Johnson 4.5HP- double check model year and water flow...

[1lastweekend]

Considering purchasing a Johnson 4.5HP, saw it run today and it seemed to run fine...The question is do I have the right year of the motor? The model # is J5RCSS, which should mean Johnson 5hp, rope start, and CS equals model year 1980 I believe. The designation for shaft length is a blank for 15" (which this motor is). Does anyone know what the last "S" stands for in the model #? I thought it was for a sailing designation but that doesn't seem right...

Also when I ran it in a test tank, there appeared to be no pee-hole or water discharge tube other than the spray of water coming out of the exhaust on the upper portion of the leg- is this normal for a 1980 4.5HP? I looked everywhere around, under and inside the lower cowling for any type of rubber discharge hose and found absolutely nothing...Want to make sure I am not missing anything if I decide to buy this motor...Thanks

 

[jbuote]

The S at the end is a model run or suffix.. Yes.. it's a 1980 5hp (4.9.. lol) with 15" shaft..
​I think that spray of water is correct in the upper exhaust, but not an expert here either..
Others will correct me if I'm wrong on that for sure..

​I might consider doing a compression test on it, and spark test too just as a pre-buy checkout should you decide to move forward with it.. (Edit: Always a good idea to change the water pump impellor when you buy a used engine. Even if seller says it's good..)

But again.. Still pretty new to outboards myself.

​Hope it helps somewhat..

 

[Vic.S]

Yes a 1980 standard shaft 4.5 HP model

As said above the final letter after the date code is just a production suffix

You can see the full model number code system at http://shop.evinrude.com/media/document/ModelNumberReference.pdf

As you have discovered these 4.5 hp models no not have a cooling water telltale but you should see a spray of water from the exhaust back pressure relief port.

 

[tpenfield]

I have the same motor in a long shaft (J5RLCSS) and it DOES have the pee hole. I happened to be running it yesterday. The pee hole is located above the exhaust port.



Maybe the motor that you are looking at has a clog.

 

[Vic.S]

I have the same motor in a long shaft (J5RLCSS) and it DOES have the pee hole. I happened to be running it yesterday. The pee hole is located above the exhaust port.

Maybe the motor that you are looking at has a clog.

I stand corrected on that. I was thinking of the 4HP models

 

[1lastweekend]

Thanks for the feedback all, I am going to look at it and run it again tonight, we'll see whats up after that...

 

[jimwalt]

Let us know if you buy it and how much you paid okay? Good luck!

 

[1lastweekend]

No Title

Ok so the mystery deepens...Here are some detailed pics of the underside of the cowling and top of the shaft- no telltale hole that I can see. There was a hole just forward of where tpenfield shows where his is on his long shaft, so I thought that was it and it must have been plugged...But it is just a drain hole in the cowling housing. See pics where I inserted a nail in and it just goes into empty space inside the housing.

I ended up buying the motor and got it for a good price. As I said it runs great, compression is 100 and 102, lower unit lube was nice and clear, no discoloration or peeling paint on the head, strong spark to both cylinders. I looked at videos of a couple 1980 Johnson 4.5's on Youtube and they both had telltales and exhaust water discharge, but this motor seems to be different. If anyone has any insight I would love to find out more...

 

[tpenfield]

Looks like it is plugged with mud . . .

 

[1lastweekend]

No Title

Great call tpenfield! After some cleaning I saw the hole- covered in grime...Cleaned with some water and a small wire, clear water came pouring out of the hole. Now to run it and make sure impeller is working...Thanks guys, I feel I got a good deal on the motor even if I need to change the impeller.

 

[tpenfield]

Glad you got it sorted out :thumb:

I paid $200 for my motor - long shaft - which I got to use as a kicker for my sailboat. It took a while to get the motor "tuned-up"/"dialed in" but now it seems to start easily and runs well.

 

[jimwalt]

So you're killing me................. How much did you pay for your motor?

 

[1lastweekend]

So you're killing me................. How much did you pay for your motor?

Sorry forgot that part, he wanted 350 but I got him down to 275 because I wasn't sure if it needed an impeller, also the pull starter is a weird design and the plastic wheel gear doesn't engage all the time, so needs a little work...

 

[tpenfield]

Sorry forgot that part, he wanted 350 but I got him down to 275 because I wasn't sure if it needed an impeller, also the pull starter is a weird design and the plastic wheel gear doesn't engage all the time, so needs a little work...

​Yes, I am not a big fan of the pull starter mechanism, but have gotten used to it.