Dual 85’s??
If you are talking about 85 HP… then you will need to go up to 96. That was the first year with the 720 engine. 95’ got the smaller engines. They are interchangeable… but someone would have had to do the upgrade. Also… even if someone swapped the 720 engine in… they would have needed to upgrade the rev limiter too, since the 720’s top rpm is 7000 rpm, and the smaller engine is 6500 rpm.
As far as what to look for… yes… look at the pumps. Make sure they are in good shape, and do a compression check. 150 psi is good… but anything over 140 is ok. The big thing is, you don’t want to see a big difference between the cylinders.
With that said… you could still be getting a boat that needs work. The pumps can look perfect… but the seals can be gone, and the bearings could be on their way out. (Especially if they have a little water in them, and they sit all winter) Also, unless the pumps were recently rebuilt… the rings and impellers will have wear. It’s normal… but it shouldn’t be excessive. Staying on the drive… the drive shaft seals could be bad… and they are dam near impossible to tell, if you don’t put the boat in the water. Here again… 96 is a break off year. 95 will have a seal pack, and 96 will have a carbon seal.
On the engine. You can’t tell how well it runs on the trailer. You can start it on the trailer… but it won’t tell you anything other than “it starts.” Look around the board, and you will find threads saying… “runs great on the trailer, and dies in the water.” A compression check will tell you a lot about the engine… but it can still have bad crank seals, which can lead to a lean run, and a blown engine. You could have bad rotary seals, and it will drip oil into the crank case, making it hard to start, and fouls out plugs. Or… the carbs can be crap, and they won’t support the engine running past 3000 rpm. (in the water)
OK… I’m not trying to say don’t buy a boat… but if you buy one without taking it on a water run… buy it cheap enough that you won’t get mad when you have to drop a ton of $$$ to make it run right. Even if it’s a good boat… sitting all winter can make problems come out.
Good luck