Brandon !!! Bro !!!! I have to tell you !! 5/29 I got my 1981 90hp Johnson....I Knew NOTHING ABOUT IT OR ANY OTHER OUTBOARD... !! THRU YOUR CHANNEL, I BROUGHT IT BACK TO LIFE !! DUDE !!! YOU GOT ME TO HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO FIX IT AND ITS A BEAST !!

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

10 ай бұрын

Note: many comments on here that the ignition module can be a failure point even when they were much younger... hunt up a spare and carry it on the boat with the tools to change it on the water???

This video popped up and I knew immediately by the look from the front that it was from my youth. A friend of mine purchased an 85 Johnson in late 70's. We skied and fished many many days of many summers in that boat with the 85 Johnson. He always regretted not buying the power tilt. But that did not lessen the fun in the sun. That sound is also very familiar. The sound of Fun. Great blast from the past revival.

Those late 70s and early 80s OMC 4 cylinder 2 strokes had fuel lines that would degrade from the ethanol in the fuel. The lines on the outside were new looking and flexible, but the inside would drop tiny beads of rubber that would plug the main jets. Took me 5 carb cleanings and 4 failed trips to the lake to discover that. Replaced ALL fuel lines and it runs like new.

I had an 82 115 up until just a few years ago. That was possibly the most dependable design ever. Pretty much all the V4 were the same with incremental HP increases, great 2 strokes.

@Brandon, so lucky to have stumbled on you channel. Straight up have a '69 Larson with Evinrude 115. We had moved to a lake community from the city summer of '68. My Dad had, had this 14' wooden boat with a 40 Evinrude, originally at 25 Wow, such an upgrade ha ha!. He'd always wanted a Glaspar or Larson and the dream came true early in '69 at the LA Sportman's Show which we'd attended for years. He and my dear mom discussed it, a car or new boat, well we lived on a lagoon and the boat won! Sportman's Show deal, $2,995 boat, motor and trailer. Not sure about taxes but there had to some. Living on the lake, literally taught hundreds to water ski. Shoot, we live on a lake but we went to another lake in the High Sierras sometimes twice a summer, loved it there, still do. My parents left the mountains in '87 and that's when I brought his boat to my place. Yet each year, he and my mom would return to the his beloved Sierras, family history, lots! I tow the boat up in May, spend a week and return in late summer for two weeks to tow it home. That boat has seem many things including many fish. Over the years only impellar has been replaced. Yes had to get the spark plug receptacles sleeved, aluminum heads and no torque wrench, still not a biggie. I have not run the motor in 2 years but pretty much can guarantee, with a charged battery, shell be singing again. Alas, now what to do with it, I cant still water ski on my fiberglass, well I don't remember right now but after renting many skis, this one tossed me, until I figured it out. On of my beloved nieces who called her Papa every week, I'll off the boat for free and I'll get something smaller for snorkeling. Lovely lakes in Oregon where she lives, but I she does not want it, I'm cool with that.

The spark advance sticking was exactly what my motor had (an '82 model) which stopped the throttle from returning to idle. if you do not have a torque limiting extension, an expendable racket strap wrapped around the flywheel over itself and attached to the engine lift ring works dandy (basically a DIY strap wrench). Thanks for the V4 content!!!!

I always liked the slight howl of those V-4’s just above the mid-range to WOT.

Nice work! I love my 83 Johnson 90! It was originally on an ‘83 Performance 15 foot fiberglass bass boat that was rated for 100 HP. That setup used to just glide across the water! But it still felt a little heavy on the rear. I have since put a ‘73 Evinrude 65 on that and the J90 is on a fiberglass mod v-hull deck boat. It’s running great on that. Still doing some fine-tuning since the original control box bugged out and I had to replace it. Just for fun, I’ve also got a ‘72 Evinrude 125 with electric shift. That one took a lot of cleaning and tweaking on the controller, but it runs and shifts like new. Definitely a huge fan of those older V4s!

