1972 Aquasport 21

[bluedolphin]

Bought it yesterday, after sea trial, for $3500, with trailer. 200 hp 1992 Johnson, new power head. Transom is solid, deck has no soft spots, and very clean. I will post pictures the next couple of days. VHF, nav lights, pfd's, anchor with line, water/fuel separator, 1500 gph bilge pump. I think I did good, considering I don't have to re-build from scratch. What do uou folks think?

[bluedolphin]

I did not mention what the boat needs: 1.) Fuel gauge not hooked up 2.) Tachometer not working 3.) Forward and reverse makes a grinding noise. How difficult are these projects and can a do-it-yourselfer manage? I might have a few more, please have patience. Thanks.

[JimCt]

Sounds like a good deal!  Never heard of a 21' Aquasport... maybe a 190 0r a 222?

[bluedolphin]

The outboard that came with this boat is 1 1992 200 2.5 ltr. Johnson. The previous owner tells me use Johnson oil from and outboard shop. Mix should be 50/1. Is this correct? I also read that the way to do this is, put gas in the tank first, then pour the oil in after, in the proper ratio. Is this the best method to make sure that the fuel/oil mixes well? Thanks.

[JimCt]

Add oil first, then the gas.  Reason to add the gas after is so the turbulence of the gas entering the tank mixes the oil thoroughly.  For operation and owner maintenance it's a good idea to pick up an owner's manual.   In the meantime, you can direct operational questions to http://www.themarinedoctor.com.  You'll see the forum page for Johnson at the left.

One other thing you should check when you first start the motor is that it is pumping cooling water.  If you don't see any water coming out the exhaust at idle, shut it down immediately and have the water pump impeller replaced.

Again, congratulations on the new boat!

[bluedolphin]

Where can I order a manual for this outboard? And where do I find the serial number? Thanks, JimCT.

[RickK]

Welcome aboard bluedolphin.
Never heard of a 21 either so waiting to see the pix.  You can buy a 3rd party manual for the motor at Boaters World or a place like that and you might also go into a Johnson dealer and ask there for the manual.
50:1 is a normal mix and Jim has the right process.  Make sure the motor does not have an active VRO before mixing oil into the gas (oil tank hooked up to motor somewhere in the boat).  If owner told you the oil mix, sounds safe but take a good look around.  On a 72 I don't think there was much storage in the rear of the boat to hide things but I could be mistaken (at least NONE in my 71).

[JimCt]

There is a manufacturer's plate located somewhere on the engine, possibly under the cover or on the upper part of the leg.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, Rickk and JimCT. This is my first outboard. My last 4 boats have been straight shaft, twin inboards. So when you talk about "upper part of the leg", I assume you're talking of the bottom part of the engine? I do need to get me the manual to help me out. Thanks again.

[warthog5]

On the manual. Buy a FACTORY manual ONLY!  Don't waste your money on the aftermarket manual. You will end up buying the Factory manual after a while anyway. Money wasted on the aftermarket.
While ordering the Factory manual, order the part's manual too. aprox $16.

OMC/Bomb has the best manual's of all the manufacture's.

I mix 6gal or 12gal's at a time on a premix motor. Having a good working fuel guage help's a lot here to see how much more fuel the tank will hold.

1/2 qt of oil to 6gal or full 1qt to 12gal gas. [50 to 1] Oil in first then pump gas.

Pull the cowl off look on top of the motor behind the flywheel. There should be a freeze plug there. On that freeze plug will be the motor ID #.

[bluedolphin]

Thanks, warthog5. I'm picking up a gallon of Johnson outboard oil today at a local outboard shop. I will pick up a factory manual, if they have one.

[RickK]

Yup, Wart is right - I usually buy in quantities of 12 gal (For me that is not a big deal since my tank is only 24 gal).  Either I pull the boat to a gas station or I have 3- 5 gallon cans and put 4 gal and stabilizer in each.  I then put one quart of oil in (I buy it by the case of qts so I don't have to measure) and pour the 12 gal of gas in.  Been doin the same process for 18years.
1qt = 12 gal = 50:1.

[bluedolphin]

How do I take the cowl off - to see the engine ID#?

[RickK]

The cowl is the cover of the motor - usually a couple swivel locks on front and back and then lift off.