Mid 80's Johnson 15 hp?

[hdodt]

I am looking at getting a mid 80's 15hp Johnson. I dont know the exact year yet. Just wondering if you guys could give me any pointers as to common problems I would look for when I go to buy it. He's only asking $500 for it, and swears up and down it runs good. Im going to test it out in the tank before I buy it so thats covered. Any help would be great. Thanks in advance...D

 

[bktheking]

Re: Mid 80's Johnson 15 hp?

Check compression for starters, 90-100+ on both.

$500 is pretty cheap and parts are available so if it runs and has good compression your probably doing well.

Things to look out for- get it running in the barrel for a while, 5 mins or so and make sure it isn't overheating. Check shifting, forward, reverse. You can't get it up to speed unless you test it on the water so it's hard to determine if it's running "up to par". If you have issues, this site is a good resource for help.