THANK YOU. I am a mechanic by trade but never messed with outboards. Move to a lake and got a boat that sat for a few years. I felt confident after watching this to look for problems, what to check for and to bring her back to life.

Thank you very much Brandon, is the first time watching your videos I have the same outboard, I don't know nothing about it but your videos are going to help me to work with it.

Nice content, may be a select few of us with 90 Johnsons, but man I love mine.

@jakejoyce5555

11 ай бұрын

I had one a few years back. I miss it. Wish I never got rid of it.

If I could buy every 1980's 88 or 90hp johnson I would. Love em.

My 1974 85 HP Johnson still runs..they are TANKS!

Just bought a project boat with this motor. Great video helped a lot

Awesome discovery on the timing maybe in the morning when the water is calmer you would be able to run it wide-open without a problem so it doesn’t jump around a lot

My dad had one of those…we learned quickly to keep a spare ignition module on the boat. And we used it when we toured the best fishing lakes in Maine . Otherwise a good engine.

@ct1762

6 ай бұрын

ive seen many with the original power pack/s working fine. I suspect you had some voltage on your kill wire if you were going through packs like that.

one of the best engines ever built as far as reliability from 79 till early 90's large center main bearing phased out because of epa emissions

@charlesronk2989

10 ай бұрын

I had a 1992 60hp Evinrude I ran for 27 years and only replaced the regulator rectifier. I replaced it 2020 with a 2012 75hp Evinrude. I have spent thousands keeping it running and it just lost a screw or something from the reeds that damaged the middle cylinder and piston. Give me the old 2 stroke anytime.

LightGrease preferably omc moly lube onthe brass bearing of timer base and light coat of 50/1 oil on Delrin plastic ring. The 4 retaining clips if over bent will bind the assembly.

Fun video indeed but also, as always, very informative. May I suggest that you post links to pertinent previous vids as this would greatly facilitate things for viewers and increase traffic on your channel. Regards !

I learned where a potential problem is with my '76 85hp. It has always run reliable but not powerful. It takes 100-150 yards to get up on plane. I get 29mph once it gets on plane but if I back out of the throttle it takes a bit to get RPM back even if I'm already planed. I think my timing adjustment is lagging just like you showed on this one. now I have somewhere to look. Thanks for the video.

Great vid. I envy folks that can do mechanic work.

You got to love that rubber band work around... "Works fine as long as you have that rubber band"... 🤣🤣🤣

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

It makes me curious as to how many engines out there run like poo because of this problem; I imagine it's pretty easy to overlook.

We had names for all these motors back in the day..the johnson wedge, the merc high tower.. maybe some others...my brother had that james bond banana boat back in the 80s that i think ran a johnson 100 something motor. Thing was so fast for its time.

My first boat had an 85 90 hp Evinrude V4 with the oil injection still working - it was a very decent motor once I learned how to start it properly, but man was it thirsty! That engine used more fuel than my 5.7 liter sterndrive.

I have a 1987 15HP Johnson that has not run in over 20yrs. I suspect that it would take the same attention you gave the 90 hp to get it going. It was running good when i used it last.

Its crazy how similar the design here is to the mid 70s 50hp two cylinder. Masters of reusing parts. Same spark advance mechanism. Same throttle cams etc.

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

10 ай бұрын

It worked in the 70s...why should the same design not work in the 90s? If the parts are good...add a couple more cylinders to the block..it should run well. That's the nice thing about a design that builds on previous good designs....it also ensures a longer-lived supply of spare parts?.

This is cool. I worked for OMC in the 80’s. I built that motor.

I agree with running an engine out of gas. My parents had a 1967 Johnson 6 HP outboard we ran it out of gas every time it was used and as of today it has only ever had 1 set of plugs and one water pump impeller put into it and it still starts on the first or second pull

@ct1762

6 ай бұрын

running a 2 stroke out of fuel is not needed and bad for it. notice the rpms increase just before it dies? you are running it bone dry/super lean. it will 100% score the pistons. just run a can of double oil premix synthetic fuel through it and done. will start up in 3 years like it was never put away.

