I'm considering buying a boat with a '97 Johnson Venom 225 on it. They look like they're in great shape, but my buddy has an early 90's Johnson with nothing but problems.

I'm looking for anyone with any experience or information on the reliability of these outboards. I don't want to buy a lemon. Thank you!

I have one on a 98 pro elite. I've had some issues, but they've mostly been related to the builder who rebuilt the power head. Outside of that its been a reliable and strong engine. Way2slow is an guru on this thing. He's the one that's gonna have the best advice.

Not sure about the guru part but I am somewhat familiar with it. One major issue that was suppose to be fixed under a factory field campaign was replacing the bolts that hold the top main bearing retainer in. The bolts were working loose, letting the bearing work out and increase end play let the crank move up and down to the point it wiped out the motor. The new bolts had a blue thread lock the old ones didn't have. If the motor has not blown by now, then that mod was probably done.

The next major issue is the ring locator pins coming out, number two cylinder being the worst and number four the second. If any of the other came out first, it was rare, but did has happened. This is caused by two problems. In late 95 they changed the process to install the pins, because it was cheaper, and the fact the motor has unbalanced cooling made those pins come loose. Number two cylinders egt's run approx. 50 degrees hotter than 1,3,and 5. Number fours temps are about 30 degrees hotter, causing the pins to loosen sooner. One way to delay this from happening, if it's going to, is to run one size large jet in #2 carb. If/when the pin does come out, it's a major failure because it hangs in a transfer port, busting the piston and breaking the sleeve. Sometimes it break the rod also and the rod saws the block in two or punches a big hole in it. I don't know the percentage of the motors that have this problem, but it is a fairly common problem with the late 95 and newer motors. Theirs and most aftermarket replacement piston have the pin relocated so it does not go through any ports. Plus during the rebuild, there is a cooling mod that can and should be done.

It's also easy enough to check if the pins have loosened and backed out any by pulling the spark plug, putting a small bulb through the plug hole and look at the sleeve with the piston at BDC. If you see a scratch/line/grove going from the top of the sleeve all the way to the top of the piston, that is in line with the center of one of the transfer ports, that pin is loose and the motor needs to come apart and be rebuilt. That groove is the ring locator working out and it will eventually hang that transfer port, and it's goodby when it does.

It's still my favorite motor though.