repair or not?

[mwagne30]

I posted on wrong line what can I say, this is the question. I have a 98 Reinell with a 91 johnson 120 that split a seem in the fuel tank last weekend. to remove the tank we will have to remove most if not all of the floor. Now I just bought the rig for $2500, so do I dump $1000 to replace the floor,and tank or do I sell the outboard?? If sell is anyone in need of a great running Johnson 120 with ss prop and all hardwear/ also have clean ez load trailer with new rubber 100 miles. don't get me wrong the boat look's like new and have been told that we got a great deal and have had a great time out, but at this point how much is to much, or do I just find a boat with a sick out board?

 

[rdmmdr]

Re: repair or not?

Don't freak out yet. You have just encountereed the next great plaesure of boating, fixing the darn thing. besides it gives you a good excuse to buy powertools. Tell the wife "think about how much money we are saving". the floor was orinally put down in one big piece but all you need to due is expose the tank, pull the tank for repair and reattach the floor. plan on two weekends for this if the rest of the floor is solid. it will be a messy,sticky job but epoxy is forgiving, and filler makes anyones wood work look good, after paint.

rick

 

[erikgreen]

Re: repair or not?

It depends what the boat is worth to you. If the boat is really nice, it may be worth it to have the tank replaced. Will the boat with the new tank installed be as good or better than a similar boat purchased for the same amount of money as your original purchase price + repairs?

It sucks to find out something you paid $$ for has a defect, but don't decide based on whether or not you want to deal with the bad feelings attached to your "great deal" any more. Decide what the boat is worth to you, add in the repair dollars, and compare to what's available in the market.

Erik

 

[OhWellcraft]

Re: repair or not?

If you have some skill with tools or are willing to learn from this forum, I think you could do it yourself. It wouldn't be that bad especially if the floor is solid everywhere. Is there carpet there now or is it gelcoat/paint on the floor. As mentioned above wouldn't involve much more than a few good weekends and you would be back on the water. Depending on how bad the tank really is you may be able to have it boiled out and repaired. If so re installation would be a snap and you could check all of the important fittings at the same time. also install new fuel lines, bulb, fuel water seperator if not already equipped. I would think if the floor is gelcoat/paint matching that would be by far the most difficult aspect of the job. If it is carpet you will probably need to lay new as it will mostlikely get trashed when you remove it. If you decide to go for it you can get ALL the info you would ever need right here on this great site. Lastly if the floor is totally trashed and spongy everywhere that would be a HUGE factor in my decision, as it could lead you down the path of new floor, stringers, and possibly transom. I would guess that a boat that new will be fine though. Good luck and fix it if you can because I don't think you will get your money back on just the motor. and hulls without a power train aren't worth much.

 

[mwagne30]

Re: repair or not?

Well all the facts are in and ...... drumroll....... It's a lost cause floor shot stringers one good one bad transom soft ! and yes the wife is telling me I told you so!!!!! well we had two good summers now we have up for adoption 1 1991 Johnson 120 ss prop vro working well and motor running strong 48 on this boat per my GPS so see her soon on e-bay and bid high so we can get a new one thanks!!!!!!

 

[rheagler]

Re: repair or not?

This may be a little late, and me being a newbie and all I may not know what I'm talking about, but... couldn't you just run a remote tank, do a cheesy reinforcement of the floor and at least get the rest of the season out of it?

 

[cougar1985]

Re: repair or not?

had a problem with my inboard tank last year,just went out and bought a lowprofile tank and ran the rest of the season.possibility for you?i got a 12 gallon tank which was adequate for my needs 90evinrude 17 1/2 foot glass boat.

 

[redfury]

Re: repair or not?

I guess it all depends on what you are willing to put into the boat/deal with in the end. I'm glad you could come to a decision quickly instead of hymn and hawing about it. I'd love that motor for my boat ( I max out at 125hp rating ), but the fact that I'm broke and so is my boat ( in two ), I'll have to pass begrudgingly.

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: repair or not?

You bought a '98 for $2500? Absolutely its worth investing about a grand to fix the tank. I don't see how selling the outboard and boat separately solves your problem. Hell my buddy spent $3000 on a 1985 Marlin a few years ago that we ended up completely redoing inside. New plywood floors, seats, combing, gas tank check up, etc. Sure he put a few grand into it that maybe he got back when he sold it, but there is no way he would have been able to sell it for $3000 again if he didn't fix what was broken.

I'd do some research, make a list of what will be involved in replacing the tank, price it out some and see what it will really cost. Then add about $500 to that number. If you do it yourself I'll bet you can get it done for just under $1,000. In my opinion its worth it.

 

[OhWellcraft]

Re: repair or not?

So what are you going to do with the hull and trailer? Part the hull out and sell the trailer or ?? You might get more out of the whole package even though you will have to disclose all of the problems you suspect. Might save you a lot of messing around. Another option might be to fix it yourself over the winter You are going to have to remove the outboard to sell it anyways. That alone is some of the project done already. Floors arent super expensive to do, get that all out. Fix the stringer that is bad and seal up the others real well. Repair or replace the tank. Then do a seacast transom if possible or applicable. New floor with your choice of covering, re-hang motor, finish odds and ends. Basically a new boat for around 5,000 to 6,000(original cost plus repair material costs) seems like a good deal to me. It is a lot of work but well worth it in the end when it's you saying I told you so. The great people on this site could walk you through every step of the project if you decide to go that route. Good luck on whatever you decide.