What a nostalgic sound. These were GREAT old motors. Carry some spare ignition, and it would take you across the world if you needed to.

@gasperkosec9160

5 ай бұрын

Hey, the whole ignition or just the key?

I've got that same engine, V4 90hp Evinrude. With those older outboards like that, I just put in a new trigger and stator, rather than to keep using those old worn parts. They aren't that expensive either. Also replace the switchbox and rectifier. Clean carbs. Usually when they won't idle, that will fix it. That proposing is usually incurable if trim changes don't stop it. And overpowered boats seem to do that.

I run marvel mystery oil in fuel mix as added lubricant it has helped many of our outboard engines last and stay clean and sometimes i also run 100 octane 3 gallons to 5 gallon cans plugs pistons spotless

Just bought my first boat and it has this wonderful Stinger 2, 1973 Johnson 65 hp on it and it has the same problem with stator movement (what is it that you move and what happens?) Not following the gas throttle. Now I now what to do, awesome vid, thank you for this!

Really nice video man😮

I used the moly being that its going to be in there for awhile and hopefully not getting to much water. I was wondering how many wires are in that trigger base. I finally found out from the local marine dealer that this Johnson is actually a 1991. I had bought a new base from cdi, but only had four wires instead of five. Do you have a video on the proper ohm sequence for the trigger base? I sure would like to hear this engine going within the next 6 months. My friend who actually own the boat stated that he was using it and it just quit sparking. We replaced the coil packs and wires and also fixed a few fuel leaks as well. Can't remember the compression right now though. Any information would be awesome...thanks

Thank you Iam getting ready to work on a v4 1997 Johnson hope to get it to run as good as you did

Thanks for the great videos. I picked up a 1972 glastron gt160 with a '72 evinrude 100hp starfire (100293r). I've watched your videos to help me with some issues. I finally have it running pretty good. However, it did just quit yesterday but restarted after a few minutes. That year didn't come with tilt or trim. It looks like it has room for one, I don't know which one might work. By the way, I recognized where you do your boating. I have a place there just down river from the bridge. You go right by it in your videos. I'd like to meet up sometime. Thanks again for all the help.

@ct1762

6 ай бұрын

the 6 screw trim from the 1978-up will NOT fit unfortunately. those had an optional external trim setup, but they were heavy, unreliable and just awful to look at. much newer v4's are dirt cheap and literally everywhere.

Great information. Very thorough mate. I knew nothing about these old motors and recently bought a boat with a 1988 115hp Johnson. The Timing advance was greatly appreciated. Can I ask if you could do a segment on servicing/cleaning the deflectors?

Odd question… you ever heard of one of these old Johnson’s running wot automatically? I was running some seafoam though my 73 115 last week. Powered it off after it started idling weird and when I turned her back on she went from idle to WOT, couldn’t shut it down had to pull the fuel line. Now I got some wires to replace cause she was so hot it melted some plug wires, but she’s not seized up.

what pitch prop do you have on that motor it was impressive thanks for sharing

I enjoy watching your videos you're good at what you do , where is that strip of water it's beautiful ?

When I watch you work I can follow what’s happening without becoming so bored I doze off like other instrumentals videos. For example, replacing the water pump. I just need to know the overall process, and if there are any big gotchas or things to look for. Same with the bendix change. I’ve got an ‘87 40 evinrude. That ran great when I stored it 20+ years ago. I ran it out of gas before I stored it, fogged the cylinders, and changed the oil in the foot, cleaned the carbs. I fully expect it to run when I’m ready, and I will go through all the things that you just did for this engine. I think I’ll subscribe, I like the way you explain things without unnecessary repetition and boring detail. Some channels take 5 minutes explaining how to remove a cotter pin. If you need a cotter pin explained, you aren’t competent to do engine maintenance.

Two questions, where can I get a starter like that to use at the back of the motor for testing. And how do I set the Timer base if the screwed have all been changed on the timing

beautiful man

Hi Brandon…I have a 1989 110 V4 Evinrude outboard…it runs really well. I can run it 3 hours no problem first start up…after I shut it off and try to start it up again it just does not want to start. Hot start won’t work if you want to call it that, any ideas? Your videos are very educational. Thanks!

