HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

[spiker_man]

Hi All. I've got a Johnson 9.9 outboard that is missing the Model #/Serial # plate that should be found on the mid-section of the motor. The two rivets are there but the plate is missing. The motor needs some work done on it but without knowing the year I'm sort of screwed. I had bought this used about 6 years ago and I thought this motor was from the late '70's/early 80's but I'm not sure. The only number I can find is stamped on the engine block:

318928-1

My guess is that this is a part number. There are also a ton of patent numbers printed on a plastic piece in the front of the motor, but I don't think that these will help determine the year of the motor. Any ideas on where else I can look to find a model number? Any help/advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Paul

 

[Bobbywolf]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

I'm not sure how long this style of motor was made, but yours looks exactly like my 15HP Evinrude. It is a '75 and has the same placement of controls, components and pretty much everything I can see from the photo. (the 15's and 9.9's were indistinguishable ) This confirms your very general idea of the year, but I'm not sure how you are going to narrow it down from there. Good Luck!

 

[F_R]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

By the process of elimination, it is not a '75 or '76 because it has CD ignition. It is not a '77 because the decals are wrong. So, it is a '78 or newer....how much newer I don't know because I ran out of pictures.

 

[spiker_man]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Hi Bobbywolf and F_R. Thanks for your replies. The decals are not the originals. My son repainted the cowling and put the decals on when we bought the motor way back when. F_R, I don't know if you were being facetious about running out of pictures, but I can supply however many more you would like. If any additional pictures would help in the identification process I would be willing to shoot them tonight when I get home from work and then upload them. What, specifically, should I be zooming in on that might help in the identification? Thanks for the help so far . . . I really do appreciate it. Paul

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

look for a plug like this, should have model number on it.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Going by the style of coils, I am going to ballpark it as about 1977 to 1980. The exact year isn't that big a deal as the carb kit, waterpump, fuel pump and ignition components are all going to be the same when it comes time to get them. Once they went to CDI igntion, not much changed from 1977 to the late 1980s. If the parts guy insists on having a model number, use J10RCS (1980).
- Scott

 

[F_R]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

By running out of pictures, I meant running out of any (decal) pictures that I might have to compare your pictures with. Really doesn't matter if your decals are not original. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

[Bobbywolf]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Good call on the CDI, sorry, I guess it wasn't as exact to mine as I though. Also, it may have been retrofitted to a CDI as well, because mine can get a kit for it.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

It's doubtful it was retrofitted as the exhaust cover has the correct mounting bosses for the powerpack and it also has a telltale/pisser nub in the lower cowling - something else that didn't come into play on models with the low tension magneto.
- Scott

 

[spiker_man]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Thanks for everyone's help . . . I'm still befuddled though. There is a part number that is stamped on the engine block: 318928-1. Someone told me that this is from model years 1974-1978. I also found a number on the tilt handle (322882) on the cover that is found on 1978-1980 models. So . . . based on this I'm guessing that it is a 1978 model. Does this sound like a good guess? Can someone please tell me exactly where this "plug" with the model number should be on my 9.9? tashasdaddy sent a good picture but I canm't find any sort of a plug that even comes close to looking like that. Would it be inside the engine compartment or on the outside casing? The only plug I find on the outside is black with a little nipple, it doesn't appear to have ever had any numbers imprinted on it. If need be I can supply a picture of it. Thanks. Paul

 

[HighTrim]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Look to see if it is on the top rear of the actual engine block, not the cowl.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

my best guess would be here. on the engine block look for the make shift arrow in the center of the diagram. to see complete diagram go to http://www.evinrude.com/en-US/Accessories/Literature/?popup=true follow prompts, i use 1974 9.9

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

It is missing in the rear-view shot of the powerhead. Transom tag missing? Powerhead tag missing? Kinda makes you wonder...

In any case, I'd go with 1978, 1979 or 1980. Doesn't really matter which, as they are essentially the same. I can't think of a single part you'd need for general maintenance that would be different between them... Lacking the powerhead and transom numbers, that really is as close as you're going to get...

- Scott

 

[HighTrim]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

I dont believe it is a 78 or 79

1978 9.9



1979 9.9

 

[F_R]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Is this it? I'm with Scott, anybody who would go to all the trouble to remove all the ID has a motive and is a professional crook. Better not let the rightful owner find out. Receiving stolen property is a crime too.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

that should be it, same place as diagram.

 

[Chinewalker]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

High Trim,
The owner has already stated that he had the cowling redone. It's not necessarily original style at this point. They kept the orange and black stripe motif for several years in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Your 1979 model pic looks closer to a 1988 than a 1979...
- Scott

 

[HighTrim]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Ah im sorry Scott, thats what I get for scanning quickly through the thread. I thought it looked older, but ppl wouldnt lie on the internet would they?? Guess we will have to wait for him to come back with a model number.

 

[spiker_man]

Re: HELP! Another "What Year Johnson" Question, No Model Plate

Crap, Crap, Crap . . . thanks guys. It never dawned on me that this might have been a stolen motor. I bought it on eBay about 4 years ago (thought it was longer than that) from a guy in the Boston area who stated in the listing that he had just bought the entire inventory of a shop that was going out of business. If I remember correctly, he had a ton of stuff for sale and everything seemed on the level. I never had cause to look for the serial number until now. I did see the spot where F_R has it illustrated on the back of the block. There is a round recessed area (hole) that looks like it could have held a plug at some point in time. Nothing there now except the round hole. This will teach me to buy something like this on eBay. It''s been working great up until this past August. I think it needs a new water pump as it dies once it warms up . . . gets really hot . . . I could probably cook my dinner on it. So, since I can't really identify it can I get a general consensus on can I call it a '78 and use the parts list from that year? Now for the ethical question . . . since there is a possibility that I may have unknowingly bought stolen goods, what should I do? I don't even have a clue how to go about finding out who the motor may have once belonged too. Thanks for all the help. Paul