outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

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outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

hi folks. i'm lookin to get me a differernt boat. i'm lookin at a 83 15-16' rinker w/ 80 mariner ontoit. 4 cyl.
does anyone know if there's any known issues with this motor?
serial #589174

also. what should i be lookin at in perticular when lookin to buy an outboard. i haven't had much to do with 2 stroke outboards...... i guess i'm lookin for an item checklist type thing. like plugs. compression. ??

 

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Re: outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

Re: outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

ok, i've read the faq's on outboards.
searched mariner. of 50 pages there were 2 referances to a 4 cyl. 80 hp mariner. is this engine so good that it don't ever need repair? i dought it. or is it a short production range, or perhaps uncommon? guess i'll try serchin merc 800 and see what happens. from what i'm reading merc and mariner were the same in 83? i'm tryin to educate myself here on this engine. i did that on a 470 mercursier i was lookin at. stopped me from being interested in that boat.
any opinions? or specs. available, like compression. how many hours do ya get out of a outboard engine before rebuild? are they like jet fleas and require rebuilds at 200-400 hours? anyone know wot spec. on this 80 mariner?

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

Re: outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

Outboards can run forever darn near if taken care of. But you will want to do a compression test to determine if it's in good health. You're looking for even compression across the cylinders and no varience of more than 10-15%. Above 100 PSI would be good, although 90+ would not be a problem. Check the lower unit fluid for signs of water contamination. Milky is not good. Black is ok(Needs changing) and clear is better. Ask when the water pump was last replaced and if you buy it, change it anyway(Ya never know). Check the prop and lower unit overall. Look for any gashes or other signs of abuse. Make sure you run the motor and shift it in and out of gear. In the water test would be best if possible. You can get a pretty good idea if it was maintained just by asking questions. Like the waterpump, lower unit fluid change deal. If they say "Um", well I would suspect the worst....Ask for sure if it was used in saltwater....Others will have more ideas...

 

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Re: outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

Re: outboard & 1983 80 hp mariner?

thanks for the reply man. i'm hip to the compression test. this cat has had this boat for 15 years he says. perhaps i believe him. it looks clean. i will do the lower unit drain test if i get that far. is there a pressure test for seals like there is in a i/o? i'd make him do that if i could. this boat looks pretthy fair. i'm a bit concered about it bein undrpowered from what im used to. a a 140 hp pwc. or a 165 hp speed boat......i'm coolin on the idea. evem though perhaps this is a richious boat. still ain heard anythig about specs on this toy?