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The INTRODUCES key
OMC's engineers picked a ten-letter word with no repeating letters and assigned each letter a digit in order. That's the whole trick:
| Letter | Digit |
|---|---|
| I | 1 |
| N | 2 |
| T | 3 |
| R | 4 |
| O | 5 |
| D | 6 |
| U | 7 |
| C | 8 |
| E | 9 |
| S | 0 |
Reading a model number
Take J70TLEIA from the transom-bracket plate. J is Johnson (E is Evinrude), 70 the horsepower, TL describes trim and a long shaft, and the last three characters are where the year hides: the final A is just a model-run suffix, and the two letters before it — E, I — convert to 9, 1. Model year 1991. An E115TXCCA works the same way: C, C → 8, 8 → 1988.
Model number vs. serial number
The plate carries both. The model number (starts with J or E) is the one that encodes the year — the serial number is just the individual engine's ID. If the plate is gone, the model number is often also stamped on a welch plug or the block; failing that, a dealer can work from the serial.
Before 1980
Pre-1980 OMC engines used a different numbering scheme that shifted across the decades — on many, the year is readable in the digits of the model number, but the pattern isn't consistent enough for one rule. For those, the reliable route is an OMC serial-range table or a dealer parts lookup.
Frequently asked questions
How does the INTRODUCES code work?
OMC (Johnson and Evinrude's parent) mapped each letter of the word INTRODUCES to a digit: I=1, N=2, T=3, R=4, O=5, D=6, U=7, C=8, E=9, S=0. On any 1980-or-later model number, the two letters just before the final letter spell the year — E and I mean 9 and 1, so 1991.
Where is the model number on a Johnson or Evinrude?
On the plate riveted to the transom bracket, alongside the serial number. The model number is the code that starts with J (Johnson) or E (Evinrude) — e.g. J70TLEIA. Use the model number, not the serial, for the year.
My Johnson/Evinrude is older than 1980 — can I still decode it?
Not with INTRODUCES; pre-1980 OMC model numbers used a different scheme where the year appears more directly in the digits (often the last two before a suffix), varying by era. For those, a dealer or an OMC serial-range table is the reliable route.
What happened to Johnson and Evinrude?
OMC went bankrupt in 2000; Bombardier (BRP) bought the brands, retired Johnson in 2007, and built Evinrude E-TECs until ending production in 2020. Parts support continues, and the INTRODUCES system applies across the 1980–2020 span.
The hull has a story too.
The engine year is half the picture. Decode the boat's 12-character HIN free to confirm the builder and model year — or run a full history report before you buy.