Engine hours

[pvs0806]

I'm a newbie to boating and am considering the purchase of a 1987 17 foot Cobalt bowrider with a 4.3 engine and a Mercruiser outdrive.<br /><br />The boat has been run some every season except this one. The engine has approximately 250 hours on it. It is in Iowa.<br /><br />How many hours are excessive on this engine? 250 doesn't sound like a lot but at what point do these engines normally need attention?<br /><br />The boat has had regular maintenance and has been winterized every winter.<br /><br />Any help is appreciated.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Engine hours

250 on a boat that is 15 years old. I would be a slight bit suspicious that is only 16.6 hours per season. Maybe the meter has 250..... I would have a mechanic do a compression test and inquire when was the last impellar change. Get an independant evaluation it will be worth it.<br /><br />Maintenance is a must thing to have an I/O last. I/O are definitely more maintenance demanding than an outboard.<br /><br />Bob

 

[pvs0806]

Re: Engine hours

Thanks for the response.<br /><br />I agree, that's not many hours per season. The guys response was that there were some seasons that he took it out only once just to make sure everything was still working OK.<br /><br />I'm familiar with car engines but not boat engines. What is an impellar and how often do they need changed? Is the outdrive a high maintenance item?<br /><br />I'm also going to insist on a test drive before buying. Having a mechanic look it over also probably makes sense.

 

[Solittle]

Re: Engine hours

The impeller is part of the water pump which cools the engine. Try entering "Mercruiser waterpump" in the Sarch at the top of this page.

 

[suzukidave]

Re: Engine hours

i/o's need tlc to last. Both the outdrive and motor need regular service and attention and are expensive when they break. If it really has only 250 hours, you should get another 750 out of it, but only if you are religious about upkeep and you bite the bullet a few times on necessary preventative repairs. I would start with a thorough checkup with a mechanic who works on i/os regularly. Keep in mind an outboard is a lot simpler and cheaper to fix and way easier to replace if repair is uneconomic. You can always buy a decent working used outboard for that size boat for under $2000 so that is your maximum repair exposure if you buy an o/b boat. Ask a mechanic what the cost would be to rebuild the leg and motor on your i/o would be if you want to know the reason many old i/o boats go to the bone yard.

 

[k4m]

Re: Engine hours

As mentioned previously, the best money you can invest is in an independent mechanical inspection. I purchased a used boat earlier this season. An inspection on a "really great looking boat" saved me from having to blow a fortune on repairs.<br /><br />Good luck<br /><br />K4m