Replacing outboards
 

Lost an engine last week. Of coarse I was 50 miles out and could only make around 8mph on the way back. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1687342128.jpg

Unfortunately engine would need to be rebuild. Water got into a cylinder and trashed the spark plug, no compression in that cylinder. Engines only have around 575 hours on them, but are 2006 models.

Started checking prices, rebuild would be around $15,000, not going that route as I don’t trust the other engine now. I bought the boat three years ago and knew corrosion was a concern even with low hour engines, just hoping I would get 5 or more years out of them.

Big shock was prices of new. $56,000 replacing with 300hp Yamahas and using my existing rigging. $55,000 to $63,000 going with Suzuki and new rigging. I got a bid for some new Mercury V8, $90,000. And I should be happy that I can get them. Stock is still limited with any option, but all said they could get me going in a month.

My wife who does not use the boat is not real pleased. I just spent over $10,000 updating the electronics.

I sold my plane 3 years ago and used the money to buy this boat. Also bought a home on the water. I’m wondering if that was a good move today.

BOAT .... for an inflatable raft repair! Ouch....

Mebbe thoroughbreds next ;)?

Crazy how much outboards go for these days. Just as bad as airplane parts now.

Would a rebuild of both engines make sense?


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YIKES!

Well, they do always say that a boat is a hole in the water that you shovel money into. Apparently, boat mechanics know it too. Those rebuild prices are right up there with Porsche rebuild prices.

LSx swap(s)! :D

I’ve thought about that, but that’s still $30,000 for 2006 engines. Who knows, the other engine may be fine, but I was lucky that it was a calm day when this one went down. And I was only 50 miles out and not 75.

I’ve owned the boat for 3 years and put about 250 trouble free hours on the engines. But now I’ve lost faith in them.

I don’t know what was done the previous 325 hours. And there is the salt water .

I’ve just updated the electronics and upholstery, next thing will probably be the fuel tanks. But a new one is over 400 grand, can’t go there.

B.O.A.Thirty thousand

I am not an outboard expert, but if it were my boat, I would only fix the bad engine. Rebuilding the other engine would be wasting usable life that still remains on it.

Multi engine airplanes often have engines that are only rebuilt as needed.

I agree with Tim.
Replacing the short block would be the best if it were me. (been there)

Seems like you'll get there eventually the way things are going,..

I have new respect for the guy with 2 enormous Honda engines on the back of his fishin' boat.

Hopefully not, I have around $85,000 in the boat now and have owned it 3 years. I bought the boat before things started getting crazy with covid. So I’ll have around $135,000 in it now. I’ve seen them for sale for much more than that with fairly new engines.

But 50 grand is still a lot of money for me. Im just a little bummed.

This is the way I would approach it, but there is still the 17 years of salt water use also to consider. When I was looking at boats there were many with new power heads, so it’s done, but generally the engines were newer.

Cheapest route would be to buy a used motor, around $7,000-$8000. If I only fished in the harbor, within 20 miles from home that is what I would do. But going offshore there is not as much help and it takes a while for someone to get there.

Remind me that if I ever buy a boat to get one with a chevy motor. Someone in the family Was convinced to rip out 2 gas v8's and replace them with state of the art turbo diesels with all the trimmings. 25K each all installed with electronics. Ready to sail.

You are taking I/O's here. He has an outboard and GM does not make them.

8 mph beats the hell out of paddling 50 miles

Too bad you are in Florida. Have a patient who is retired and works in a boat yard fixing stuff so he does not get bored. I told him he should build another hot rod, but he does not figure his heart will last long enough to finish

Most of my boating has always been on fresh water lakes and rivers with most waterways always plenty deep. In saltwater and in Florida's intercoastal waterways and bays that are also effected by tides, shallow water is common. My 21' boat has a chevy 350 based Mercruiser IO and it works just fine in fresh water and our relatively deep water. I much prefer it to an outboard for our pleasure boating use. If I was in saltwater however, I would 100% go outboard due to being able to tilt motor out of the corrosive saltwater when not in use and also to be able to operate in shallower water.

This is what I would do. They show up all the time on FB Marketplace.

I've been looking for a 150 HP 20" shaft for my 19' Mako for a while so I see what's being posted.

Local Suzuki dealer quoted me around $12K for a new one including controls and install.

I wouldn't mind paying up to $4K for a good condition used one and then go from there.

I'm in a Mako FB group so have LOTS of technical support - just like P-car folks have here and at other enthusiast sites.

As for getting stranded. I plan on getting a smaller outboard like a 12 HP to take along "just in case". Of course you can also subscribe to Sea Tow - not a bad option if you go outside often enough, which I really don't with my Mako.

$199/year

Sea Tow Gold Card membership has the most comprehensive boat towing services available on the water at one annual rate with no fine print.

