Johnson 85HP V4 questions

[Wingedwheel]

I just did a swap for what I believe is a '72 Johnson 85HP V4 with a Hydro-Electric shift. I can't seem to locate the ser#. Is there a marker on the engine that I'm missing? Also Can anyone tell me anything about these motors? I've worked on plenty of Mercs, but This is the first larger Johnson I've dealt with. I'm a little skittish about the electric shift. Also its in FWD and someone cut the wires to the controls. Is there a way to drop it back into N with out power to the engine? What should I look for to let me know if this engine is worth fixing or parting out.
Thanks guys, Love this forum....

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Johnson 85HP V4 questions

The serial/model tag is an aluminum strip, riveted to the transom bracket. If it's missing, you can find the same information on a casting plug on the top of the block. (see picture)
The default setting for the electric shift lowers is forward. You need to power it to select neutral/reverse. I ran a 72 100 hp for years. Really enjoyed it. You may find that it is hard to get parts for the electric shift, both in the lower unit and the control box.

 

[Wingedwheel]

Re: Johnson 85HP V4 questions

Thanks for the info emd. I found the tag your describing, but it only had a part # on it. I did manage to find the # I was looking for on the I-boats site. I have read where the parts are hard to get and expensive. To power it I'll have to repair the control lines as some idiot cut them. Luckily there is enough wire on the connector end to crimp to. If FWD is the default shift setting, then if its not powered up it will go back to FWD? It looks like someone replaced the head gaskets at one time as the engine is sad looking, but the gaskets look newer. I'll do a compression check before I decide if I'm going to part it out or try and see if it might fire. If anyone else has any insight it would be greatly appreciated..
Thanks

 

[Daviet]

Re: Johnson 85HP V4 questions

On those engines, they defalt to forward when not running. The engine will turn over a couple of times before it goes into neutral, if the shift switch and solenoids are working correctly.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Johnson 85HP V4 questions

If a powerhead was ever replaced either under warranty by the factory or at a later time by another owner, the original block/tag is probably gone. If it is possibly a replacement powerhead, it would be of great interest to know just what size the powerhead is. They made two versions that year, the small bore 92 cubic inch version in 85 and 100 hp, then the big bore version at 99 cubic inches in the 125. You can check the head part numbers with an original factory parts list to see which heads you have and that will equate to what block it fits on. Also be of interest to see if it has the original small bore 85 carbs or not.

 

[Wingedwheel]

Re: Johnson 85HP V4 questions

Looking at the parts catalog, I located the part # for the heads. It was 0316467 stb side. Looking on the actual head I located 314966. Is that the part # or just a casting #? also, where would I find the carb #'s. Sorry for all the newb questions and I do appreciate the answers I've gotten so far.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Johnson 85HP V4 questions

The 85/100 hp small bore engines used the 316466/467 heads. The 125 blocks used the 316464/465.