Why so many jonny & evy posts?

[sikpnter]

Ever wonder why there are almost twice as many posts for johnson evinrude engines. Is it more owners of these motors or more problems? Anyway Ive been a johnson owner for 8 years and my next boat will have a big fat evinrude on it but since by boat is under 2 feet of snow I figured that Id start a fire. Can some one post a picture of some water that isnt frozen.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

About twice as many J/E's around and lasting much longer than most ever imagined...<br />I'd post some water pics but it's frozen here too...

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

No fire here in Massachusets,but plenty of ICE.Probably 3 or 4 Degrees out there,or less,right now.Ain't gonna look !<br /><br />I've noticed the same thing in the posting.Part of it maybe that lots of older Mercs have died,and OMC lives on.I also realize OMC/BRP has had a lot of problems due to financial changes,using foreign 4stoke engines,etc.I'm not familiar with their new E-Tech motors,but they need to advertise/explain them more,or I think you won't see them a ways down the road.<br /><br />DHP

 

[llfish]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

We are keeping all the open water in Tn for ourselves<br /><br /><br />. Sorry

 

[JB]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

You will note that many of the posts for help with JohnnyRudes are for engines 30 or more years old.<br /><br />They tend to belong to DIYers, and there are many, many more of them than other makes.<br /><br />Guys who just give it to the dealer and come back for it later don't often post here until after an incompetent wrench has tried to snow them or has screwed it up.<br /><br />DHPMarine. I think you will find quite a few more requests for help with MercAmaha 4 strokes than with JohnnyUki 4 strokes, but that might be just a function of population, also.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

I think you will find quite a few more requests for help with MercAmaha 4 strokes than with JohnnyUki 4 strokes

or with the fact that the mercury/yamaha relationship have been in bed for many years longer than the johnny/suzuki marriage.<br /><br />there are many many many old evinrudes running around out there, and dont count the mercs out. im not sure why everybody downs the mercs. i have a couple of older ones, pre-1980 and they are great. i also have a few evinrudes, 70's and 80's run great too!<br /><br />it all boils down to "each his own"<br /><br />have an ice day<br /><br />mike<br />out

 

[Mark42]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

You have to admit, old Mercs look like an outboard should.

 

[lakelover]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

Per your request, from better times:<br />

 

[OBJ]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

Well sikpnter....I'd post a picture of Old Man Ohio River but as mean as it's been lately, it may as well be frozen over.... <br /><br />As far the number of posts about John/Rudes...well I got about roughly 15-16 older engines in my shop (some belong to me) for restoration/repairs. Lotta' guys like them and won't separate from them for nothing. Guess there is just a big partiality towards them. Then there's the nuts like me that just love to see an old engine redone and looking like new again....

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

Simple numbers. Johnson outboards ALONE made TWO MILLION MOTORS before 1960 (dating back to 1922)! Evinrude made a similar number in that period, dating back to 1909! Johnson built a Million in Canada by the early 1970s, aside from the American production numbers! <br /><br />Mercury built their millionth motor by 1957, but didn't build their two millionth 'til the late 1960s. So, by the early 1970s there was approximately a 4:1 ratio of Johnrudes to Mercs in circulation. Now, that has evened up a little bit, somewhere in the 3:1 neighborhood by now, but the bottom line is, there's more posts for Johnrudes, because there are more of them.<br /><br />By the way, just because a Merc is old, doesn't mean it's done for. I run my '52 Merc KG7 Hurricane several times a summer, and my other '50s Mercs are all still among the living... BUT, I also have a lot of the old special tools required to fix some of them, whereas pretty much any tool you need to keep an old Johnrude going can be had at Sears. That's probably the single biggest contributor to keeping the old Johnrudes going vs. the old Mercs...<br /><br />- Scott

