Johnson VRO help

[peter]

1987 Johnson VRO
For year or so the VRO alarm (alarm every one second) has been going off occasionally when I first start the motor at the ramp. I turn the motor off and on a couple times and no alarm. Over the last year this has been getting more frequent. Last weekend I could not really start or run the motor without it going off, idle or at higher rpms.

The motor seems to be getting oil and it is not smoking a lot when this happens.

If this is not a simple fix (ie maybe a faulty alarm vs faulty pump) I was going to remove the VRO and mix manually.

Anybody know what I need to remove the VRO?
I want to make sure my overheat alarm stays in operation.

Any help appreciated.

[redtail]

I have the same motor, the manual says there are three different sounds,mine just started doing the same thing only once I just have the oil tank at the full level, the book shows the vro pump looks like its noyhing to change out,let me know,if you dont have a manual I can try to send you some info, Dave

[Embrey]

you can just unplug the vro and take off the oil lines and mix your gas...

[peter]

you can just unplug the vro and take off the oil lines and mix your gas...

Thanks Embry. Once I unplug the wires to the vro is the pump totally dead? In other words is there any suction trying to pull air or fluid through the pump in which case I would gave to cap off the oil side of the pump real well. If so, where do I do that?

Thanks

[peter]

I have the same motor, the manual says there are three different sounds,mine just started doing the same thing only once I just have the oil tank at the full level, the book shows the vro pump looks like its noyhing to change out,let me know,if you dont have a manual I can try to send you some info, Dave

Thanks. The vro is pretty handy and saves on oil. Ay idle i read where it operates at 150:1. Ill take a look and see if it looks hard to change. I think a new pump is sbout 400.

[Embrey]

Thanks. The vro is pretty handy and saves on oil. Ay idle i read where it operates at 150:1. Ill take a look and see if it looks hard to change. I think a new pump is sbout 400.

i would see if its really bad or not before capping it off. is it the oil alarm going off?

[peter]

i would see if its really bad or not before capping it off. is it the oil alarm going off?

The every one second beep (oil) has been going off occasionally for the last year when I first start at the ramp. I turn off and on the motor a couple times and it goes away.

Last time I could not run the engine at idle very long before the every one second alarm would go off. I have read where sometimes this can be caused by other things than a bad vro pump.
--
I guess the immediate question is , do need to cap the oil intake to run the engine with 50:1 mix. Was hopin to go fishin tomorrow. Figured I could disable the vro and run 50:1...maybe trouble shoot to see if it is the actual pump that is bad on another day.

[Embrey]

The every one second beep (oil) has been going off occasionally for the last year when I first start at the ramp. I turn off and on the motor a couple times and it goes away.

Last time I could not run the engine at idle very long before the every one second alarm would go off. I have read where sometimes this can be caused by other things than a bad vro pump.
--
I guess the immediate question is , do need to cap the oil intake to run the engine with 50:1 mix. Was hopin to go fishin tomorrow. Figured I could disable the vro and run 50:1...maybe trouble shoot to see if it is the actual pump that is bad on another day.

yeah, but that may not help with your alarm issue if thats not what is causing it.

[CTFSHWHISKER]

i just replaced a pump on my cousins 150 johnson,did the same thing for about the last year at first start up the alarm would go off,sometime.If you pumped the oil bulb it would go off and stayed off,in the beginning.recently it finally got to where it would come on at idle all time,then i'd pump it up and it stayed off while running higher rpm.after replacing it has stayed off.i'd say the diaphram had a tear in it and it wouldn't hold pressure.you may look on bassboat central i found his for right at $100 shipped to me off a blowed motor.if you pre mix you need to cap the oil line and unplug the alarm harness.it runs off pulses from the crankcase there fore it will try to pump when the motor is running it pumps air in the fuel system.
as Embry said you need to make sure that is what it is,you can unplug the vro and see if it quits,if not unplug the wire to the tank see if the low oil sensor is bad,then unhook and ground the head temp wires.whatever you unhook that makes it quit is the culprit.

[peter]

VRO update.

I found that the nipple on the oil pump bulb on the fuel line was cracked. When I pulled on it to inspect it broke in half. Replaced that and everything was great. No alarm. Ran eight gallons of gas through the motor that day. Perfect.

The next day when I started the motor to go back to the ramp.....smoke everywhere. The engine would not run for more than several seconds. Still thick smoke everywhere. Trolled to the ramp.

I disconnected the VRO and mixed gas as described in this thread. Runs fine.

I am thinking the VRO just happened to go out the day after I fixed the alarm/oil line problem.
What are the odds on that occurring.
.
I read that many times when the pump goes out the motor will smoke excessively.
Does that sound right to anybody with experience with these things?

Would really like to get the VRO going again, budget permitting. A new pump is 400 I think. .

[Embrey]

VRO update.

I found that the nipple on the oil pump bulb on the fuel line was cracked. When I pulled on it to inspect it broke in half. Replaced that and everything was great. No alarm. Ran eight gallons of gas through the motor that day. Perfect.

The next day when I started the motor to go back to the ramp.....smoke everywhere. The engine would not run for more than several seconds. Still thick smoke everywhere. Trolled to the ramp.

I disconnected the VRO and mixed gas as described in this thread. Runs fine.

I am thinking the VRO just happened to go out the day after I fixed the alarm/oil line problem.
What are the odds on that occurring.
.
I read that many times when the pump goes out the motor will smoke excessively.
Does that sound right to anybody with experience with these things?

Would really like to get the VRO going again, budget permitting. A new pump is 400 I think. .

if it was out, it wouldnt be smoking. those self oilers are neat, but ifit dies, theres no alarm that will save the motor. mixing *****, but i know ive got oil that way

[peter]

if it was out, it wouldnt be smoking. those self oilers are neat, but ifit dies, theres no alarm that will save the motor. mixing *****, but i know ive got oil that way

Thanks Embry