Old Merc 80 electrics
The guy I got this motor from, told me it had an issue that melted all the wiring because the sparkplug power got through the main wiring. He said all I had to do was find the problem and fix it. Great! I built a stand, and pulled the rectifier regulator off, and am in the process of checking everything and then I will be putting it back together. Great! I need some closure here, because the only wiring that looks bad is the stuff from the regulator/rectifier.
I know you guys want to sell more boat parts, but telling someone that an outboard is completely fried because you know you can fix it with a $20.00 part but want to afford your boat registration and fishing license next year, and plan on charging them plenty to fix it is another.
We all work hard for what we get. We spend countless hours in a shop with wrenches and hammers and we seem to do OK... but
When it comes down to the final costs...
Do you charge $50 for a cheap part, and tack on lunch hrs and bandaid costs?
I really do need someone to tell me about this power problem because I have heard about it before, and the customers have stopped trusting the mechanics.
So let me re-itterate. What would cause such a catastrophic breakdown and possibly leave a person stranded miles off shore? Should I carry a spare regulator/rectifier if I have a mercury outboard? Are there ways to permanently fix it, like using heavier wiring? Are more expensive regulators better ie. Do they last longer? Is it time to get a real outboard?
