blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

[boatlessinca]

my brother inherited a 2004 jetcraft with a 135 opti saltwater with only 2hrs. on it. it had been sitting for 4 yrs. he took it to a shop and put new batteries,water pump and changed the gear oil etc. took it out and it wouldnt rev over 2500 rpm. back to the shop and they replaced one of the fuel pumps. went out again(the shop doesnt have a test tank!) and the same thing.replaced the other fuel pump and it ran good. however they discovered a problem with the oil injection pump.replaced the o.i pump and ran it and, from what my brother says it locked up and there was oil all over inside the engine cover. now the "mechanics" are selling him a new 115 4 stroke with a jack plate installed for 12k!he may have bought the new motor already yesterday. my feeling is that these guys are taking him for a ride.theyre going to tear the motor down to see what happened.i suggested that he get a second opinion and maybe let someone else take a look at it after they tear it down and BEFORE he buys the new one but he wont listen to me. it may be too late already. anyone got any thought or suggestions on how i can change his mind? thanks for any help

 

[SeaNymph Man]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

First off,I would not trust a shop that did not have a test tank. Not sure I am being much help here,but I have to wonder if those "mechanics"know what the heck they were doing. I would insist that you talk to your brother,...if it is not too late,...about taking the motor to another shop for a second opinion
BEFORE he plunks down $12K for another motor. $12k is alot of money for just a motor alone to not want a second opinion. Let me know what happens,okay? Oh,BTW,I have to wonder why the previous owner traded the motor with only two hours on the clock. Was the motor defective to begin with,I wonder?

 

[boatlessinca]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

the motor and boat had only 2 hrs. the previous owner(father in law)bought it new and not too long after got sick and never used it. but im with you on the rest! thanks

 

[walleyehed]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

A good dealer would have alerted the customer as to the up-grades for that engine. It sounds bad, but there is a reason they quickly gained the name opti-pop. Not all were bad, not all were affected, but I do believe they have worked through all of the earlier issues. For 2004 it would depend on DOM as to whether it required any up-grades. I know by 2006-07 they had the issues taken care of on production versions.

 

[boatlessinca]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

what issues or upgrades are you referring to? and i dont know if these "mechanics" are dealers or not. i dont think so. thanks

 

[sschefer]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

Theres a couple of things that could have happened. The mechanics might be at fault.

1. When you replace a oil pump you have to bleed it. If the bleeder screw was left open the oil would be pumped into the cowling and not the engine.

2. It's common practice to replace the rubber tubing from the oil pump to the fuel pump with clear plastic tubing. This is just supposed to be for testing but I've seen a lot of them left in place and usually they are the wrong i.d. and leak.

3. Zip ties are used to secure the rubber tubing to the oil pump. Cheap zip ties don't hold or if they missed one then the hose was probably leaking.

Either one of those is a Mechanic's error not your brothers. The Opti-Bomb engines are not known for their longevity, most notably the 2006 engines but they don't usually have that many problem during break-in or for the first 100 hours from what I've been told.

I will throw the mechanics a bone and wonder why this engine only had two hours on it. Did it ever run right?

 

[walleyehed]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

I'd say sschefer is correct on bleeding the pump and if there was no indication they were or were not a dealer tells me they were not.
Mercury should have been contacted with less than 3 hours on that engine. A dealer would have coded the engine before and after the repair.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

With only 2 hrs run time on this motor is would still be in the break in period. You should've been running 50:1 premix along with your oil injection system.

The "mechanic" should've known to follow the proper break in procedure for the first 10 hours.

 

[JustJason]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

Let me guess..... 5 year old gas??

 

[boatlessinca]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

Theres a couple of things that could have happened. The mechanics might be at fault.

1. When you replace a oil pump you have to bleed it. If the bleeder screw was left open the oil would be pumped into the cowling and not the engine.

2. It's common practice to replace the rubber tubing from the oil pump to the fuel pump with clear plastic tubing. This is just supposed to be for testing but I've seen a lot of them left in place and usually they are the wrong i.d. and leak.

3. Zip ties are used to secure the rubber tubing to the oil pump. Cheap zip ties don't hold or if they missed one then the hose was probably leaking.

Either one of those is a Mechanic's error not your brothers. The Opti-Bomb engines are not known for their longevity, most notably the 2006 engines but they don't usually have that many problem during break-in or for the first 100 hours from what I've been told.

I will throw the mechanics a bone and wonder why this engine only had two hours on it. Did it ever run right?

yes it ran great when it was new in 05. like i said my brothers father in law bought in new and used it 2 or 3 times and got sick and it was parked for 4 yrs. and my bro. did drain the old gas out before he started the process of getting it seaworthy.thanks for the thoughts and responses i will pass them along to my bro.

 

[boatlessinca]

Re: blown merc. with only 3 hrs. on it

well its too late. the new engine is being installed. he says the one guy is a factory authorized mechanic and fully trusts him. oh well its his money. however we have a bet. i say the new merc 115 4 str. is 100 lbs heavier than the 135 opti. he says its only 40 to 60 lbs. whoever gets it wrong has to pay for the first fishing trip with the new motor.