Might be buying a 1975 Johnson 70hp....need advise right now!

[BonairII]

I'm going to look at a 1975 Johnson 70hp in a few hours. It's a 90 minutes drive, so I'll need to make a decision on whether to buy it right then and there.

Is there anything that these motors were infamous for(overheating issues, power packs going bad, etc)?

What are good compression numbers for these motors? (I know to be more concerned with consistent numbers).

The seller is an older lady and said the local marina has serviced the motor over the years(and misc parts have been replaced by them. The powerpack is only a few years old I believe.


She's only asking $250(including controls), so I'm guessing that this sale will be a no-brainer.

I just want to make sure that these motors are somewhat reliable.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Might be buying a 1975 Johnson 70hp....need advise right now!

No real problems with those era 3 cylinders. Good manual lower end (no hydro-shift anymore), and modern ignition that has easily available parts. Regular old pre-mix fuel pump. I'd run a compression check if possible and go for it. Would also be nice to check spark.....

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: Might be buying a 1975 Johnson 70hp....need advise right now!

good compression for $250 with controls and harness..sold.