Thoughts on used outboards

[BayWolf]

We've traveled this road before, but since it's raining out, I though I would throw this out to get a better education from you guys that have a lot more experience than I do.

Realizing that outboards last according to how they are used and how they are cared for, one thing I've run into and have difficulty with is being a good judge of a used motor.  For example, shopping for a boat, I've found nice boats with older outboards.  Of course, the owners always say they do the maintenance..  Most do not have service records and many don't know how many hours since the boats are usually owned a few times before they got it.

This always leaves me with a small pit in my stomach...after all, we don't want to miss out on a nice boat, but we also don't want to buy a bunch of trouble.

SO,  what do you guys look for especially if considering a used outboard?  Do you require a sea trial at a minimum?  What about the added expense of having it looked over by a shop? That can run upwards of $300 dollars from what I understand.  Any other insights, recommendations or advice?

As always, very much appreciate the education.

BW

[dogobat]

on my third used outboard now - wish my outboard luck would carry over to my lottery purchases. Sooner or later it'll catch up with me......

[davidsea]

   I would be suspicious of any situation where the owner would not start the motor, and would not allow you to provide some fuel and a battery and start the motor yourself.  In that case, figure the scrap value of the motor subtracted from what you're paying - that's what you're gambling on the deal.  If the motor does start, runs fairly smoothly and pumps warm water after the thermostat opens, its a maybe.  At that point, it's worth paying a mechanic to inspect, preferably someone with lots of experience with the same brand of motor.  In boat/motor/trailer deals, it's more complicated, especially with Arimas.  Very often you see an older boat in decent shape, with the original 2-stroke motor and a used-up trailer.   You have to remind yourself that you're only buying the boat, priced right, and everything else will cost extra.  Don't ask me how I know this.   

[XO]

I think it's like buying a used car.  You might get a lemon, or you might find a gem.  Most likely it's something in between.  I've bought 8 or 10 used cars in my life.  At least 4 of them had "salvage" titles.  I got burned once on a nice looking car with a clean title that turned into a real money pit.   And I bought one with a "salvage" title was the best car I've ever owned.  Bought it with 32K miles on it and sold it with 110K.  I think used boat engines are similar.  Do your best to investigate, but basically it's a roll of the dice. 

[AJFishin]

First off 100% agree with David, if a owner doesn't have confidence in the motor, they don't want to let you turn it on.

I had a 96 Yamaha 70 and now I have a 88' Johnson 90 and a 96' Johnson 130.

When I check out a boat the first thing I do is tell the owner what my plans are for testing the motor. If they say no they're not ok with it, I walk.

2 strokes don't necessarily scare me away as a lot of older 2 strokes are bullet proof. If the PO was capable enough to flush the motor after every use and make sure the proper oil/gas mix ratio is correct, these motors can last years.

What I do first is a compression check on the motor and I typically would like to see something from 120 and higher, but a little lower still could be ok.
Then I check the thermostat, if it's been used in salt you will see that and you can see how religious the PO was on flushing.

Then I put everything back together and I'll start up the motor to warm it up, then start my walk around for at least 10 minutes.
Once the motors been warmed up, I will put the motor in gear, forward and reverse a few times, then give it a few gentle revs while still in gear. Only after that I'll check the gear oil and see if any metal or water comes out.

Once I'm done with running the motor, I pull all the spark plugs out to see how they look, it's easy to see if the motors running to lean or to rich.  This can tell you a few things, proper 2 stroke oil, if the carbs are adjusted properly, see if the owner cared enough about the motor to make sure it's tuned properly, etc.
Since I pulled the spark plugs out again, I now do a warm compression check and compare my numbers.

Then on to looking at all the wires and hoses to see what their conditions are and compile what I've learned to make my decision on the boat.

[snoodog]

Baywolf I think if it's your first motor of this type you should probably just go get a pro to check it out. If you have owned one before and know how to do the checks then diy it. Personally I'd have have a hard time wrenching on somebody else's engine or having someone mess with one I'm selling cause sometimes things get broken and it's hard to tell whose fault it was.

[Rck18]

If it's on a boat, do a cold start sea trial. Someone would really have to sell me to buy a used main motor private party, especially a 4 stroke. I have bought a used kicker from a dealer and it was great. Also, rigging. Who is installing it? That could be a whole bunch of hurdles to jump through.

That being said, I will sell you a perfectly running Honda 90 4 stroke with 1233 hrs. Full service records, took me to the Canadian border and back a few times this summer.

[Tj805]

If you don't know how to work on outboards its Probly best to hire a mechanic to servey any motor your thinking of buying . Or  just spend the money and buy new and know what you have. I purchased an outboard that I paid a mechanic to look at and the mechanic said it was blown up. I still bought it knowing that. Turns out the mechanic I hired had preformed the test wrong and there was nothing wrong with the motor . I ended up getting a low hrs Honda for a cheap price do to the fact I thought a new powerhead was needed. The seller of the outboard had recommended this mechanic to perform the test . I had a leak down and compression  test done . Both things I'm more than capable of doIng . But the seller asked if i didn't mind having a professional tackle it.

In my case it worked out in my favor. I've been running the blown up Honda for a few years now.

[BayWolf]

If it's on a boat, do a cold start sea trial. Someone would really have to sell me to buy a used main motor private party, especially a 4 stroke. I have bought a used kicker from a dealer and it was great. Also, rigging. Who is installing it? That could be a whole bunch of hurdles to jump through.

That being said, I will sell you a perfectly running Honda 90 4 stroke with 1233 hrs. Full service records, took me to the Canadian border and back a few times this summer.

Thanks...I just need a nice 17 Chaser to hang it on!