Johnson 110 V4 general Questions

**buckz6319** · 02-05-2019, 07:54 PM

I have a 87 Johnson 110 V4 Bubble back and I don't see many on the web..I have a some question about this outboard.

What was the logic behind the Johnson 110 V4 vs The 90, 100, 115, 120 other than the obvious HPs

What can I expect from this outboard such as performance, reliability, fuel usage ( I know it depends on the condition of the outboard and how it was used, compression ect)

I have read that the prop rated HP on the 110 is 110?

I have also read that the 110 is like having a 140?

Were the 110 V4 a popular outboard in it's day and what about this time almost 30+ yrs later?

Is the 110 V4 an engine that is or can be used for high performance building?

I'm sure I will come up with some more questions at some point, however these are the ones that pop into my head at the moment.

any other additional information you members can pass along in this thread would be appreciate it?

**powerabout** · 02-05-2019, 08:21 PM

140 was the old system of powerhead rated
it lost some compression etc to run on low quality fuels and ended up as 110 prop rated

**BOATMANBLUES** · 02-06-2019, 08:48 AM

find some old hi comp 140 heads and 1 3/8" carbs and it's the same motor as an old 140...good , cheap , simple motor...

**buckz6319** · 02-06-2019, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by powerabout

140 was the old system of powerhead rated
it lost some compression etc to run on low quality fuels and ended up as 110 prop rated

Ok, I think I under stand that-- so the 110 is the prop rating and the power head is a 140? or maybe I got that incorrect...

**buckz6319** · 02-06-2019, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by BOATMANBLUES

find some old hi comp 140 heads and 1 3/8" carbs and it's the same motor as an old 140...good , cheap , simple motor...

Woops I just read this comment, so the powerhead if I'm interested in making the 110 into a 140-- all I need to do is change the heads and carbs...that's a simple upgrade, however how plentiful are the hi comp heads your talking about?

thanks for the input

**SS Minnow** · 02-06-2019, 08:47 PM

So, here is what I have gathered in my beers of research.

About's the mid eighties, there was a standardization of confirming how much hp an outboard produced. And it then became an industry standard, maybe a law, that horsepower rating would be measured at the prop shaft, not at the crank. Rumors are that a certain manufacturer would fudge the #'s but again, probably rumors.
So, even with those laws in place, a certain manufacturer was said to have fudge those numbers slightly, so a few years after that, a new industry standard, maybe a law or regulation, was created stating that the advertised horsepower rating had to be accurate within (not sure here again) 10-15%.
Hopefully that explains the hp rating a bit. Beyond that, there are many here with much info. Good Luck to you!

**buckz6319** · 02-07-2019, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by SS Minnow

So, here is what I have gathered in my beers of research.

About's the mid eighties, there was a standardization of confirming how much hp an outboard produced. And it then became an industry standard, maybe a law, that horsepower rating would be measured at the prop shaft, not at the crank. Rumors are that a certain manufacturer would fudge the #'s but again, probably rumors.
So, even with those laws in place, a certain manufacturer was said to have fudge those numbers slightly, so a few years after that, a new industry standard, maybe a law or regulation, was created stating that the advertised horsepower rating had to be accurate within (not sure here again) 10-15%.
Hopefully that explains the hp rating a bit. Beyond that, there are many here with much info. Good Luck to you!

I have read this somewhere on the web and it makes sense to me and I understand it. I also can see that this can get very confusing for someone like me that the way Johnson has gone about creating all those models with the 88, 90, 105, 110, 112, 115, 120, 125, 126, 130, 132, 135, 140 and so on

**BOATMANBLUES** · 02-07-2019, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by buckz6319

Woops I just read this comment, so the powerhead if I'm interested in making the 110 into a 140-- all I need to do is change the heads and carbs...that's a simple upgrade, however how plentiful are the hi comp heads your talking about?

thanks for the input

The big carbs and hi comp heads are getting a bit harder to find but there should still be plenty around ..put a post on parts wanted...
as far as hp ratings , I think OMC pretty much used it as a designation number more than actual hp rating...for example, 88 spl was a 90 without VRO...
your 110 is a detuned 140 pretty much ...same block and exhaust with low comp heads and smaller carbs...

**flabum1017** · 02-08-2019, 12:16 AM

The propshaft rated 110 you have ('87) is close to the old 140 crankshaft rated ('78 ish). you can put the higher compression heads on yours and get a few more out of it.... the 1 5/16 carbs will do for heavier boats and the 1 3/8 are for lighter boats..... (think holeshot....) now, don't confuse the looper 120, 130 and 140 since they are a different animal all together; they are all propshaft rated.

**buckz6319** · 02-10-2019, 02:34 PM

Originally Posted by flabum1017

The propshaft rated 110 you have ('87) is close to the old 140 crankshaft rated ('78 ish). you can put the higher compression heads on yours and get a few more out of it.... the 1 5/16 carb ( as seen in the carb pics I do have the 1 5/16 carbs, so I'm thinking this bass boat is a heavy hull? I'm used to owning CCs and Bowriders.. this is my first Bass boat, however I will not keep the hull too long though) will do for heavier boats and the 1 3/8 are for lighter boats..... (think holeshot....) now, don't confuse the looper 120, 130 and 140 since they are a different animal all together; they are all propshaft rated.

Thanks!