Re: Question: Mid 80's 15hp Tiller
Yep, you have an early 85 or older. Evinrude and Johnson use a sort of code to indicate the year. They used the word "INTRODUCES", and each letter represents a single number. Starting with the letter I would be a 1, the N is 2, and so on. The S is a zero. That will give you the exact year.
For example, my late 86 has the model number J10RCDB. The first letter will always be J or E for Johnson or Evinrude, the next two (or three) numbers will be the horsepower. The remaining letters can get a little tricky. The motor's options when made will show up in the code (like electric start, or long shaft). The R in mine indicates rope start. The next two letters, CD, are the year 86. The last character is usually a revision number or family code that doesn't mean much.
My 86 only had the stop button on the end of the tiller, and I was never able to attach a safety lanyard to it, so I installed a Seadog universal kill switch in parallel with the factory stop button. A little more peace of mind when I am out fishing with my boys.
I ordered my switch from iBoats, and I think it's still under $10.
Universal Kill Switch SeaDog Line 420488-1 - iboats