cost of carb rebuilds

[christineb323]

I have a mercury 50 HP 4 stroke. 1996/1997 model. It has run rough and cavitates for a few years. I run it 2-3x per week in the summer for at least an hour each time. Marina tells me that the 1st 2 carbs are bad so they need to rebuild and want to rebuild all 4. Cost is $1000. Does this sound reasonable?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

Welcome Chris,<br /><br />

Does this sound reasonable?

Sure, if you're a millionaire! How did they determine that the first 2 are bad?? And nothing to do with cavitation, by the way... Grab a Manual and do them yourself. Not too hard and if you run into problems, there are folks here that will help...$1000.00.......

 

[05GlastronSX]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

1000.00 is rediculous and a HUGE rip off. At that price, you can practically buy NEW carbs. If you know a friend who knows carbs well, buy yourself a manual like rick said, get yourself a few rebuild kits, and go work on it with him.

 

[gss036]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

Maybe you have let it sit around and it got gummed up real bad. Since it is a 4 stroker, I recommend a strong gas/ chevron techron mixture or SeaFoam and run it for a while to get into the carbs and let it sit over night and then try to run it again see if that helps. If it does, keep using the techron/Seafoam in your gas at the recommended rate and maybe they will clean up. I use the Techron in all my vehicles to help the injectors to stay clean with the nasty gas that they are selling us now.<br />Rebuilding carbs is not rocket science, just takes patience and a good manual. I broke in rebuilding 4 barrels on Chevy 327's about 40 years ago.

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

$1000, damn that's a rip-off ... if you can build lego blocks, you can fix this yourself ... I agree with Glastron

 

[Pony]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

I think the second most important advice so far in this thread, the HUGE ripoff being #1, is the fact that a carb rebuild will NOT solve the problems you are having.....cavitation anyways. I agree with the others.....get yourself a manual and get some carb kits and do it yourself.<br /><br />FWIW, my dad had carbs rebuilt last year. 3 in total on a 60hp rude; i think it was $150 parts and labor.

 

[jtexas]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

welcome to the forum!<br /><br />Excuse my ignorance, I'm an OMC man, but 4 carbs on a 50hp motor? That would have to be an in-line 4, right? Four cylinders and only 50hp? That might be your problem right there! <br /><br />I think p.o.n.y.'s d.a.d. got a great deal, but wouldn't expect more than $100 per carb at the most!<br /><br />My recommendation, for what it's worth, get over to the merc forum and post your motor's model number and exact symptoms.

 

[05GlastronSX]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

Four cylinders and only 50hp? That might be your problem right there!

Thats exactly where your wrong jtexas... those 4 cylinder inline fours are said to be the best engine ever made...atleast in the 2 stroke department.

 

[jtexas]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

I stand corrected!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

that 50 merc 4 stroke is a pain in the wazu sometimes to reset the air fuel, requires a 4 gang manometer to properly resynchronize the carbs, its about an 8 hour operation that usually requires intake manifold removal as well.<br />not difficult just time consuming.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

rodbolt,<br /><br />Maybe some of the posters (above) should look at one of these motors.I have,and don't doubt you saying 8 hours to do.(I can name that tune in 3 notes ...NOT) I also hope I never have to do one.<br /><br />Also let's not forget $60.00 for the carb kit.Per <br />carb.<br /><br />So we have (8x?)+(4x$60)= $1000.00.<br /><br />That is a reasonable figure to me.<br /><br />DHP

 

[phatmanmike]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

welcome to boating.<br /><br />ahh, the " convienience " of owning a newfangled 4 stroke.

 

[seahorse5]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

I don't know how much the Merc version of the carb kit is, but the 4-stroke Yamaha with 4 carbs (same engine) has repair kits priced at $160 APIECE! With all that labor plus $640 in carb kits, it adds up quickly.

 

[wildbill59]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

Bought a 50 that was sitting for 3 years with fuel left in it. Worst smell besides a dead skunk on a wet nite is old fuel. My motor only had about 10 hours on it so most of the carb parts didn't need replacing. One thing I'd do over is to buy new idle jets because those suckers have a real small orifice and some kind of screen in them. There isn't a lot of parts to put together but as in any carb rebuild you have to layout and remember how everything goes back together. If you mess with the adjustment screws/ linkages during disasembly you've opened a whole new can of worms. A Merc manual will tell you everthing. If you are any kind of a mechanical ability you should be able to do it. If I remember #1 and #4 carb are different. #1 has the accel pump on it. Keep everthing in order and by the book.I probably spent 10-12 hours dinking around doing the 4. Once you get all four hooked up you'll need to syncro them with the manometer. a motorcycle shop has em for $60. Get the 6mm adapters made for Yammie bikes. 5 mm won't work. I got my pretty close without the manometer but I'm going to spring for one to do mine this summer. a shop will probably charge $75-100 to do just this.

 

[BillP]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

Geeez...I also have a 96 Mariner/Merc/Yamaha 50hp 4 stroke but haven't needed carb work yet. These motors are probably worth around $1500-$2000 and $1100 for carb work might make me toss the engine. This carb deal is another reason I why I keep telling myself how nice carbed OMCs are. $20ish per carb kit and I can do all three carbs on my tripple cyl in under 2 casual non-professional boat mechanic hrs.

 

[gss036]

Re: cost of carb rebuilds

Just keep putting in the SeaFoam w/the gas to keep clean. Most carb problems are caused from neglect and bad fuel.