1972 Evinrude 125 hp questions

I'm now the concerned owner of a 1972 Evinrude 125. I spent this past Winter rebuilding a 1975 70 hp looper. The rebuild went so well that I decided to try a higher HP and picked up a 125 for 100.00

Now that I am looking for powerhead rebuild kits and such I have come to find out that the 1971 and 1972 125 is really tough to find parts for. Even Wiseco doesn't list pistons. Rings but no pistons. Does anyone know where I might find a good source of parts. I would like to bore and hone the block out .030 over. I'm a machinist and can do this work myself. Parts, however, are what I need.

By the way, until the manual gets here does anyone know the compression for these motors? The cylinders range from 105 to 118 and that seems low to me.

Re: 1972 Evinrude 125 hp questions

You should be able to get the pistons through any Johnson/Evinrude dealer. They come in .030 oversize and while pricy, will priced with the ringset. These older models are different in that the piston pin is location is a different height than the later crossflows. Probably because the rod is a different length. A standard 85 hp will normally run 125 lbs compression, and the 125 will run in the 140 range, so yours is low. The heads on that engine are great for high compression. You could try some engine tuner to see if it will improve. Yours has the older power pack which is extremely expensive should it ever need replacing. Also, the electric shift lower unit which can be difficult to repair-most techs are more familiar with the mechanical shifts used today. There is a micro switch in the control box which controls shifting that is getting hard to find. I don't see a powerhead gasket set listed, so you may need to call a dealer to see if Bombardier lists one in the dealer Parts and Accessories book. I had a low-hour ported 72 100 hp with the 125 carbs and it was a sweet runner. Does your have power trim? Good luck on your project.

Re: 1972 Evinrude 125 hp questions

Thanks for your help. I'm kind of a die hard and would prefer to move forward with the rebuild on this motor as opposed to giving up and moving on to another motor. I'm also a 1984 Corvette enthusiast even though most guys avoid them. I appreciate your input and although it might be costly for the parts I will be saving in labor by performing the work myself.

How do these old high compression motors run on todays no lead low octane gas?