85 hp johnson

[ron12]

hey all i have recently aquired a 1969 johnson 85 hp fith motor i have tryed and finally one that runs lol newho i have some questions on how to make sure the motor is centered on the transom and got a few things not sure how to mount with the motor.i also have two brackets that look like the go on each side if the transom bracket not sure which hole to use to drill for the bolts. i have pics if it makes it any easier.

ron

(Ron, I started a new thread for your question. This is a good technical "how to" question and it deserves it's own thread... - Mark Denis)

[Mark_Denis]

Ron, are these extra parts you're referring to shown in your photos above? I'm sure someone here will know exactly where they belong.

[ron12]

no but i will take a few more pics of them i forgot to lol.

[ChuckB]

no but i will take a few more pics of them i forgot to lol.

Ron, the extra pieces you have are called "ears" and are part of the transom bracked attachment. They go on after you have the first motor mount bolts in place. the motor lower unit cavitation plate ( the small flat surface just above the prop) should be just at the bottom of the hull. With that big fat heavy motor you'll be needing and engine hoist to do it right. Clamp it to the transon when the height is right and mark your holes. Place the ears on as well, there is a dowel in each with a hole on the Transom clamp to get 'em in the right spot. To get it centered, measure a mid point in several spots and draw a center line down the transom.
If the motor is an electric shift, dump the old lower oil immediately and replace with oil for an ELECTRIC SHIFT only. There is a difference and regular oil will burn up the elect lower. Good luck.
ChuckB

[ron12]

ok cool now how bout the centering of the motor side to side is there a certain way to measeur to make sure its centered side to side?
ron

[ChuckB]

Measure along the bottom of the transom and along the top finding the 1/2 way point and mark each one and draw your vertical center line...
Do it twice if it doesn't pass the eyeball test

[ron12]

ok i will do that today do you happen to know the name and where i can get the lower unit oil? also i noticed one broken bolt in the lower unit is that gonna effect anything? the person i got it from said that it wouldn't go in to gear and when it did it would immeditly pop out is that something thats common with theses older johnsons and it is a hydro electric shift.
ron

[Tim_Mattson]

Centering motors

Ron ,
I learned to measure from the corners until you get the same measurements on to the center line from opposing corners.
Check at the top ,middle and bottom to verify it has equalsamts of transom revealed on both sides of the motor.
Split 1/8`` units until you get it right ,then outline the motor frame or the loose bracket.
I like to drill two holes to start,verify the up + down and look for a vertical lower unit versus the boats bottom just in front of the transom.
If off the first try,then re-drill the opposite corners,bolt it tight ,and then re-drill the 1 st holes to suit.
A really long 1/4`` pilot bit makes the job easier and let`s you see where you end up on the transom front,you`ll get to look at those bolt heads for good so make sure they look balanced.
A lot of boats have the same bolt pattern and it is common to have the drill almost push right thru once the general location is found.
Almost all have the top holes roughly 2`` below the transom top,trim pcs and actual transom heigth can make this vary.
The Holeshot at rest and Top end will give you the answer whether it is right or not......and when empty versus full on people and gas.
Bed the bolts /Brackets with good Caulk,either SikaFlex,5200,or an Elastomeric if you plan on removing later.......
Try the old type lube,maybe Type C but sold by OMC.....won`t be the H-vis,or premium lube used be mechanical shift units.
Chuck knows the older ones better,he`ll probably clarify shortly.
With the Electric lower,that may be something to plan on,unfortunatey.
Not a lower unit to buy parts for and try to fix,keep it as an assy and watch for a donor.
One missing bolt won`t hurt much but if the thing pops out of gear,something is not right.They usually stick in Forward only which does get you home but also means you`ll start up in gear.
Prior owner probably got a serious quote to fix before selling a runner.
Keep us informed and we`ll try to guide you thru.
Tim M

[ron12]

wow thanks tim the motor was actually free found it on craigslist when i went to get it it was still on the boat ran fine just wouldn't go into gear i got it home and havnt started it yet but have had no problem geting it into gear or is it diffrent when it is running?but i have good vibes on this one lol.
thanks again for all the info i will keep everyone posted im sure i'll have a bunch more questions .
thanks agin,
ron

[ChuckB]

Ron;
The lower unit oil will say it is for Electric Shift lowers only. There are still a lot of boats with elect shift stern drives. The older electrics would stay in neutral when they failed, the newer in forward or get home mode. If it is popping out of gear, the gears are worn and you'll need to find a donor. there is a guy in Tacoma that rebuilds them but wants $$$. Helmar had one on a Seafair...

[ron12]

more motor mount questions

ok i got the motor on just need to center it.
my questions are which of the holes do i use to run the bolts thru the transom? there are a few diffrent holes one on the motor bracket itself and 4 or five on the ears do i use em all or just the ones on the motor bracket and the ones on the bottom of the ears looks like remnents of old silicon around the bottom holes?

thanks again,
ron

[Tim_Mattson]

Motor centering

Ron ,
The lower bolts look a bit low and seem like they are spread wider than needed.
The loose cast bracket should have a bolt in one of the two upper holes and the lowest one should be where it gives you room to slide the motor upwards if needed.
As it looks now ,the lower bolts won`t allow any raising at all,PLUS may make installing it really tricky.

Usually ,you can put a nut on each of the two lower bolts first ,then C-Clamp the top as you center things up.Pre-drill ,then caulk with Elastomeric or Sikaflex after cleaning debris away.
The brackets should pinch the cast ears on the motor pivot frame and it shouldn`t wiggle or be sloppy.
I`d be plugging the lower holes with wood dowels and starting with two fresh ones at the upper range of that lower slot.
Top holes I drilled on my G-3 last night were around 1.5 `` down from the top ,a bit higher than I first stated.
Also verify your cav plate is flat with the boat bottom,seems a little low in the picture but it isn`t looking forward......Too low and it will spray water off the plate.
Putting a thin flat pc of wood (Rev Stick)on the transom top to shim it up just a hair so the motor can wiggle without scarfing the transom cap.The motors do wiggle on the shocks so give it room to float.
Another weird one for you is if the transom is curved at all ,your brackets may not point at the upper side pin holes if sucked down flat to the curve.Wedges are sometimes needed......
I`d put the brackets on the motor,drill the lower two in a better spot,then pencil around where the upper holes should be,then remove from the motor and hard mt the brackets.Final tighten after lowering the motor and getting all threads started a few turns each.
Tim M

[ron12]

awesome thanks for all the great info tim i'll keep ya posted on the outcome.
ron

[ron12]

lower unit oil

Hey Tim and everyone,
i finally got aout today to mess with the boat a little more got the motor centerd and first holes drilled just have to get longer bolts for that.i took the plug out for the lower unit oil and there was a little bit of water that came out not much but a noticeable amount.and then not very much oil.any ideas how much they hold? i took a couple pics of the oil that came out.also sampled it and dint seem to have any metal or sticky it felt slick i gues you could say between my fingers when rubbing thum and pointer together.
thanks again,
ron

[ChuckB]

It will take a full quart. Let it drain completely before refilling. Fill from the bottom with the top hole open. fill til oil comes out the top. You probably need to re seal the lower, at least around the prop shaft. You'll know more after you start it up and run it in a test tank.
It can be a royal pain to reseal an elect shift lower.
ChuckB