1985 ish Johnson 9.9 with magneto ignition

[ZandoR]

Hi there!

Unfortunately my Johnson 9.9 threw a rod last year, after I rebuildt entirely. Since then I was on the hunt for a replacement powerhead for a good price, as I'm still going to school. It seems like I found one with good compression for 70 Euros. My old engine was a 75' so it still had the magneto type ignition. The powerhead that I'm about to aquire had a CDI however.I heard that it is possible to make a CDI work on an older engine, but does work the other way around as well?

Thanks in advance,
Leo

 

[flyingscott]

Yes it can. I put the magneto ignition on a 1984 powerhead once. The top of the block casting around the crank seal is a little different but it should work. If possible though I would try to find the complete CDI ignition. You can usually find one used on e-bay for 150 or less. If you go the CDI route you will also need to change the flywheel.

 

[ZandoR]

Now that is great news! Over here (Germany) it would cost me a fortune to buy a complete ignition system. I didnt find the magneto ignition to be that bad, so I would be interested in what your experience is in regard to the difference between magneto and CDI ignition. Thanks alot!

 

[flyingscott]

The CDI is is just so much better worth every penny you would spend on it. The ignition they used on those 9.9/15 motors were not great poor quality and and bad reliability, they usually chew up condensers on a regular basis. One thing to check on the 85 motor is to make sure the magneto cam fits on the crankshaft with the flywheel on it. I did it about 10 years ago put an 84 powerhead on a 1976 15 hp with the magneto ingition so I do not remember a lot about the conversion but it did run good. The crankshaft part #s are not the same between the 2 motors so make sure everything will fit correctly.

 

[F_R]

You won't find many people in love with that '74-'76 Lo-Tension magneto system.

 

[boobie]

As the old saying goes, low-tension causes hyper-tension. Been there !!

 

[raczekp1]

hi.
you got private mesage. look into inbox

 

[ZandoR]

Ok thanks for your replies. I'll see if i can get one cheap. Otherwise I'm happy to get her back on the water
I already invested in new coils and condensors before it blew, so I guess it won't be to bad. Ran like a champ
before.

Happy boating,
Leo