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Author Topic:   1998 70hp Johnson 2-stroke- Any good?

boatlover15 posted 04-09-2006 09:57 AM ET (US)
I was just browsing the internet lookng around and saw a 1998 70hp Johnson 2-stroke for sale at Monahan's Marine in Mass. Does anybody have this set-up on thier 17' hull? I don't have a hull yet but just in case the motor is still around.......
They want $3500 with a 30 day warranty. Motor is jsut a basic two stroke.
What would I expect to get as a top speed with this motor?
Is it strong enough to pull a skier up?
Any known problems that this model is known to have (Like the whole ficht reputation with those motors)?
Thanks, Boatlover14

Teak Oil posted 04-09-2006 10:09 AM ET (US)
Its a proven design that will power a 17' hull just fine, but the price is high. I would pay $2500 max for that motor if the compression checks out fine and it runs well.
skiing with a 70 would be no problem
JBCornwell posted 04-09-2006 11:27 AM ET (US)
What Teak Oil said.
This is about the same engine on ebay, but it includes extras. It will go for under $3K. The link will be useless in a few days. JimH, would you then delete it for me?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4627994060&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT
Red sky at night. . .
JB
crabby posted 04-09-2006 11:32 AM ET (US)
I ran a 70 hp 3 cylinder OMC for over 20 years on my Montauk. 38 mph with a light load with a 17inch pitch ss omc prop. Great motors! I am looking at another Montauk project boat and will put my old 70 on it if it ever gets completed.
fairdeal2u posted 04-09-2006 12:12 PM ET (US)
One of the best motors ever made. I had one for over 15 years of trouble free useage and it is still going strong.
fairdeal2u posted 04-09-2006 12:18 PM ET (US)
Not strong enough for pulling a skier. But the whaler with the 70 feels much more nimble than with the weight of the 90.
If you are using the boat with just yourself most of the time the 70 is great. If you fish three people or two people over 200 pounds each..you need the 90.
With the 70 , two six gallon tanks is usually enough.
With the 90 you need the two 10-12 gallon tanks or the big
pate tank.
All of this weight adds up and changes the ride.
Top end speed is only a couple of mph between the two.

I had a montauk with the 70 and my buddy had the 90 and so we could really compare the difference.
boatlover15 posted 04-09-2006 03:47 PM ET (US)
fairdeal2u, do you know what those top ends are?
Teak Oil posted 04-09-2006 08:19 PM ET (US)
You can ski behind a 70 with no problem. We used to ski with a 50 Merc on a 15 ft tri hull, and going to a 70 was like having triple the power
simonmeridew posted 04-09-2006 08:52 PM ET (US)
Good motor for a Montauk. 35 MPH top end for me. not sure if the 30 day guarantee is much good to you if you don't have a hull yet. You might negotiate something pending a hull etc
simonmeridew
fairdeal2u posted 04-10-2006 02:37 AM ET (US)
Honest top end speed on a pefectly flat greasy day was around 35mph for the 70 and the 90 was around 38. Maybe when the motors were brand new they went a couple mph faster. These were the speeds for motors with around 700 hours on them and broken in. Most of the time we cruised under 25 mph.
Tom W Clark posted 04-10-2006 10:52 AM ET (US)
The venerable old three cylinder OMC 70 HP motor is perhaps the greatest outboard motor of all time. In production for over three decades. This 1998 version would represent the highest evolution of it.
In general the 70 HP OMC motors will push a Montauk (which I have owned two of) to about 35-36 MPH.
The 90 HP V-4 OMC motors will push a Montauk to about 42-44 MPH. BIG difference.
You can easily water ski behind a 70 HP motor on a Montauk but if you are over 175 pounds and want to slalom ski, it will be tough.
Sal DiMercurio posted 04-10-2006 11:31 AM ET (US)
I agree with Tom 100%.
The 3 cylinder 70 hp omc [ johnson ] was the back bone of that engine maker.
Those engines were & are the work horse of all the outboards.
I am currently sending a power head [ 1998 johnson 70 hp ,.. that was leaned out on the bottom cylinder ] to be re-built in Penn. by a company called Blackbird.
Complete rebuild,..$1,700.
They also run the power head & break it in for you, as they insist most of the failures are caused from improper break in.
The power head comes back complete, just put the 9 bolts back in & hook up the harness, fuel & oil line, linkage & your ready to go.
Putting it on a 15 sport on a jack plate.
My dad [ gone now ] had a 70 hp johnson on his 18' Dorset for over 20 years, used the absolute cheapest gas he could find, but the best oil,...the only thing that needed replacing after about 15 years was a power pack that took me 20 minutes to change.
That engine is still running today,[ I think it was a 1976 ] his next door neighbor bought the rig.
Sal
NedsPoint posted 04-11-2006 08:34 PM ET (US)
Gas guzzler tho
No Respect posted 04-20-2006 02:06 PM ET (US)
I have that very motor on my boat and as others have said it is an extreemly reliable work horse motor. On the west coast people are really into the Japanese products but I made my choice based on what the Mexican Fisherman in Baha we powering their pangas with at the time. The motor of choice was the 70hp (usually Evinrude)hand tiller model.
These guys run them under the worst conditions with very basic up keep (oil and plugs)and their lives depend on them.
I bought mine new, in the box, in 98' and have never been sorry.
The Judge posted 04-20-2006 11:39 PM ET (US)
Sound like a diesel but one hell of an engine...$3500 is steep unless rigged for that price.

