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Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
I would like to know if this is a good idea to buy a 19 or 20 year old
outboard motor. I am planning to buy a used boat, and add a new motor in it. But most used boats come with old motor -- not that many places sell only the hull. I am wondering whether those old motors are any good in general. The one that I am looking at has a 1986 Evinrude 90HP outboard motor. Does this specific model of old motor have a good track record? I know I will need to ask a mechanic to take a look of the motor before accepting the motor. But I need to know if this is a good idea before I spend the time and money to ask a mechanic to look at the motor. Is a "rebuilt" motor better or worse than a plain old used motor? You see. If I should avoid old motors (given the fact that I am willing to buy a new motor), I will concentrate on "hull only" deals, and don't bother with boats that come with motor. Thanks for any info in advance. Jay Chan |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
good motor had one. Paul 1987
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Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
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Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
I don't know if this engine is old enough to have been derated by the
use of a thicker head gasket to compensate for poor quality fuel. So, you may not get the 90 HP you're expecting. If it hasn't been rebuilt yet, it's a ticking time bomb. Factor in the cost of a rebuilt power head ($1800 - $2000) when negotiating final price. The good news is, if it lasted this long, the previous owner took care of it. If it has been rebuilt, don't forget all the other original and expensive to replace parts that were reused, i.e. the starter ($200), alternator ($300), lower unit ($1000). Now that OMC has changed hands, I don't know how long spare parts will be available. Don't forget, 90 HP Evinrudes were available with the FICHT nightmare. If it's a FICHT, that should be the deal breaker, unless he's willing to deduct the full value of that motor from the sale price. John |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
I'm pretty sure FICHTs were around in 1990. The 90 FICHTs weren't prone
to the problems the later FICHTs?? John |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
...
Most service centers have a cut off point for working on "ancient" outboards ... Locally, the cut off for all brands is 1990 - sixteen years. ... you could probably work on it yourself. The real issue is how good is the engine. ... Have them check the top end first, compression, spark, etc. If it's good, then move on to the lower unit ... if the engine tests good, it makes sense to purchase the engine. Thanks for the info. This means the old motor is still good if the mechanic have checked it out and given it an OK. This sounds good. But then when I bring it back home, I likely need to tune it up myself because that mechanical may not want to work on the old motor (the motor is older than the cut off point). This doesn't sound good because I am not handy in fixing gas engine. This means if someone knows how to work with motor, he should be OK with getting an old motor. However, if that person (like me) only knows doing regular maintenance but not more than that, he probably should not get an old motor. OK, now I know what to do... Thanks for the info. As to remans, they are available for this engine in short or long block varieties. I assume you are referring to motor that has been rebuilt. But I don't know what is the significance of "short and long block". Jay Chan |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
I don't know if this engine is old enough to have been derated by the
use of a thicker head gasket to compensate for poor quality fuel. So, you may not get the 90 HP you're expecting. I don't understand what this means. Please clarify. Thanks. If it hasn't been rebuilt yet, it's a ticking time bomb. Factor in the cost of a rebuilt power head ($1800 - $2000) when negotiating final price. The good news is, if it lasted this long, the previous owner took care of it. I see. This means a rebuilt motor is better than an old motor that has not been rebuilt yet. If it has been rebuilt, don't forget all the other original and expensive to replace parts that were reused, i.e. the starter ($200), alternator ($300), lower unit ($1000). I see. This means a rebuilt motor is a good value, and I should consider it. Now that OMC has changed hands, I don't know how long spare parts will be available. Don't forget, 90 HP Evinrudes were available with the FICHT nightmare. If it's a FICHT, that should be the deal breaker, unless he's willing to deduct the full value of that motor from the sale price. I will have to research on this FICHT issue to know what this is all about. Thanks for bring this to my attention. Jay Chan |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
Jay,
Due to the lower quality of fuel, OMC decided to lower compression by replacing cylinder head gaskets with thicker ones. The lower compression lowered the horsepower rating a bit. John |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
John wrote: I'm pretty sure FICHTs were around in 1990. The 90 FICHTs weren't prone to the problems the later FICHTs?? John But it's an '86 motor!! |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
