Johnson short shaft questions

wellcraft26

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
41
For those of you experts with older johnson outboards I have a few questions.

I've been looking for a 70hp 15" short shaft engine for a 130 bullet boat I'll be rebuilding. So today, I bought what I was told it was an early 1970's 70hp 15" short shaft but after I got home a did some research and found out its actually a 1968 55hp. I never thought it would be that hp because as far as I understand 55hp (model# 55872R) are 2 cylinders, I guess that's on newer engines.

Anyway, my questions are:

The engine is a short shaft with an extension but when I removed the lu I realized that it does have a 1 piece shaft and not a short shaft with an extension. How could I work around it so I can put it back as a short shaft?

I wonder if the 55hp engines were offered with a short shaft 15" version or If this is a swap or something like that?

I assume no but could I swap the mid section with new 1980 1990 70hp johnson engines?

I contacted the seller as soon I realized this wasn't a 70hp and he told me it was sold to him as one, he also told me that the only difference between a 55hp, 60hp and 70hp is just carbs, is this true, I would think that there most be other differences between them?

If i get another older 70hp, can I swap with mid section and transmission from that 55hp to the 70hp?

Thanks in advance, any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
38,579
The early 3 cylinder 55 was offered with a short shaft for 15" transom.-----The early models ( 68 and 69 ) only had 2 intake ports.-----Later models were 60 HP and had 3 intake ports.-----So the seller is stretching the truth.----The seller does not know the facts !!!!
 

wellcraft26

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
41
The early 3 cylinder 55 was offered with a short shaft for 15" transom.-----The early models ( 68 and 69 ) only had 2 intake ports.-----Later models were 60 HP and had 3 intake ports.-----So the seller is stretching the truth.----The seller does not know the facts !!!!
That's what I thought, do you know if I can make the 15" mid section work on a newer 70hp johnson, like from the 1990's ?

BTW, thanks for replying
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
38,579
The 70 HP was never offered with electric shift.-----Only the 3 cylinder 55 in 68 // 69 and 60 HP in 70 and 71 and 65 HP in 72 had electric shift.------the newer 70 hp block will not fit on a 68 midsection.
 

wellcraft26

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
41
The 70 HP was never offered with electric shift.-----Only the 3 cylinder 55 in 68 // 69 and 60 HP in 70 and 71 and 65 HP in 72 had electric shift.------the newer 70 hp block will not fit on a 68 midsection.
Ok, thanks for the info. Looks like I wasted some money. How about if I find a 75hp stinger, could i swap the mid section?
 
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