motor I would put a lot more than a few drips of oil in them and let sit overnight. Then see if it turns the next day then proceed with other stuff. If it doesn't turn you have bigger problems. If its not locked up and has good compression I would definitely try to get it into shape.

Red, we’re pretty much gonna follow your suggestion. Thanks! The big one has had two good doses of that sea foam deep creep squirted into all six cylinders and started soaking last Wednesday. We’ll likely take the plugs back out and turn the flywheel a few go rounds by hand soon. Then depending on how that goes, put the plugs in and give her a couple easy pulls with a hand rope to see how the compression feels and then depending on those results go on down the items to do list. Thanks!!
Still dinking around trying to pour enough epoxy into the rotten transom with small enough doses so it don’t get too hot and crack all to hell.