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Author	Topic: 1998 70hp Johnson 2-stroke- Any good?
boatlover15	posted 04-09-2006 09:57 AM ET (US) I was just browsing the internet lookng around and saw a 1998 70hp Johnson 2-stroke for sale at Monahan's Marine in Mass. Does anybody have this set-up on thier 17' hull? I don't have a hull yet but just in case the motor is still around....... They want $3500 with a 30 day warranty. Motor is jsut a basic two stroke. What would I expect to get as a top speed with this motor? Is it strong enough to pull a skier up? Any known problems that this model is known to have (Like the whole ficht reputation with those motors)? Thanks, Boatlover14
Teak Oil	posted 04-09-2006 10:09 AM ET (US) Its a proven design that will power a 17' hull just fine, but the price is high. I would pay $2500 max for that motor if the compression checks out fine and it runs well. skiing with a 70 would be no problem
JBCornwell	posted 04-09-2006 11:27 AM ET (US) What Teak Oil said. This is about the same engine on ebay, but it includes extras. It will go for under $3K. The link will be useless in a few days. JimH, would you then delete it for me? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4627994060&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT Red sky at night. . . JB
crabby	posted 04-09-2006 11:32 AM ET (US) I ran a 70 hp 3 cylinder OMC for over 20 years on my Montauk. 38 mph with a light load with a 17inch pitch ss omc prop. Great motors! I am looking at another Montauk project boat and will put my old 70 on it if it ever gets completed.
fairdeal2u	posted 04-09-2006 12:12 PM ET (US) One of the best motors ever made. I had one for over 15 years of trouble free useage and it is still going strong.
fairdeal2u	posted 04-09-2006 12:18 PM ET (US) Not strong enough for pulling a skier. But the whaler with the 70 feels much more nimble than with the weight of the 90. If you are using the boat with just yourself most of the time the 70 is great. If you fish three people or two people over 200 pounds each..you need the 90. With the 70 , two six gallon tanks is usually enough. With the 90 you need the two 10-12 gallon tanks or the big pate tank. All of this weight adds up and changes the ride. Top end speed is only a couple of mph between the two. I had a montauk with the 70 and my buddy had the 90 and so we could really compare the difference.
boatlover15	posted 04-09-2006 03:47 PM ET (US) fairdeal2u, do you know what those top ends are?
Teak Oil	posted 04-09-2006 08:19 PM ET (US) You can ski behind a 70 with no problem. We used to ski with a 50 Merc on a 15 ft tri hull, and going to a 70 was like having triple the power
simonmeridew	posted 04-09-2006 08:52 PM ET (US) Good motor for a Montauk. 35 MPH top end for me. not sure if the 30 day guarantee is much good to you if you don't have a hull yet. You might negotiate something pending a hull etc simonmeridew
fairdeal2u	posted 04-10-2006 02:37 AM ET (US) Honest top end speed on a pefectly flat greasy day was around 35mph for the 70 and the 90 was around 38. Maybe when the motors were brand new they went a couple mph faster. These were the speeds for motors with around 700 hours on them and broken in. Most of the time we cruised under 25 mph.
Tom W Clark	posted 04-10-2006 10:52 AM ET (US) The venerable old three cylinder OMC 70 HP motor is perhaps the greatest outboard motor of all time. In production for over three decades. This 1998 version would represent the highest evolution of it. In general the 70 HP OMC motors will push a Montauk (which I have owned two of) to about 35-36 MPH. The 90 HP V-4 OMC motors will push a Montauk to about 42-44 MPH. BIG difference. You can easily water ski behind a 70 HP motor on a Montauk but if you are over 175 pounds and want to slalom ski, it will be tough.
Sal DiMercurio	posted 04-10-2006 11:31 AM ET (US) I agree with Tom 100%. The 3 cylinder 70 hp omc [ johnson ] was the back bone of that engine maker. Those engines were & are the work horse of all the outboards. I am currently sending a power head [ 1998 johnson 70 hp ,.. that was leaned out on the bottom cylinder ] to be re-built in Penn. by a company called Blackbird. Complete rebuild,..$1,700. They also run the power head & break it in for you, as they insist most of the failures are caused from improper break in. The power head comes back complete, just put the 9 bolts back in & hook up the harness, fuel & oil line, linkage & your ready to go. Putting it on a 15 sport on a jack plate. My dad [ gone now ] had a 70 hp johnson on his 18' Dorset for over 20 years, used the absolute cheapest gas he could find, but the best oil,...the only thing that needed replacing after about 15 years was a power pack that took me 20 minutes to change. That engine is still running today,[ I think it was a 1976 ] his next door neighbor bought the rig. Sal
NedsPoint	posted 04-11-2006 08:34 PM ET (US) Gas guzzler tho
No Respect	posted 04-20-2006 02:06 PM ET (US) I have that very motor on my boat and as others have said it is an extreemly reliable work horse motor. On the west coast people are really into the Japanese products but I made my choice based on what the Mexican Fisherman in Baha we powering their pangas with at the time. The motor of choice was the 70hp (usually Evinrude)hand tiller model. These guys run them under the worst conditions with very basic up keep (oil and plugs)and their lives depend on them. I bought mine new, in the box, in 98' and have never been sorry.
The Judge	posted 04-20-2006 11:39 PM ET (US) Sound like a diesel but one hell of an engine...$3500 is steep unless rigged for that price.