I found a nice running 1972 115hp johnson near my house. Runs great out of water in a barrel. The guy was asking 1000 but i talked him down to 800. It also comes with all controls and shifter. I dont know anything about how much these are worth.
IMHO that's probably in the ballpark. It's not a "steal" at that price, but if it has no issues it's worth about that.
If you haven't already done so, check the lower unit oil for any water intrusion, and do a compression test. Also, if you plan on working on this engine yourself start looking for a factory service manual.
I believe that motor has hydroelectric shift, and although I might consider buying it if it shifts good, no water in the lower unit, and it ran good on the lake----------not at that price. Too much for a motor that old with hydroelectric shift. Condition is everthing, though.
Just my opinioin,
JBJ
Yeah if it is indeed a '72 that's electric shift. I personally wouldn't want it. '73 or newer would be preferable. $800 would be a fair price for a '73 or newer but like jbj said, not so much for a '72.
what is your time and inconvienence worth...if little then buy it....I think many would say that lower unit is trouble waiting to happen....and then a monster of a fix....
even if everythign else was running, like a top, you can't boat unless your lower unit is working... then taking the boat from place to place for repair quotes, or even taking it off again...what a hassle.....
compared to saving maybe $500
because you should be able to find a very popular 88, 90 115 120 or 140 hp OMC from the 80's for $1000-$1200...and they have lots and lots of parts availablility....and they are known to run for years with deent care
You did not mention what the compression numbers were on the powerhead. That should be one test that should be done prior to purchase. When new, that engine probably had 125 lbs each-on all 4 cyls. You need to see the engine run and determine if the lower unit will shift into F, N and R normally. Check the lower unit oil to make sure there is no water intrustion. You should be able to get powerhead parts fairly easily for that engine. The problem is with the electric shift lower unit parts and the electric shift switches in the control box. Many of these parts are NLA. Furthermore, there may not be many technicians that will still work on these electric shift lower units anymore. I don't mean to discourage you in this endeavor. One of the best engines I ever had was a 72 100 hp, nearly identical to the one you are interested in-but that was many years ago. Nothing ever broke on the engine, so parts were not a problem. I'd keep this information in mind and factor it into your decision if/when you decide to make an offer.
I own a 125 in that same year. Finding part for that so far hasn?t been a problem. But I can?t seem to even for a parts list for the 115. You might want to look at that first.
Running in a barrel or on the hose tells nothing, other than the motor will run. The only way to tell if the motor's good is running under load (i.e. on a boat in the water).
Taylor makes a good point. OMC did not make a 115 model in either 1972 or 1971. They did make one in 1970. I'd make sure just what year this is. It is easy to switch cowlings between these engines. Check the serial/model id tag on the top of the powerhead/block to make sure.
