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Is an old Johnson worth getting involved with?

T

Ted Dammit

New member
Hi all:
Am getting ready for a first boat. One that I'm looking at has a 92' 115hp Johnson.
I know that Johnson's aren't made anymore and I don't know about the parts situation. I see that some parts are available on this site, but is it worth getting involved with such as old engine even if it passes the tests?

Thanks for replies.
 
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That is an excellent / smooth running / reliable motor when properly rebuilt.-------Do a compression test before handing over any coins.------Are you planning to do maintenance on this motor yourself.-----Most parts are available if you know how / where to shop.
 
I love my 1990 Johnson 90 hp. After a little work, it runs like a top. But as Racer said, be sure you know what you are buying.
 
Ted Dammit said:
Hi all:
Am getting ready for a first boat. One that I'm looking at has a 92' 115hp Johnson.
I know that Johnson's aren't made anymore and I don't know about the parts situation. I see that some parts are available on this site, but is it worth getting involved with such as old engine even if it passes the tests?

Thanks for replies.
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Again...to answer your question, No.

If this is your first boat, get something that is 2005 or newer. Why would you want to get into a 27 year old engine/boat?
 
One reason is that shops refuse to touch them. OK, there is a reason for that also. But I'll let it go at that. Except to say there are lots of people out there that enjoy working on their own motors. My newest motor is a 1984. My oldest motor is a 1918. Are they "worth" anything? Not if I had to pay somebody to fix them.
 
Agreed-----You can work on older technology products at home.-----Some shops dedicate their time and effort to folks with bulging pockets , and $80.000 boats.
 
racerone said:
Agreed-----You can work on older technology products at home.-----Some shops dedicate their time and effort to folks with bulging pockets , and $80.000 boats.
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I agree with the "Old Technology products at home" for the savvy/handy guy, But, for a first time boat owner who actually wants to be out on the water enjoying his/her boat, newer is better. Old or new, shop repairs are $$$$.. Old boats and engines will need unforeseen repairs due to age.

A newer Mercury N/A four Stroke or a Yamaha Four stroke is a simple engine to work on and low cost to run with great reliability. It is the way to go for anyone who is getting into boating.


BTW, My customers with bulging pockets do not own $80,000.00 boats, this is New Jersey, they are north of $500K.
 
No one mentioned the effects of salt water usage vs fresh water usage. Salt water usage greatly reduces the life span of the motor....especially if it hasn't been flushed on a regular basis. I would be reluctant to buy a 27 year old motor which had spent those years in salt water.
 
My newest outboard motor is 62 years old that I inherited. My great grandkids will still be using it long after me and the new outboards have been laid to rest.
 
[FONT=&quot]Id say it all depends on how much of your time and effort youre willing to put in, and whether or not you are willing to learn. I can give you my perspective of having an old first engine, it's only a 15 hp but the principles are the same. It took me two summers to completely rebuild my little engine, and I took it all appart, I watched youtube videos, read forums and made a lot of posts on here too, I learned everything from scratch and now I know my engine inside and out (still lots to learn though). Not saying you need to completely rebuild what ever you buy but id agree that for older engines you need to be able to be your own mechanic and then you can get a lot of boat for you buck but if you arent prepared to get involved I would side with [/FONT][FONT=&quot]Docksidemarineservices. get yourself something used, sweatwater run that is reliable and not so old.
An old engine can be a sinkhole for money.[/FONT]
 
If the old engines are your hobby and time and money are not a problem, as in..... you're not 97 years old, and if at a local card game, you could drop two or three thousand and get up smiling and walk away while whistling "America The Beautiful" and reminiscing about what a great time you had at the game with your friends... then go for it. It affects you and no one else.

If on the other hand, the amount involved seems to compare with ones annual salary, and it borderlines affecting your family, plus you intend to be happily fishing with your family the weekend after next.... walk away until you can afford a rig/engine that any reliable shop/dealership has full knowledge of in order to keep it in check.
 
Riopga - On your 1990 90 evinrude , have you noticed that one head runs cooler than the other ??
Newly rebuilt PH and brand new T-stats but one head still runs cooler
 
kherby1 said:
Riopga - On your 1990 90 evinrude , have you noticed that one head runs cooler than the other ??
Newly rebuilt PH and brand new T-stats but one head still runs cooler
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I haven't, but I don't have temp gauges on them. BUT i seem to remember reading that that one side did run a bit cooler on these. You might check with RacerOne or Joe Reeves on that. Might need to start a new thread.
 
riopga said:
I haven't, but I don't have temp gauges on them. BUT i seem to remember reading that that one side did run a bit cooler on these. You might check with RacerOne or Joe Reeves on that. Might need to start a new thread.
Click to expand...

If one side runs hotter than the other, I'd suspect a thermostat problem... OR... swollen water deflectors if so equipped.
 
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