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

good motor had one. Paul 1987

wrote:
: 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.

I'd worry about the hull before I worried about the outboard. If you buy
a 90 HP Mercury outboard, for example, you'll be in for a cost of about
$5,500 new. If you later find rot in the transom or the stringers, you
may be in for a $7,000 rebuild job on the hull.

My approach would be to have an expert examine the boat hull (a local
boat hull repair person or a marine surveyor). If it's good, don't
worry about th engine if it also appears in good shape (the surveyor
could tell you). Then later if you need to buy a new motor, at least you're
putting it on a hull that is of good condition.

It's typical for many hulls to show their "weaknesses" after 20 years
in the form of rotting floorboards, rotting transoms and rotting stringers.
The guy who rebuilt my hull simply got a 3/4" socket (from a socket wrench
set) and tapped in various places of the hull. If it made a sharp sound
the wood wasn't rotten. If it sounded dull, it was.

There are some very reliable, old outboard motors out there. Yes, the
newer ones run much more smoothly and efficiently, mostly due to
environmental law changes but I wouldn't jump too quickly at the
idea of buying a 20 year boat without thoroughly exammining the hull
along with the engine and keeping it "as is" if it appears to be in
good condition.

barry

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

I'm pretty sure FICHTs were around in 1990. The 90 FICHTs weren't prone
to the problems the later FICHTs??

John

...
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

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

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

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!!

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!