cgrooves
Seaman
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2007
- Messages
- 57
I'm considering buying a boat from a family member. 1979 model bowrider with a Mercruiser 5.0L and a Mercruiser (#1) outdrive. Boat is in good physical shape, and appears to have been well cared for. A gimball ring kit was recently installed due to horizontal slop. A new impeller and trim sender kit was also installed at that time as well as new outdrive gear oil. Total cost approx. $1,300. I was told that the only remaining problems are problems shifting from N to Reverse and a small leak (drip) on the starboard exhaust manifold. Exhaust manifolds have not been replaced in at least 5 years (maybe never; Fresh water only, BTW)
I assumed that the shifting problem was probably due to a lower shifting cable and hoped that the manifold leak may be temporarily fixed by the grooving / sealing method until I can replace them both. Rather than tackling these issues at this time, I opted to take the boat to a mechanic so that someone who works on them for a living could look it over and give me an assessment on the overall condition before I made the purchase (different mechanic than the one who worked on it earlier, BTW). I will be able to purchase the boat at a price where I could put $500 - $1,000 into it and still get a pretty fair deal.
Heard back from the mechanic today and he said:
1) Engine compression tested fine (didn't get the values, but expect to when I pay for the service).
2) Outdrive pressure test was fine, but the 'gear oil looked kind of rough, but not really like it had water in it'. Vacuum test has not been performed yet, but I would assume it may fail since it supposedly had the gear oil changed recently. Maybe the previous mechanic didn't really change it, but with the work that he performed I'm thinking he may have had to.
3) Shifting problem is pretty bad. You have to move the shifter pretty far in the Reverse direction before it tries to engage and you hear gears grinding, and by that time the RPM's are increasing. Mechanic said it may just be the lower cable that needed to be replaced, but he figured the 'shifting mechanism?' would need to be replaced as well, and wouldn't know for sure until he removed the outdrive and took a look.
4) He hasn't had a chance to look at the exhaust manifold leak yet to determine if the manifold(s) will have to be replaced or just temporarily repair the one.
He said that in the worse case scenario, he thought he could repair the shifting problems and get me out the door for $600 (This includes all labor & parts for the compression, pressure & vacuum tests as well as a new lower end shifting cable, new 'shifting mechanism', etc). Not sure if this price includes repairing the leak on the exhaust manifold if it can be grooved & sealed. I told him that if it looked like it was going to take more than $600 to get me out the door, to give me a call and I would probably just have him re-install the outdrive and pass on the purchase with only $200 +/- out of pocket expense for his services.
I'd like to hear some opinions on this possible purchase, and get some clarification of what the 'shifting mechanism' is that he is probably referring to (he said the outdrive would have to be removed to look at it and the lower shifting cable and determine if both would have to be replaced or not).
Thanks!
I assumed that the shifting problem was probably due to a lower shifting cable and hoped that the manifold leak may be temporarily fixed by the grooving / sealing method until I can replace them both. Rather than tackling these issues at this time, I opted to take the boat to a mechanic so that someone who works on them for a living could look it over and give me an assessment on the overall condition before I made the purchase (different mechanic than the one who worked on it earlier, BTW). I will be able to purchase the boat at a price where I could put $500 - $1,000 into it and still get a pretty fair deal.
Heard back from the mechanic today and he said:
1) Engine compression tested fine (didn't get the values, but expect to when I pay for the service).
2) Outdrive pressure test was fine, but the 'gear oil looked kind of rough, but not really like it had water in it'. Vacuum test has not been performed yet, but I would assume it may fail since it supposedly had the gear oil changed recently. Maybe the previous mechanic didn't really change it, but with the work that he performed I'm thinking he may have had to.
3) Shifting problem is pretty bad. You have to move the shifter pretty far in the Reverse direction before it tries to engage and you hear gears grinding, and by that time the RPM's are increasing. Mechanic said it may just be the lower cable that needed to be replaced, but he figured the 'shifting mechanism?' would need to be replaced as well, and wouldn't know for sure until he removed the outdrive and took a look.
4) He hasn't had a chance to look at the exhaust manifold leak yet to determine if the manifold(s) will have to be replaced or just temporarily repair the one.
He said that in the worse case scenario, he thought he could repair the shifting problems and get me out the door for $600 (This includes all labor & parts for the compression, pressure & vacuum tests as well as a new lower end shifting cable, new 'shifting mechanism', etc). Not sure if this price includes repairing the leak on the exhaust manifold if it can be grooved & sealed. I told him that if it looked like it was going to take more than $600 to get me out the door, to give me a call and I would probably just have him re-install the outdrive and pass on the purchase with only $200 +/- out of pocket expense for his services.
I'd like to hear some opinions on this possible purchase, and get some clarification of what the 'shifting mechanism' is that he is probably referring to (he said the outdrive would have to be removed to look at it and the lower shifting cable and determine if both would have to be replaced or not).
Thanks!
