79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

I just dropped my boat off at a local Johnson dealer to have a helicoil installed, and the dealer said it was one of the "sorriest" engines they ever built and was surprised there were any around. He said the top cylinders in that engine were prone to fail.<br /><br />You guys have told me it was a good engine and it certainly has performed well over the years. Any insight?<br /><br />I wonder why he would say that?<br /><br />Ken

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

Possibly any and all 1979 engines look sorry to him when he has newer ones to sell and get off the showroom floor. If he takes yours in trade it will transform into an OLDER reliable workhorse for the next customer!<br /><br />------------------

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

Yep, that figures....We call it churning in our business.

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

Krosemond, I'm already suspicious of that dealer. I wonder if his mechanic, the one putting the helicoil in, agrees with him? I had a '73 Johnson 125 that gave me less trouble than my present 86' 150. I've had reputable mechanics tell me that the top cylinders on v-6s will fail if you try and run the carbs dry cause the top carb empties before the bottom hence no lubrication. Common sense, so I don't.

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

Well, I picked it up this morning. Stripped plug had 120lbs of compression after installing the helicoil. That is good news.<br /><br />He said that in 1979, Johnson recalled the V6 engines to replace the power heads, and that if that engine has run that well for all these years, it must have made the recall. Dad bought it new in 79, but I don't remember anything about a recall, but I was away at college, so I may not have been paying attenetion. Can anybody verify that there was, or was not a recall on the 79 Johnson v6 engines?<br /><br />He then told me that I HAD to run the highest octane gas I could find. Here we go again. Because of this board, I went down to 87 and she is running well.<br /><br />Who knows?<br /><br />Ken

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

Hey Ken,<br /><br />I would find a mechanic who appreciates old outboards, I would avoid giving money to someone that hates the thing he is supposed to fix. Seems like a karma thing... lol

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

What a horrible motor! You need to throw it away to avoid further embarssment. E mail me with your address and I will help you out by taking it off your hands. <br /><br />Seriously -- There was no recall -- all cross flow motors were basically the same and about as simple as it gets -- and never run any carb dry. <br /><br />Sounds like you have a good piece. Go have fun and enjoy.<br /><br />Good luck!

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

It is funny, because when I took the boat 4 years ago, it was my thinking that I would repower next season, each year. But it is like the energizer bunny, and I just can't justify it because the engine runs so well. I have friends with 2 year old engines that give just as many problems, and don't run any better. Admittedly, after finding this board last spring trying to solve a "bad gas" problem, I have been analyzing everything about the boat, instead of waiting for it to break. It has been fun.<br /><br />Thanks for all the help

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

have a 1979 150 that runs great out of the water but when i put it in the water it wont start . ive replaced the coil on one side , it had got hot and went out .now water comes out the top of the head gasket on that side .any deas ?

Re: 79 Johnson 150/Sorry engine?

Just wait til the new wiz bang 4 stroke outboards get some time on them and need rebuilding, it won't be as simple as the 2 strokes.

How many 40 yr old cars are still on the roads?