justonemore3208

i have a 1972 johnson 85 mod. 85esl-72r. i have had this motor since 1981. only problem i have ever had is with a power pack around 1990. my local marina put in a new one, and presto everything fine and dandy. i put the boat and motor away approx 18 years. mind you i put the boat and motor away properly. receintly i decided to re cristen the old gal. everything was clean gas lines, carb screen, plugs good. i got gas to carb and to plugs , but no fire. i couldn't get any spark. i took it to a local marina and the owner said he had much experience with this year motor, and that he tested the power pack and it was bad. new power pack $400.00 plus labor. he went on to talk about the electric solenoids in the lower unit and how many other problems this year johnson had. he offered me a 90 evenrude of 1981 vintage, of course with trim & tilt for $1500.00. anyway, i balked. is there a way to test the power pack? if it is not the power pack, then what? this johnson 85 has very little hours on it i kept it sealed up and dry for 18 years always turning the flywheel with a couple drops of good oil every few years. please help!!!!

Re: justonemore3208

And just how well did that guy check it out? OK, he said he tested it. But I gotta wonder? It isn't "always the power pack". Besides, it is an amplifier. Could be the breaker points or half a dozen other things.

I got suspicious when he started bad mouthing the solenoids.

The greatest thing wrong with those motors is the lack of qualified people to repair them. The second greatest thing wrong with them is the high price of parts.

Re: justonemore3208

You could go to the CDI website and look up your engine and use their troubleshooting guide to find the problem yourself.

How confident do you feel with your mechanic? Does he guarantee his work? If he does, then he'd stand behind his diagnosis and replacement of a bad amplifier. If he won't give you any guarantee of a correct diagnosis and replacement parts, then I'd look elsewhere. Hard to find anyone to work on these old engines. If you think you have any electrical diagnosis capability, give it whirl, while using the CDI troubleshooting guide. Check it out on the web at: CDIELECTRONICS.COM.