Johnson engines, any good?

Eyeing up a small boat purchase that has a late 80's 70hp Johnson engine.

Just looking for a few opinions as to if they are reliable or not.

Thanks in advance.

hi had 2 johnsons in my life one is buried in the garden and the second one is part of a mooring the both were hardship there must be happy johnson owners but not me never again

Thanks for the reply Willie.

I'll await a bit more feedback from any others in the know.

I had one on my first boat,same story late 80s got on first name basis with the lifeboat crews and swore I would never buy one again..

I have a 88 70 hp vro and have had few minor issues as you would with any old engine the starter and starter solenoid packed at start of year but since then being great.. If it is a vro I would Recommend removing the separate reservoir and mix oil and fuel just couldn't trust them... If it's been done already week in good... Run a compression test on her too simple rule when buying but many people don't believe me I learnt the hard way.... Any second hand engines will be as good as how they were maintained!!!

also had a few ,good when there goin but once they go wrong they really seem to go wrong

A 20 years old engine is just a machine that has been in someone else's hands for 20 years! (Would you lend your automobile to someone else for 1 week?)
So the engine will reflect wear and tear, abuse and misuse, and impact accident wear, each to some degree, and everything is repairable at a cost. These issues are particular to your individual engine, not a general brand thing. The important thing is to have a reasonable idea of the level of wear, and consequently the cost of repairs expected to come up soon. Because of this need, you should get a mechanic to look it over before you place a value greater than zero on it. BUT they were designed to be tough and take abuse, so if maintained properly, a 30 years engine can be perfectly reliable.

As far as the Johnson brand is concerned, I have experience with all kinds for over 40 years, my old man being an outboard dealer since I was a kid. The Johnsons are as reliable as any other 2-stroke and weigh less than many. I would suggest the 1980s Johnson 9/15hp was the best 2-stroke outboard ever made. They're pretty much all still in use. Having said that, any user with no experience of two strokes will encounter problems due to inexperience, and the less you know about engines, the less you should buy old engines, or 2-strokes, and the more you should save to get 4-stroke which requires less knowledge to use trouble-free. Or just learn old 2-stroke engine nuances in lakes where boats weigh less, and distances are within rowing limits, before heading out 3 miles into the blue.

There are people calling into dealers right now to buy up scrapped engines, has been going on for over a year now. They sell them mounted on used boats for a value far in excess of scrap metal value. There are a LOT of these out there.
So one big question: have you seen it running out on the water or do you personally know friends who have seen the owner using it on the water? If not, it's back to getting the qualified mechanic to check it before parting with cash.
Another good question might be what is the last owner's name, and who serviced it for him, and what is their address/phone number?

Hope this helps.

Good advice there Norm

Thanks for the additional replies guys.

I'm in the motor trade myself (buying and selling) but have very little mechanical knowledge, however I know through over a decade of experience in my trade which vehicles are more reliable than others, generally speaking. that is.

I was just looking for a similar type of overview regarding Johnson engines.

There is no previous service history with this engine, however the seller is more than happy to give me a lengthy water trial.

He bought the boat sometime ago and has given it a full restoration, new floor, paint, controls etc, he had the engine serviced at a local marine specialist and can provide proof of that, however he no longer has contact details of the previous owner.

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/2413399

I'm sharing the purchase with a friend, and the boat will be used for both fishing and pleasure.

The vibe I'm getting so far is to give the Johnsons a wide berth...................

I think if it was any other brand of engine people will have issues with it at times on any forums only bad reports are put up IMO... I have no bad experiences with Johnson engines over the years if owner willing take you out I would take it from there... There's plenty bad yahamas/suzuki out there also

Thanks for the additional replies guys.

I'm in the motor trade myself (buying and selling) but have very little mechanical knowledge, however I know through over a decade of experience in my trade which vehicles are more reliable than others, generally speaking. that is.

I was just looking for a similar type of overview regarding Johnson engines.

There is no previous service history with this engine, however the seller is more than happy to give me a lengthy water trial.

He bought the boat sometime ago and has given it a full restoration, new floor, paint, controls etc, he had the engine serviced at a local marine specialist and can provide proof of that, however he no longer has contact details of the previous owner.

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/2413399

I'm sharing the purchase with a friend, and the boat will be used for both fishing and pleasure.