Hi. Love your video! I have a Johnson v4 90hp -83 that I am having problems with. Do you know what's wrong if the engine starts without a problem on land in a barrel, but as soon as I'm in the lake it dies when I'm about to accelerate away? Then it starts right up again only to die again when I put it in gear and accelerate.. =(

I have a 1982 140 evinrude on a 16 ft skiboat. I love everything about it except the cost of fuel. I think running it out of fuel is a great idea. You will not loose lubrication in the minute it takes to depleat the carbs before you store it, but never run the impeller without water- ever.

Another intuitive video! Thank you so much for posting these old V4 videos. There aren't that many out there on them and your content blows the rest of them away. I have a 1987 88HP J88MSLCUS. Could you tell me the part # of the best Service Manual by chance? Also is the water pump Kit you used a 5001594? In your other videos we never see what the part # is.

@tonythegreek6800

11 ай бұрын

I have access to digital access website

@tonythegreek6800

11 ай бұрын

I have only been able to find it online and we can't download it. It's like 40bucks for 2yrs access to it.

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

I can look up the part number for a manual for you later. In the meantime, yes, I believe that is the part number for the water pump. There is a reference chart here: www.everythingoutboards.com/brp/waterpump/index.html

@tonythegreek6800

11 ай бұрын

Seloc online repair manual, is the place I found that has a digital copy of the motors stuff....

@nickromaniuk7012

11 ай бұрын

@@tonythegreek6800 Thanks, I'd rather have a handheld copy. I know they don't make them anymore but I'd like to try and find an old one.

I had that motor on a 18 ft deep vee Lowes boat and worked great

Brandon, I am 79 and recently bought a 1986 88hp SPL Johnson. I did what you did and rebuilt it to where after cleaning the levers I still am getting infrequent hiccups and the idle will not return to the stop plate after adjusting the screw. I was thinking of adding a spring to return it or bungee cord to do so. What is the poping or hickups coming from? I have only run it on a water hose and muffs. Jim hoffman

What a motor...... will you do a feature on the 2000cc block (135HP/140) in the future?

@ct1762

11 ай бұрын

you mean a V4 Looper i assume. 120-140hp . the 1985-87' was a small bore 1.8. 2.0 liter didnt start until 89'. whole different animal those.

Hey Brandon! I have a 1975 v4 85hp Johnson. I was wondering if you could help me out with a few bugs it has after years I finally got the boat redone and motor ran all season but has a couple quirks I would like to iron out! Also do you have a suggestion to find parts for the carb and stuff like that? Thank you for all the useful knowledge you videos have given over the years!

These are solid motors with the right prop. Power to weight can't be m atched by modern 4 strokes.

Who knew you could test for spark and compression at the same time. I have both those tools ..which terminals do I put the remote b stsrt on in the solenoid….thanks

She runs great. Nice job.

Nice work

Amigo, is that a Kubota trolling rig up front. Birthday present years ago for my Dad, he never got go use it.

@jimjenkins3313

11 ай бұрын

And I still have it new...

The motor sounds good! A while ago you were talking about getting an OMC test prop, are they rare?

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

No, just everyone wants one, so they get expensive.

FUN ! That’s the best way I can describe this whole video

You mentioned running the gas out...have you tried Stabil or other fuel additive? Or you can buy avgas that has no ethanol and run it on that for it bit.

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

Additives or not, you're still left with something in the bowl. A few months sure, but a year? I would prefer to have it empty.

Where are you located man

Brandon, I have the 1984 V6 version of this same motor. I am no longer worried about tearing into a problem. I learned a lot, watching this video. Thank you for the great content. I do have a question. When you were reassembling the starter, you used a slotted piece of paper. Can you please explain what you were using it for? Again, fantastic content.

I'm curious where you were cruising? LA? FL?