24/7/365 service on both salt & fresh waters nationwide
Covered on any boat owned by the member, regardless of who is operating
Covered on any boat the member owns or rents
100% dock-to-dock boat tow coverage from homeport to repair facility (or trailer ramp) for all boats owned by the member
Priority service (because members are served first)
No offshore distance limits
Service from the Bahamas back to the U.S.
Ask Sea Tow™
And more

A boat is a hole in the water that you throw money into!

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I do have sea tow, but there is no guarantee when they will get there that far out. I’d rather not spend the night out there. Of coarse there is a risk with new motors also.

I’m still waiting for some quotes, havnt decided which way to go yet. But I’m leaning heavy on replacing with new. I plan on keeping the boat, and they will probably have to be replaced at some point. If new ones last 1500-2000 hours, that’s probably longer than I’ll be around, or at least going offshore.

Are you talking about replacing both with new? I would do both just for the peace of mind, you take this boat out a good distance.

If so can you sell the one running one off to offset some of the cost?

Also how about those guys/gals with 5 of those 500hp outboards on the back!

This. For offshore work, I want two reliable units.

Yes both engines will be replaced. And the old ones are worth something. And yes if I didn’t go out so far I would just be replacing the damaged one with a used one.

Still waiting for a couple of quotes. And trying to do some research to help with deciding which brand to go with.

My uneducated $0.02 is that I would use the Toyota Camry approach. What do you see day in/day out everywhere you turn?

I’m guessing it would be Yamaha.


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Just went through the same exact thing with mine. Took water in my two lower cylinders on my port side Yamaha 200s. Motors are mid 90 2 strokes. Was super pissed because of how good they ran.

Just replaced them with a set of used 2006 200HPDI Yamahas. Scored a real good deal on them. Low hours, seemed to be well maintained. I just rigged one this weekend, hopefully get the other on tomorrow.

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Honest question, if the engine in question was roached after only 575 hours, how can we assume that the new ones will have 3 to 4 times the service life?

Maintenance.

It's a crap shoot how the engines were maintained by prior owners..

I grew up around boats, and learned from my father (lifelong Boater) how critical regular maintenance is.

Though I'm currently boatless.. My last boat was a 21' Grady C/C with a Yamaha 200HP two stroke.

Aftermost uses when I got back to the dock, I'd tilt the engine up fit the clamshells, and fresh water flush the cooling system..

Every off season I would:

Change the plugs,
Change the impeller
Change the gear oil in the lower case.

Fog the engine before storage..

Full tank with Stabil.. so no condensate in the fuel..

So many boats are used hard and put away wet.

This, maybe the previous owner didn’t bother to flush the engines after use, or change the anodes when they needed. Or maybe the head would have corroded anyway, but it took 17 years. The engines were not used a lot prior to my purchase, but I bought the boat from a guy from west palm beach that lived on Flagler and the boat was kept on a lift.

I’ve put 80 hours on the engines this year, so I imagine I’ll put 100-150 hours a year on the new engines. And believe me ill be flushing the engines after every use, I do now. And keeping up with the maintenance. I pretty much do everything now except changing the impellers, kind of hard to pull the lower units while it’s on a lift. But I’m going to look into that.

600hrs is pretty low, sort of the equivalent of 36000miles on a motorcycle engine. Was the $15k rebuild price for the entire unit or just engine? How did water get in the cylinder?

My understanding is the heads can corrode and cause a pin hole leak. Or maybe the gasket just failed. Hard to know without tearing into it, and that cost money.

Rebuild is just for the power head.

My 200HP Merc blew up because there was water in the gas.
It happens.

I have been pondering the same. 2016 Yamaha 115 on a lift.

Any idea how much a lower unit weighs?

What is your cruise RPM? I have 2 friends that strongly suggest I keep it under 4300 RPM for longevity. Perhaps PO kept the revs up?

Have you considered having the failed motor tore down to see what the problem was? may give you some insight into what could be done to the remaining motor to shore it up while rebuilding the failed one.

EDIT: My buddy has two offshore fishing boats and he hates his I/O one because the motor compartment takes up so much room in the fishing deck area.

I believe you need to be in the highest RPM's for the health of a motor. Prop selection with dictate WOT RPM's. Outboards do not like to be lugged.

Maybe 30-40# 50 at most.. they're easy enough to move and maneuver when separated from the powerhead..

On the Yamaha, there are 7 bolts that bolt the unit to the powerhead. 6 are obvious, one is accessible after you remove the anode..

If your boat is in a lift it would be easy enough to get a dinghy and drop it into the dinghy then get the unit ashore and swap the impeller..

An hour job at most.


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I can't see doing this in a dinghy. Getting it off maybe. Putting it back in it can be a real bear. You push up. Dinghy goes down.

It goes back pretty easily... or use bolts to draw them together..

Ive pulled a lower off. with the motor tilted up with the boat in my dock. Not really hard to do. Think the lower is around 50lbs.

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What were you doing when the engine failed? Steady cruse at 4000rpm or did you happen to go from wide open to idle quickly?