John wrote: I don't know if this engine is old enough to have been derated by the use of a thicker head gasket to compensate for poor quality fuel. So, you may not get the 90 HP you're expecting. If it hasn't been rebuilt yet, it's a ticking time bomb. Factor in the cost of a rebuilt power head ($1800 - $2000) when negotiating final price. The good news is, if it lasted this long, the previous owner took care of it. You don't know that! It may have low hours, and been maintained very well. The year that it was made has nothing to do with anything! |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
Due to the lower quality of fuel, OMC decided to lower compression by
replacing cylinder head gaskets with thicker ones. The lower compression lowered the horsepower rating a bit. Thanks for the explanation. Seem like this is not something that I need to worry about because I don't really care about having a lot of horsepower. Jay Chan |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
Don't confuse an 87 to an 86... 86 was the transition year for measuring
power at the prop instead of the shaft. I don't know about the 90 HP but the 1986 225 Evinrude was a TRUE POS. It was the first of the new model (replaced the old 235 model) and they had serious oil issues where the boat would over oil and kill itself. I would personally not own a 1986 unless it was free... The new 1986 I had, I traded it a year later.... boater435 wrote: good motor had one. Paul 1987 |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
Don't confuse an 87 to an 86... 86 was the transition year for measuring
power at the prop instead of the shaft. I don't know about the 90 HP but the 1986 225 Evinrude was a TRUE POS. It was the first of the new model (replaced the old 235 model) and they had serious oil issues where the boat would over oil and kill itself. I would personally not own a 1986 unless it was free... The new 1986 I had, I traded it a year later.... boater435 wrote: good motor had one. Paul 1987 |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
Let me guess, you think he should take the seller's word for the
quality and quantity of maintenance it received. If it "looks" well maintained, all it means that it's possible that the seller could afford some spray paint and some degreaser. Assume the worst, and hope for the best is the safest way to go. John |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 12:31:12 -0700, jaykchan wrote:
I would like to know if this is a good idea to buy a 19 or 20 year old outboard motor. The General Answer is Yes. I've had experience with outboards that were over 20 years old and still ran great. In fact, I was disappointed at how little better a brand-new engine ran than my 25-year-old Johnson Seahorse. That said, there's a lot of junk out there, and if you're engine's older than about 10 years, be sure you know how to fix it! Lloyd Sumpter "Far Cove" Catalina 36 |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
Plain and simple! Don't pay much for it. Paul,
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Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
The General Answer is Yes.
I've had experience with outboards that were over 20 years old and still ran great. In fact, I was disappointed at how little better a brand-new engine ran than my 25-year-old Johnson Seahorse. That said, there's a lot of junk out there, and if you're engine's older than about 10 years, be sure you know how to fix it! This seems to concur with another newsgroup memeber's suggestion: - Old engine can be a good motor -- given that I know how to fix it. Unfortunately, I don't know how to fix motor. This means I am better off choosing a motor that is not very old. I can see that a 2000 90HP motor is within my price range. This means I should get an old boat hull (like 1986 model), and then outfit it with a not-that-old motor. Now, I just have to figure out where to find an 1980's boat hull that doesn't come with an 1980's motor. Thanks for the info though. Jay Chan |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
John wrote: Let me guess, you think he should take the seller's word for the quality and quantity of maintenance it received. If it "looks" well maintained, all it means that it's possible that the seller could afford some spray paint and some degreaser. Spray paint and degreaser doesn't do much for maintainence records, compression tests, pressure leak down tests, etc. Research, ask his mechanic about the motor, then have your mechanic look at it, if you don't know what to look for. Assume the worst, and hope for the best is the safest way to go. Must be terrible going through life in such a negative manner. |
Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
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Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?
John wrote: Let me guess, you think he should take the seller's word for the quality and quantity of maintenance it received. If it "looks" well maintained, all it means that it's possible that the seller could afford some spray paint and some degreaser. Where to hell did I say such a thing? Some spray paint and degreaser wouldn't do **** for the compression. It wouldn't do **** for a trial run to see how it runs and performs. Some spray paint wouldn't do anything for the maintainence records, would it? Research! Go to the guy's service man, and ask questions. Assume the worst, and hope for the best is the safest way to go. Must be crappy going through life like that! |
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