What broke on most engines is the owners wallet and patients not having enough money to put back in his wallet.😊

Put a old school whale tale hydrofoil on it and it'll stop all the porposing. Ive got an 82 model 90 on a 16/48 flat bottom and it won't run without porposing without it. Does perfect with it.

Where did you get all the parts for it? We have a 1977 115hp Johnson outboard e need to fix up. It’s been sitting a very long time.

I just put cash down to hold an 83 skeeter with a johnson 150 on it. It ran and sounded good. But if i do need to work on it where are the best places to get parts or manuals?

How did you make that remote start switch?

Nice restor. Question, where is this? Looks like the desert but gorgeous water.

Great little engine i had one the problem is they are incredible thirsty. In Autralia fuel is over $2 a litre

Hello Brandon, wondering if the VRO has been disconnected on this engine. I have a 1993 Johnson 150hp V6 and would like to bypass the VRO for piece of mind, or do you think I should just leave it be. I remember the failures on early 2 stroke motor cycles with the seperate self oiling systems. I would not like this to happen to my outboard motor I have just bought as it was in a shed with only 76 hours use. A bit like the V4 you just did. Hope you can figure this out for me, regards Steve.

@Acelachaser1965

11 ай бұрын

I have an 83 Johnson 90 that did not come with VRO. That’s not the original cowl on that motor. It’s from a later year with VRO. The 83 had the more flat sided cowl with the red and black stripes on the side. If your VRO is working you can leave it. But if you don’t trust it, you can just delete it and do your 50:1 mix in the tank.

@ralph04ification

11 ай бұрын

Put some six degrees transom wedges in so you can pull the nose down more. 👍🇦🇺

Hey I got a question, I have the exact same motor and it will run fine out of the water but act up and due once in the water. Thoughts?

@BrandonsGarage

2 ай бұрын

Carbs, ignition system, or compression

@curiouszquad

2 ай бұрын

@@BrandonsGarage thanks, let me try to check a few things. Do you think it’s possible that the back pressure from the water could cause this due to restricted or clogged exhaust system?

The best money can buy 👌

Where were you? MX, AZ, NM?

Brilliant ....down side is your not in the UK...brilliant work on an oldish Johnson

very nice and great river run. Curious use a lot of fuel, my 90 Evinrude seems to enjoy lots of fuel usage

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

10 ай бұрын

Another comment by Brandon here was 4 to 5 gallons (US) per hour. But another commenter was 9 gallons flat out.... YMMV.

@kenfrazier616

10 ай бұрын

yep @@JohnSmith-yv6eq

That baby rips. I had a 90 Evinrude and that thing would just jump out of the hole.

yes . we are trouble shooting a issue we are having, if had the diagram of the fluid flow we believe we could solve the issue. Thank you

Is that slight piston slap or rod bearing noise? I don't remember my Johnson 1990 90 hp v4 that I rebuilt being sounding as noisy as this one like a 4 stroke engine with noisy lifters.

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

Probably just the camera microphone being noisy,

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

10 ай бұрын

Other YTubers have found that mounting the camera near the motor with a solid/magnetic mount directly on some solid surface directly connected to the motor (like a transom or stand) amplifies and exaggerates every mechanical noise made by an engine....(super ears!)

I had this on a Montauk in the 80s - it was bullet proof.

Great video!!! I'm still looking for a hydraulic diagram for a tilt and trim unit off of a 1986 evinrude V4 90 hp. Hopefully you can help me out. Maybe know of someone? Thank you.

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

The diagram of how the fluid flows?

I always wondered if advancing high speed timing increase power like it can on a 4 cycle engine?

If anybody asks why you have such a big motor on a little aluminum fishing boat, just tell em you wanna catch really fast fish.

Brandon, what was your maximum boat speed. You mentioned reaching 4,900 rpm, and a reached speed of 30 mph, but that was not at 4,900 rpm. I have a 1975 Johnson 85 hp 2-stroke on a 17 ft Lund fish-N-ski open bow that has reached 41 mph S.O.G (speed over ground. A.K.A. a GPS speed via fish finder). It seemed as though you had reached that speed at one time or two, but it was hard to tell looking through your camera lens.