The vibe I'm getting so far is to give the Johnsons a wide berth...................

i will say the trailer looks good imo

That boat on DoneDeal is eh....very Starsky & Hutch!
It would be a grand boat for messing around in but not a very practical angling boat. An then a cheap RIB would be more fun for messing.
Still if it suits...

There are a good few Seahogs on DD - maybe worth a look as they tend to offer a better compromise angling/messing.

On the engine side - yes there were loads of johnsons sold and you can hear as many good as bad stories about them. All you can do is have the engine checked out by a guy who is tuned in. It is an old engine. I would be happier with an old Yam or Mariner if it came to it - then that's just my preference.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the input, yeh a bit of an odd looking boat, much nicer on the inside than outside so wont be so bad once out on the water.

Have been looking at the seahogs, but I think this boat suits current needs best as I'd say I'll be lucky to get 5-10 trips a year fishing, and as I'm a relative boat angling novice I'm willing to put up with the compromise for the 1st year or two atleast.

Its unlikely the boat will see further than 2-3 miles offshore, so I think it should be grand enough for that.

Will need a radio and aux engine fitting of course.

Think I'll take a look at it, get the engine checked and take it from there.

Thanks for the input lads.

Hi Shamoo

Personally I am not a fan of Johnsons, have had a couple of that vintage and found them troublesome even when properly maintained. As has been said already a used engine is only as good as the care it has been given but i have found that johnsons need more TLC than others to stay viable.

Having said that there are good ones out there but check it our thoroughly before you buy. also I would suggest taking a close look at the tilt and trim as the ones from that era can be problematic and are fiddly to fix and not cheap to replace. They blow the seals on the pipes and over the time the motors stick (not just johnsons but a lot of 1980s PTTs in my experience).

On the boat: I have just sold a dory with a similar hull and at speed and over waves they will slam. Its also a fairly powerful set up for your first boat and these kind of hulls are not a comfortable ride over the waves at speed (same for any cathedral hull though).

The trailer looks very nice.

Also given the age of the engine and the boat (which I would guess is at least as old as the engine of not older i think 3.5K is a bit rich.

What is your maximum budget?

Couple of alternatives below


http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/2264100

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/2395223

Also agree with jim on the Sea Hogs good value there at the moment.

When we were buying our first sea boat nearly 6-7 years ago now we got some advice on what to buy. initially we were looking to get something that was a compromise while looking to change up in year or two. We asked around and we were told to push our budget and get an orkney that was above our budget at the time.

But we took that advice and we still have the boat - i cant remember who gave us that advice but it was absolutely the best option we could have chosen - oh wait I remember now it was JimC

Anyway aim as high as your budget allows - changing up boats is a pain in the butt. Take it from me I have just bought my third in two years. Started off with a Sea Nymph - then an open Dory like the one you are looking at - now a Fletcher. I should have saved myself the time and effort and just got the fletcher in the first place.

Hi Shamoo,
For what it's worth: I've used outboards at work and fishing for about 20 years. We initially used Johnsons, but they gave so much trouble that we switched to Hondas and Mariners about 10 years ago. We've never looked back - the Hondas start first time, every time and the Mariners are almost as good.

Personally I wouldn't take an 80s Johnson if they were giving them away! It would make a great anchor though........

Regards,

Liam.

Also (sorry for the multiple posts) is the floor wooden?

If is is I would guess its been added due to the original floor rotting. Check around the transom and bilge for rotten or weak spots and consider the floor. See if its treated properly (it doesnt look glassed) if its not then even if its marine ply it will rot in time if it gets damp or holds water.

few other alternatives for less than 4k

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/2449498

http://www.donedeal.ie/for-sale/boats/2495823

Thanks for the extra info lads.

Adam, I'm not a boating novice, just a boat fishing novice, I owned a Sea Ray 24ft sports cruiser ( I had that slamming in big seas ) a few years back and the thing broke my heart (and my wallet) with engine trouble, thats why I'm being considerably more cautious this time round.

Thanks for the additonal links, I'll take a closer look at them over the weekend.

The general consensus seems to be to stay away from the Johnsons, so I think I'll do just that.

Sorry Shamoo got you wrong on that.

Good luck with the search.

Also one of the links I posted, I posted it before I realised the seating was two office chairs bolted to the floor , so eh maybe let that one go