Make Johnson more like Mercury?

[C-worthy]

I have a 1978 Johnson 6 hp and a 1974 Mercury 4 hp. They are very different in a lot of ways - some good, some bad for each of them. The Mercury has some simple features I need to have on the Johnson for shallow water.

#1. The Mercury tips up real easy if you hit a log or the bottom while it's in Forward gear. If you loosen the Johnson's pivot nut for this, you can't do #3 below.

#2. You can tip the Mercury up a little then flip a lever on the front, then let it back down. It will stop and be supported at about 25 degrees up from the usual vertical position. This keeps the prop and water pump intake in the water but gives you a little more clearance in shallow water. Tip it up a little, flip the lever back and lower the motor back down for normal use.

#3. You can shut the Mercury off, raise it all the way up and latch it up when you beach the boat. If the pivot nut on the Johnson is tight enough to do this, it won't do #1 above.

Is there a kit I can get for the Johnson so I can loosen the pivot nut but still hold it up in the positions I described in #2 and #3? Or do I have to make some hokey home-made latches, blocks of wood, ropes, hooks or other things?

Otherwise, I prefer the Johnson: smoother, much much quieter, fuel mixture can be adjusted easier, it can be started and run with the cover off, it doesn't leak gas once the tank is disconnected, better handles for carrying than the Mercury....

Brian

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

Mount the motor on a EZ In or similar spring loaded bracket ... you can raise the motor ~ 6" in the up position and just pop it back down for normal running.

 

[bktheking]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

OMC AUX tilt bracket, the cats meow. And make Johnson like a Merc, them's fightin words!!!

 

[jeff_smith_0423]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

I had an 8HP that had all of the features you described. It was a wonderfully engineered motor. The aux tilt bracket is what you need.


Having had a few Mercs, I suggest you change your post title. You're just asking for heartache, pain, and an empty wallet!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

HA! HA! HA!, this has to be a joke.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

Yeah, it must be a joke. Based on recent experiences with both Merc and Johnson outboards, it's hard to know which one is worse. Both seem poorly designed and are hard to work on.

However, I would come to the defense of Merccruiser stern drives. There is a good reason why they have taken over a large share of the market.

 

[C-worthy]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

Thanks for the info on the aux. bracket. Sounds like that'll do it.

As for the joke, none was intended. We've had Mercs in the family for 30 years. I picked up the long-shaft Johnson off Craigslist last winter, shortened it and really like it. The 2-cylinder is smooth and it's about as quiet as an electric motor. At WOT, the motor operator and the guy in the front of the boat can actually have a conversation.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

Yeah, it must be a joke. Based on recent experiences with both Merc and Johnson outboards, it's hard to know which one is worse. Both seem poorly designed and are hard to work on.

However, I would come to the defense of Merccruiser stern drives. There is a good reason why they have taken over a large share of the market.

Just for fun I have to mention that the johnson motors I work on have engineering that is pure genius and VERY simple to work on. Of course, I like the 50's OMC engines. There are also some cool innovations on the mercs, although I find them far more difficult to work on than a johnson.

As to the merc motors--I like the speed and torqure of the mercury, I like the slip clutch on the prop vs. drive pins, and I like the uninterrupted smoothly curved leading edge of the lower unit. I also like the looks of a nice black merc on a boat.

I can't believe you really think the johnsons are hard to work on!
JBJ

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

Not sure on the smaller ones but on the bigger ones the merc's are a real pain to work on. Start with taking the hood off. Johnson, lift a few levers and lift off in one piece. Merc, take the front plate off then take the flimsy wrap around part off, then lift the top off and you have not even started doing anything constructive yet !!!!
It only gets worse from there on.
I agree completely with TD, is this a joke ?????

 

[jeff_smith_0423]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

It's not a joke. He simply has an older motor that is less feature-rich than a comparable Mercury that he owns. The "mercs are crap / johnsons are crap" stuff started later down in the thread.

