Does This Make Sense to Buy a 19-Year Old Outboard Motor?

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

Most service centers have a cut off point for working on "ancient" outboards and a small niche business has grown around these older engines. Locally, the cut off for all brands is 1990 - sixteen years.

The good thing is that parts for that engine are available and they aren't that complicated to work on, so with a good manual, some tools and a little common sense, you could probably work on it yourself.

The real issue is how good is the engine. An hour of shop time with a list of particulars is worth the money and time. Have them check the top end first, compression, spark, etc. If it's good, then move on to the lower unit - pressure test and while in there, change the seals and water impeller because if the engine tests good, it makes sense to purchase the engine.

As to remans, they are available for this engine in short or long block varieties.

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

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

And FYI - if it was a FICHT, I'd buy it in a heartbeat - great technology.

John

At one time, I had one in the 200 hp class and two in the 225 class - with one exception which was not related to the FICHT injectors, found them to be dependable, efficient and totally reliable. The two 225 engines are running on a 32' Contender I sold last year and have been used hard this summer with nary a burp.

However, all this FICHTstuff is moot because engines of this era were VRO. :>)