Johnson 200 pros/cons

[nebeye]

Im looking at a 2oo0 1900 lund pro-v and it has a 98 johnson 200 ocean runner engine,Im not real familiar with this engine,just wandering some pros/cons about this motor?

[Paul]

Hello, I have a 2000 Johnson 150 and it is a pig. It smokes like a son of a gun, and has been unreliable. I recommend do not buy the rig no matter how much you like the boat if it has a Johnson motor. I will never buy another one even if theyre re tooled. And on top of it the dealer talked me out of upgrading to a 200 because he personally blew up 2 of them! Buy a Yamy, Honda then a merc and suzy.................I'm serious. My opinion. Paulywog

[Opti dude]

I know that boat, its a terrific set up. That Johnson block design has been around a long time. It has been one of omc's most reliable designs ever. She likes to use some fuel if you rev her up. That boat had under 100 hours on it last year, so its still fresh. Throw a 22p raker on it and put it on the 3rd hole up and you will see 56 on the GPS. That boat has passed me a few times on the lake. I have the same boat with a 2000 opti(54GPS.)

[guest]

Most reliable engine from OMC doesn't mean much.......

[CWS]

I had the same setup in 2000. I loved the boat & motor. The only drawback on the motor was the fuel consumption. Other than that, that thing was a strong beast and I wouldn't hesitate to take it anywhere in any conditions. We used to call the motor "The Refrigerator". Heck that might even be my old boat. If I was given the option of an used Optimax or a used oceanrunner I would take the Oceanrunner.

[Muskie Treats]

I run a 200 Johnson GT which I think is pretty simular. A couple things on that motor. Never run anything less then 89 octane. It runs much smoother that way. Mine used to smoke a ton until I changed oil. I now run Pennsol synthetic blend and it hardly smokes at all. The only real downfall is that it is a gas hog, but I don't think too many people will be passing you on the lake with simular rigs either.

[Jumbo]

PROS:
1 - Generally a reliable engine (and engine type: carbed 2-stroke).
2 - More stainless steel parts in O-Runner than freshwater model.
3 - Lots of parts still available.

CONS:
1 - OMC is out of business
2 - the parts they were putting into their motors the last
few years of their existence were of questionable quality.
3 - A carbed motor = poorer mpg/higher fuel cost
4 - Carbed 2-stroke means more oil and gas into your fishin' hole.
5 - Will your motor be 'banned' from certain waters in the future?

Do yourself a favor - if you buy that rig, trade in the motor on a new or used 4-stroke or DFI 2-stroke.

[Fish-R-Man77]

I own the "big brother" to the motor that you are considering; a 2000 225 hp Johnson Ocean Pro. I, too, went to this board for info when I was considering purchasing a used rig with this motor on. Y2000 outboards were the last produced by the old OMC; I know that there were very legitimate quality concerns with the 2000 year production models, as OMC was going down.

That said, I'm TOTALLY PLEASED with the performance of my 225 hp. I used it extensively last summer, probably put 50-75 hours of run time on it. Started perfectly every time, idled slow enough to fish Lake Michigan (though I normally trolled with my kicker), just a super performer... That 3.0L block has been used for OMC motors for years; I was worried about parts, but one of the first things that new owners Bombadier have done is resume making parts for ALL older OMC products, products way back into the 70's. Reason? Bombadier CORRECTLY figures that, if owners of older Evinrude/Johnsons can't get parts, they probably won't ever consider a Bombadier-produced motor when they are ready for their next one.

I bought my rig just a few months after Bombadier took over OMC. Can't say enough good things about Customer Service people at Waukegan, IL. Even though Bombadier didn't make my motor, their folks were nothing but helpful in answering my Q's and helping me trace the lineage of my motor! (If the Customer NO-SERVICE jerks at the former OMC had been 1/10 as helpful and respectful of customers, maybe OMC would still be in business)

Re: fuel economy, my 225 hp is on a 21' Princecraft Super Pro. For a 10 mile roundtrip at 3500-4000 rpm (about 30mph) plus 3-5 hours of trolling off a 4 stroke, my total gas burn is about 6 gals. The one longer trip I took, 25 miles roundtrip, really pushing the motor, 4500 rpm+, I burned about 20 gals.

I'm so glad that I bought the Johnson; I own 5 outboard motors, all Mercury, Evinrude, or Johnson, from 1977-2000. This 225hp Johnson has run flawlessly for me. Hope this helps you make your decision.

Jim

[Al]

I'd highly recomend that you go to an old OMC dealer and ask about wrist pin, bearing endcap assebly recalls. I know they were for motors of earlier vintage, but they continued to have problems with them outside the recall or update. One thing I remember, and I owned one, is that they had a batch in which someone on the line used bearing grease instead of locktite on some bearing retaining device. This happend on a lot of engines. Mine ran awesome, although it was a bit thirsty. Started as fast as an EFI and had a lot of torque on a heavy hull. I sold it with 100 hours on it. It blew up(under warranty) the next summer. It supposedly had to do with the recall parts, even though that motor fell outside the numbers. I'd be cautious.