Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

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bcnumber1

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This past weekend, I put my 1979 Renken Tri-hull with a electronic shift Johnson 85 hp outboard in the water for the first time in over 10 years. It was my summer project and on land, I was able to get it started and have the propeller turn forward but not backwards. I put it in the water too make sure it floats and to hopefully take it for a spin. I got it in the water and starting it took a good 10 minutes, but I finally got it fired up and put it in forward gear and went nowhere. I saw the water churning behind the boat, but I wasn't moving. Any help to why my boat won't move?
 
HighTrim

HighTrim

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

How does it sound? Is it simply revving up , but no movement? Any clunking? Does the prop spin? Is the boat not moving at all or just very little>?
 
Barnacle_Bill

Barnacle_Bill

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

What year is the motor? I believe 1972 was the last year they made electric shifts. With it sitting that long the hub of the prop may be dry rotted.
 
HighTrim

HighTrim

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

That was my thinking as well, just wanted him to verify the over revving sound. bc, draw a line across the hub and prop, or use the cotter pin as a center line, run it in the water, then pull it out. If the lines are no longer lined up, the prop is spun. You can have it re hubbed for cheaper than buying a new one, but if the prop is in poor shape, you may want to invest in a whole new prop.

spun prop.jpg
 
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bcnumber1

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

it didn't sound like it was over revving. The water was churning so I assume that the prop was spinning.
 
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bcnumber1

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

i dont know what year the motor is but i have pictures if that will help
 
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F_R

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

I refuse to ask if it was tied to the dock. So I won't ask that. Seriously, if the prop was spinning at all it should move the boat, even if only slowly.

You gave the year of the boat. What year is the motor? As mentioned, they didn't make any sort of electric shift in '79
 
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bcnumber1

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

this is a picture of the engine, I'm a college student and this boat was a gift from my grandfather. I don't know where I should be looking to find the model year. The only answer we had to the non movement of the spinning prop was that I launched the boat in a river and i didn't know how deep it was. So i may have been stuck in the mud.
 
HighTrim

HighTrim

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

To find the model number, look on the transom bracket, Ive provided a diagram supplied by a member on this forum. If not there due to being painted or what have you, look for a welch plug, it is about the size of a quarter, and should be on the top, back of the motor. Post the numbers and we can help with the year. And BTW, gotta look out for the mud :D

model number location.jpg
 
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bcnumber1

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

ok i finally got a picture. I am at school right now so i wouldnt be able to look at numbers on the boat for a couple weeks. if there is a website that shows photos of model years i could possibly identify it that way also.
 

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F_R

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

Check out old-omc.de/index2.html

look at the 1970 Johnson page. The flags don't seem to be the right color but other than that, it matches.
 
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bcnumber1

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

From that website it looks identical to a 1970. So I'm gonna say its a 1970.
 
Evinrude Boater

Evinrude Boater

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

Does that motor go into gear when you shut it off? If so, you can turn the prop by hand and see if you're also turning the prop shaft or not. The water you saw churning behind the boat was probably the exhaust bubbles coming up from the prop since that's where the exhaust outlet is.
 
tashasdaddy

tashasdaddy

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Re: Johnson 85 Outboard- no movement in water

your motor will automatically default to forward, if the is no current going to the solenoids in the lower unit. you may have a dead control. switch, which is stuck in neutral. also as said a spun prop. i would start the motor on muffs, and shift gears with the motor at idle, you hard starting is a fact that you got it running on muffs, and the idle is set too low, as on muffs there is not any backpressure on the exhaust. here is a picture of a prop with the lines on it for testing if the prop is spun. also go to the engine faq forum, read awakening a sleeping outboard, before you destroy that motor.
 

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