Agree on the darned Merc cowlings, though. I don't miss 'em.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

I don't know about the Merc cowlings but I have a '54 Johnson 25 and it is the biggest pain in the butt to remove the cowling... Something like 11 screws! Actually I think around 10 now as one is at the bottom of the friggin river! Nothing could be worse than that... Other than that it's a great engine though... Just never take the cowling off!

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

However, I would come to the defense of Merccruiser stern drives. There is a good reason why they have taken over a large share of the market.

Don't take this personally, but compared to Volvo Penta, well let's just say there's no comparison. Volvo is "much" smoother. They don't bang when you put it in gear.

 

[bktheking]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

I don't know about the Merc cowlings but I have a '54 Johnson 25 and it is the biggest pain in the butt to remove the cowling... Something like 11 screws! Actually I think around 10 now as one is at the bottom of the friggin river! Nothing could be worse than that... Other than that it's a great engine though... Just never take the cowling off!

You need a newer motor brother, my 83 90 has 2 latches, 9.9 has 1, even my 65 9.5 has 1, all johnson/evinrude!!!

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

[I can't believe you really think the johnsons are hard to work on!
JBJ[/QUOTE]

OK, I'm not a marine mechanic. But I have worked on this Johnson 30 this summer. I was amazed to find that in order to remove the carburetor one first has to take a bunch of other stuff off the motor just to reach the right hand side mounting nut for the carburetor. After doing this a few times, it's not a big deal. But why did the designers not make that nut more accessible?

Also, in order to remove the exhaust covers, one may have to remove the powerhead. I haven't actually tried to do that, but a professional marine mechanic tells me that is the case.

Similarly, in order to change the grommet at the top of the water tube, one has to remove the powerhead. That makes about as much sense as having to pull the cab off of Ford pickups to change a filter.

And regarding Volvo vs Mercruiser stern drives, I really can't say much. We don't see many Volvos on the water around here; most people want Mercruisers. After 18 seasons of use, the Mercruiser (4.3 L) still works flawlessly. We did nail a barely submerged sandbar with it one time at nearly full throttle. The boat stopped real quick, fast enough for the wave we made to wash over the boat. But the stern drive survived with no damage done.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

"However, I would come to the defense of Mercruiser stern drives. There is a good reason why they have taken over a large share of the market."

yeah, they own the majority of boat lines on the market, they require these boats to have merc products on them. they have swallowed up the smaller independent operations, which you could put the motor of your choice on the boat.

 

[samo_ott]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

[I can't believe you really think the johnsons are hard to work on!
JBJ

OK, I'm not a marine mechanic. But I have worked on this Johnson 30 this summer. I was amazed to find that in order to remove the carburetor one first has to take a bunch of other stuff off the motor just to reach the right hand side mounting nut for the carburetor. After doing this a few times, it's not a big deal. But why did the designers not make that nut more accessible?

Also, in order to remove the exhaust covers, one may have to remove the powerhead. I haven't actually tried to do that, but a professional marine mechanic tells me that is the case.

Similarly, in order to change the grommet at the top of the water tube, one has to remove the powerhead. That makes about as much sense as having to pull the cab off of Ford pickups to change a filter.

And regarding Volvo vs Mercruiser stern drives, I really can't say much. We don't see many Volvos on the water around here; most people want Mercruisers. After 18 seasons of use, the Mercruiser (4.3 L) still works flawlessly. We did nail a barely submerged sandbar with it one time at nearly full throttle. The boat stopped real quick, fast enough for the wave we made to wash over the boat. But the stern drive survived with no damage done.[/QUOTE]

Heh. He has pointed out most of the weak points of the J/E line!

 

[bktheking]

Re: Make Johnson more like Mercury?

Well they do have to pack a lot of tech into a small space hence the difficult job of removing a carb, it's no different than any other carbed small engine, try working on a chainsaw carb. Newer Cadillac motors need the intake removed to change the starter. I think outboards are a marvel in technology and OMC miss the mark on only a few things, the poor gear designs on tiller handles and fuel injection.