1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

[papapike]

I was looking at what I was told is a 1981 85 hp Johnson excel outboard motor to put on my 18 foot starcraft holiday.
Anybody ever hear of it or have anything good or bad to say about them?

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

Never heard a a Johnson Excel..have heard of Yamaha though....

 

[papapike]

Re: 1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

The motor is an 85hp Johnson, model number J85MICSA, 1980 The motor looks fine, but the bottom fin in front of the prop is sitting on a block of wood and the motor is leaning and the fin looks bent. The seller says it will straighten out when it's lifted and put on a boat but I don't know about that. Any thoughts?

 

[boobie]

Re: 1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

He's blowing smoke up your you know what!!!!

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: 1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

Likely the model number is not what you think. It is probably a J85MLCSA, a standard model for that year. The factory called them "Javelin" by name. Maybe some of the letters are missing on the side of the upper cowling. If the skeg is bent while the engine is sitting on it, it will still be bent when the engine is lifted. A bent skeg is not a fatal flaw, it just looks odd-and can be repaired.

 

[Bosunsmate]

Re: 1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

The motor is an 85hp Johnson, model number J85MICSA, 1980 The motor looks fine, but the bottom fin in front of the prop is sitting on a block of wood and the motor is leaning and the fin looks bent. The seller says it will straighten out when it's lifted and put on a boat but I don't know about that. Any thoughts?

Have a bet with him, double or nothing that it wont

 

[healey8390]

Re: 1981 85 hp johnson excel outboard anybody ever hear of them

On some newer OB's they actually cant the skeg to counter the natural tendency to veeer right due to the props rotation!