Retiring my Johnson '71 25hp

cartisdm

Cadet
Joined
Jul 14, 2016
Messages
8
Well friends, I am finally throwing in the towel on my 2-stroke. I've had a 1971 Johnson Seahorse 25hp short shaft that has been a journey but also provided many good hours on the water. This one never gave me full power (maybe 85%) but it got the job done most of the time and it was simple enough to work on.

Mechanically the powerhead is functioning great. I recently rebuilt the ignition, carb, replaced lines and fuel pump plus I keep it in general good working order. However, I am having serious issues keeping it from jumping out of forward gear and my understanding is this is essentially a death sentence due to parts and availability of spare lowers.

I'm ready to go the 4-stroke route because I need better fuel economy (I like to stay multiple days on the water and not worry about running low in my 6-gal tank). Any advice from this community about what to do with my current outboard? With Evinrude going out of business, are third party manufacturers going to make parts for the older outboards? I called a few local 2-stroke outboard shops and they had no interest due to the issue it's having.
 

Crosbyman

Vice Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
5,100
Sad.... why not fix it somebody here must have parts and guidance for your issue.

up to you ... you can buy a lot of gas and a spare fuel tank for what you will save on a good fix.

how was compression ?
 

kbait

Commander
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
2,452
Your gearcase is very common.18/20/25hp w/22 c.i. Powerhead from late ‘50’s to mid ‘70’s will swap directly.. Gearsets inside gearcase may be slightly different, but entire gearsets can be swapped. So, if you find an old 18 w/bad powerhead for cheap, you can just swap lower unit and go fish!
 

racerone

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 28, 2013
Messages
36,464
Those are the best motors to own.----Parts new and used are everywhere.----Your location ?-----It should be an easy fix.-----And no point talking to a big shop as they are not interested in small jobs.-----They get plenty of work / revenue from $50,000 boats and big spending owners.
 

jasper60103

Commander
Joined
Sep 18, 2008
Messages
2,055
I was in your position a few years ago. Keep in mind that selling it won’t much offset the cost of a new motor. Good luck with your decision.
 

cartisdm

Cadet
Joined
Jul 14, 2016
Messages
8
I appreciate the insight from everyone. I decided to treat myself to a payday and went with a new 2021 Mercury 20hp EFI (20EH). I enjoyed all the learnings from the years of tinkering on this 2-stroke but I'm ready to take the easy road home.

I did some ebay shopping and had trouble finding non-stripped gears and the handful of local (backyard) outboard shops I spoke to weren't much help with my problem either.

If anyone is local to the area (Charlotte, NC), I am happy to sell, trade, part out my 25hp Johnson. I will probably keep it for a bit until I decide what exactly I will do with it but I imagine it'll land on Craigslist at some point.

how was compression ?
about 90psi on each cylinder

Thanks all and tight lines!
 
Last edited:

Crosbyman

Vice Admiral
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
5,100
The only way to get rid of an urge is to give in to it ... :) they say !

Congrats oldies are great but nothing like a new OB and the kids will love it.
 

jasper60103

Commander
Joined
Sep 18, 2008
Messages
2,055
I appreciate the insight from everyone. I decided to treat myself to a payday and went with a new 2021 Mercury 20hp EFI (20EH). I enjoyed all the learnings from the years of tinkering on this 2-stroke but I'm ready to take the easy road home.

I did some ebay shopping and had trouble finding non-stripped gears and the handful of local (backyard) outboard shops I spoke to weren't much help with my problem either.

If anyone is local to the area (Charlotte, NC), I am happy to sell, trade, part out my 25hp Johnson. I will probably keep it for a bit until I decide what exactly I will do with it but I imagine it'll land on Craigslist at some point.


about 90psi on each cylinder

Thanks all and tight lines!
Congrats. My feelings exactly. You won’t regret it. I had a couple non runners that I sold for a decent price after getting my new motor. Enjoy!

jasper
 
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