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

Maybe it's also the difference in American and Japanese production 30 plus years ago. <br /><br />Japan was certainly a well-developed economy 30 years ago but in the preceding 30 years it went from nothing to rebuilding after WWII. It wasn't exporting much during the first half of that time or building a lot of brand recognition, while a lot of people had objections to buying anything Japanese because of WWII.<br /><br />So the proportion of Japanese motors to US motors is virtually nothing until the mid-70's and then they begin to catch up and maybe overtake the US motors.<br /><br />As a lot of the OMC questions are for motors up to the 1980's, there probably weren't anywhere near the same number of Japanese motors around at the same time.<br /><br />There's also the terrible possibility that the Japanese motors were better built and need less attention, but someone else can argue that (And it won't be my local outboard man because he reckons anything ending in aha or uki is very well built but badly designed for long life in salt water).

 

[BillP]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

Chinewalker hit the nail on the head. Many more OMCs than Mercs out there. Years ago Mercs were known as freshwater motors and didn't last in saltwater compared to OMCs. I had a few and so did friends who lived on saltwater and used them daily. The other factor is reliability...I lived aboard a boat for 10yrs at a marina on the ICW in Florida. The marina was a J&E dealer and I saw more Mercs towed in than J&Es...probably 10x more Mercs. They are better now but lucky for them OMC went bankrupt. Old Mercs are for collectors, old OMCs are for users.

 

[silenscurator]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

My parents picked up out little 14' boat before it was born, but i do have a picture of it with the old Merc. engine that it came with. At some point though, something happened, problem with it or something, don't really know, but in '83, (year before i was born)(yeah, i know i'm a young'n) my parents bought the Rude that still runs regardless of the punishment its been through. Dive trips w/ my dad and I, (just between us, we ain't all that small), come to think of it, this is the first year any major stuff has had to be done to it, and by major i mean a new starter and some little plastic piece that sits by the starter. But i think all in all, i guess any motor will last as long as you treat it right. Point and proof, my 15hp Rude will whup my grandma's 30 Johnny, not sure why, but i love my little motor. we've considered a bigger boat, and probably will get one eventually, but i'm not lettin go of my Rude. I think thats why there are so many of em...just darn good performance.

 

[sikpnter]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

wow thats very interesting stuff, You guys know your sh!t, Thanks lakelover that kicks my cabin fever into high gear. GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS

 

[gpetrilak]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

From yesterday.<br />18 degrees North, 63 degrees West<br />

 

[sikpnter]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

saltymon, I dont think my 19 foot bass boat would do well in that chop but that is one hell of a fish. What kind is that. Dont see many like that in utah! looks warm too.

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

that is a dolphin, not to be confuised with flipper. also known as mahi-mahi, also known as dorado. excellent eating, maybe one of the best. come on down to florida. we may not know how to count ballets, but we do have great year round fishing.<br /><br />THIS IS WHERE HE WAS FISHING, I THINK:<br /> 18 degrees N / 63 degrees W

 

[silenscurator]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

I agree with sikpnter, that is one hell of a fish. only thing i've seen up here that size are Northern pike, Ling (Freshwater Cod) and Musky...an i guess the occaisional trout, but i've never caught any that big, only seen em in pictures and on walls...except the ling...one lives off the end of my dock...things are ugly as sin and scare the you know what out of you if you stumble upon one while scuba diving.

 

[gpetrilak]

Re: Why so many jonny & evy posts?

Myoutboards is correct, it is a Dolphin, aka mahi-mahi and dorado. It is not a big one, just average and as was said, great eating. My bass boat is in upstate NY probably buried in the snow. I am in Anguilla, the Northern most Caribbean island in the Leewards.<br /><br />My boat here is a locally made 34' sportfisherman with a pair of Ficht 250's. <br /><br />Chop ?, down here we call that calm ! Swells are usually 6 - 10' with wind generated waves of 4 - 6', and usually from different directions. Not fun.<br /> <br />Out of sympathy for those of you up north, I will not mention the current temperature.