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

At 41 I slowed down, The boat feels rock solid at 30, but nearing 40 it feels like one wrong ripple and the boats going sideways.

@JohnSmith-yv6eq

10 ай бұрын

@@BrandonsGarage Fit a couple of skegs under it? One each side of the centreline...... (X distance from the keel but parallel to it) just to give it some bite/grip on the water?

that motor has some power..lol

great video i have a 1978 evinrude 115 hp v4 and i cant hardly find any videos on idle adjustments ? not sure if im missing something but it would be great if you could do something similar.

@justinpurser5468

11 ай бұрын

i second this

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

Well, there really aren't any. What you should be looking for is timing synchronization and proper throttle cable installation. If those are correct and the engine is healthy, it will idle. I have an OMC video on this already. It's for never engines; thus the shape of parts are different, but the concept is the same.

@justinpurser5468

11 ай бұрын

@@BrandonsGarage Mine will start up fine and idle just fine but when i clicked into forward gear it seems to lose rpms and die compression good sparks good

@ct1762

11 ай бұрын

service manual... how can you do proper link n synch without it??

Where is this lovely clear blue river?

How to get something in that engine so you know you RPM

Back to the bread and butter Evinrude V4 videos!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DOGGY

I just bought a boat with a johnsons gt330 v8. I have got it on but it won't stay on. Every mechanic I talk to will not work on it. I was wondering during if you do side work or work for a shop where I can possibly take it to get checked out?

@BrandonsGarage

10 ай бұрын

Well where are you from?

@bryantmuniz4425

10 ай бұрын

@@BrandonsGarage I live in California

@bryantmuniz4425

10 ай бұрын

And yourself?

I picked up an Evinrude 115 for a boat project. How can I determine the year without the tag or Welch plug? Welch plug doesn’t show model number and local marine shops were no help by just serial number. It was pulled from ‘85 pontoon boat. Wouldn’t be a big issue if there wasn’t a design change from 84/85 models. Any identifying traits?

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

part numbers located everywhere on the powerhead. You can start looking them up to get an idea of the year range, until you narrow it down. Also, serial number is useless - OMC themselves couldn't tell you anything about that number.

@TheWhiteHatch

10 ай бұрын

It turned out to be a 94. Thanks!

@BrandonsGarage

10 ай бұрын

@@TheWhiteHatch how did you figure it out?

@TheWhiteHatch

10 ай бұрын

@@BrandonsGarage contacted the original owner again and begged him to find his registration. Turns out the pontoon was a 94 and after cross referencing parts and hood design it definitely is a 94. Still Dont know exact model but hey, it’s a start.

@TheWhiteHatch

10 ай бұрын

@@BrandonsGarage I’ll also say that trying to find out engine model/year shouldn’t be that difficult. I own a general automotive/performance shop and build engines daily and I’d pull my hair out if I had to hunt this much for every job. I understand a lot is interchangeable but still. We need a database from OMC/BRP for serial number lookup. I picked up a few more outboards to freshen up and sell. Having doubts now 😂.

So I have a 90 hp v4 81 model ... have spark and fuel, doesn't want to start . What can I do or how do I start testing ?

Great job..

Living in a land locked place, I sure envy those water front properties.

@BrandonsGarage

10 ай бұрын

No water nearby?

What size prop and pitch did you run on this set up

@BrandonsGarage

11 ай бұрын

Hell if I know. I just put a prop on it.

@mikemacdonald3927

8 ай бұрын

that's too bad i would of liked to know myself @@BrandonsGarage

That motor is a 20" and the johnboat is 15" For it to run right you need to lift it up 4"-5" on the transom.

My ballsocket is broken on my 86 V4 90hp, any idea where to get one?

What was top speed?

Amazing

Dommage que vous n’êtes pas en France pour remettre en état mon moteur Johnson v6

Where are you located? Is it possible to send you an outboard motor for repair, or buy a refurbished one off of you?