74' Johnson 15hp sea horse

[fishnhuntnboy]

I recently picked up a 15 horse Johnson for my boat. What are some things I should look at on the motor before I run it to hard? It starts right up on one pull. Today when I loaded the boat on the trailer I was messing with the motor and noticed the lower unit was pretty warm. You could only hold your hand on there for so long. Is this normal for the lower unit to be that hot?

Any info would be great! This is my first motor and just want to make sure I don't dump it into the lake cause I didn't look things over. Also if anyone knows someone good to take it to let me know or if someone on here wants to go for a ride hit me up. I live in Anoka/Ramsey area.

Again thanks for any info!

[eurolarva]

Your best bet is to get a manual either Clymer or Syloc. Your local library probably has one you can sign out. I just picked up an older merc and found the Syloc has better information the the Clymer but it is the opposite for my chrysler. Your motor is getting to an age that a lot of mechanics will not service it anymore. The lower unit should not be hot to the touch. There is a drain and a vent screw on the lower unit. They are usually about the size of a dime that uses a regular slotted screwdriver. I would remove the lower one (drain plug) just for a few seconds and see what comes out. Should be a dark oil that is a dark green in color. If water comes out or the oil is milky white you have a leak and will have to contend with it. Some older motors have a screw on the lower unit with a smaller head that is used to hold the shifter in place. You do not want to remove that screw.

If you dont want to deal with it I would try Hannay's in north minneapolis. They might still work on older motors.