Selling my boat.... Questions!

[brianmerc]

Oops, maybe I should have posted this question here:<br /><br />Okay, I'm thinking about selling my boat. Problem is, the engine currently isn't running, but I know whoever buys it will be able to get it running. I'm thinking 3 or 400 dollars MAX will get the engine running.<br /><br />DO you think I'd be better off fixing the engine first, then selling it, or knocking off 3 or 400 off the price, so the new owner can buy and fix it himself.<br /><br />Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks!<br /><br />Brianmerc

 

[Bondo]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

If it Runs,.... It's a Boat....... <br />If it Doesn't Run,........ It's Parts..........

 

[Solittle]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

brian - Why isn't it running and what do you base your $3-400 estimateon?<br /><br />Might also be a bit helpful to us if you shared a bit about what you have. Like if it is a 1960 12' runabout with a 1961 5 hp on it will get different input here than if it is a 1999 25' CC with a 1999 225 hp on the back.

 

[brianmerc]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

It's a 1976 19' Cheetah, with a outboard Mercury 1150 115hp engine. <br /><br />The boat ran fine all last winter when I would fire it up to run it, but when May came around and I wanted to take it out for the first time for the summer, the engine fired up, but then died randomly, and wouldnt fire back up again.<br /><br />Okay, here's the deal:<br /><br />The boat will fire right up! It will run for about 2 or 3 minutes while it warms up, then it seems like once it's warmed up, it judt dies, without warning. The engine just stops.<br /><br />Okay, I know you might be thinking, fuel pump. It's not, because the engine isn't starving for gas, and it doesn't sputter or slowly die out. It just DIES! Plus, I just rebuilt the fuel pump last summer and these are different symptoms than from when the fuel pump went out on me.<br /><br />So anyways, after the initial start of the engine, it will run for a couple minutes, then just die. I will try and fire it up again, and it will just crank & crank... but it never catches. I eventually run the battery down, trying to start it so many times.<br /><br />The next morning, I can go out, and try it and it will fire right up and run for about 2 or 3 minutes. Once the engine seems to be warmed up, the engine dies and won't start up again for the rest of the day.<br /><br />This has been my problem this whole summer. I've looked at the fuel line hoses and the carbs for stuck floats, and everything seems to be fine. I have no idea what the problem is, but I know a mechanic will get it running easily. I know most parts for a 76 Merc aren't that expensive, it's the labor is what is a lot of money... and I can't afford to nickel and dime this boat anymore.<br /><br />Last summer I put in a new battery ($79), and had a new UP solenoid for the power trim put in. That job was $350!!!<br /><br />I've only had the boat for 2 years, and before me, my uncle owned it since 1976 and had it garaged ALL those years. I'm new to boating and I don't know enough about engines to fix it myself... and I'm not rich, so I can't afford to keep fixing the boat every year. It's just not worth it. <br /><br />I figure sell the boat, keep the cash in the bank, and save for some brand new Wave Runners! When i get older and have my house and a family, I will eventually get my dream boat. A brand new Malibu wakeboarding boat.<br /><br />So what so you think?

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

If I were you, I would be checking for spark when you cannot get it started. You may have a failure n the electrical/ignition that exposes itself only when it heats up.. You may find through some simple evaluation that your switchpack or some other component has gone bad. I am not familiar with that engine or its ignition to be more specific, but a hard failure is always easier to find than an intermittant. If it doesn't start it has to be either spark, fuel or compression..<br /><br />There are ancillary causes and effects to these three items but they are the basics. Sounds as if you have validated the presence of fuel. I would check for spark just for giggles..

 

[jsfinn]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

I agree with Bondo. If you want to get top dollar for it, have the motor fixed. If not, it will be real easy for a buyer to walk away because they couldn't take it for a test drive.<br /><br />Think of it this way - you go to buy a used wave runner for $1000 but it won't start. The owner (someone you don't know) says "put $300 into it and it'll run like new!" - are you going to trust him? Eh..probably not. What else is wrong with it? You won't know until you hop over a few waves with it first. You offer the guy $500 because maybe it's got a lot of things wrong with it. You take it to the mechanic and he fixes it for $100 - well, you just got a heck of a deal!

 

[brianmerc]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

What do I do to check it for spark? I don't know what that means, sorry.<br /><br />jsfinn, yeah I know what you're saying. I might as well just bite the bullet and have it fixed, then sell it.... dammit!

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

Checking for spark is to make sure the spark plugs fire. When you turn over the engine, you should see a spark jump from between the pointy things on the end of the spark plug. Thats what ignites the gas. You can do this by pulling the spark plug and, wiht the boot attached, use a pair of insulated pliers to hold the metal threads against the block and have someone crank the engine. When doing this you should see some spark jump. If not, then you have an ignition problem. If you do this, be very carefull as the voltage coming through that wire can jump and it has been stepped up quite a bit from the 12v. It will give you a jolt. I remember one time I did this on my old Chevy Nova. The spark jumped out fo the boot and right up the cracked insulation on my channel locks. The jolt caused my hand to pull back where I burned the backside on the exhaust manifold.. Ouch.<br /><br />One other thought. If it dies, and you crank it unitl its dead, if it is an ignition problem it may not start till the next morning because you soaked the plugs in fuel. Next time it dies, give it a few hours before you try it again tolet everything cool without flooding the plugs..

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

Brian, like the other post's have said, if you want ANYWHERE close to market value for the boat, get it fixed before selling, With a boat of your size and age the engine accounts for 3/4 the value of the boat. You asked how to check for spark: since you are not familiar with this, I will skip some of the "backyard methods". Go to an auto parts store and ask for a spark tester, it should be under 10 bucks. It looks like a spark plug, but has a aligator clip attached to it.I prefer this as opposed to using one of the engine plugs for a few reasons: #1 we know the tester is not fouled by gas or oil #2) we will not have an open cylinder possibly sucking in dirt through the missing spark plug hole #3 it has a clip on it so you do not have to hold it against the engine and possbly getting shocked in the process. Go to the boat, connect up the water muffs, remove the engine cover. Start the engine, run it untill it dies. With the ignition off, clip the spark tester to a head bolt, or other close hunk of grounded metal. remove one of the spark plug wires from the spark plug and connect it to your tester. BEFORE YOU PROCEED make sure that you do not smell gas anywhere around the engine (if you do have spark you will be creating a spark) Another precaution... you will be dealing with HIGH VOLTAGE, once you have the plug wire connected to the spark tester DO NOT TOUCH ANY OF IT UNTILL THE TEST IS DONE AND THE IGNITION IS OFF. Okay, now have someone at the controlls crank over the engine(2-3 seconds) while you watch the tester to see if it is sparking at the end opposite of the wire. If you see spark, turn off ignition, put wire back on that plug, and repeat with other plugs. Let us know what you find and we'll take it from there. By the way, I usually work on inboards, someone else may know for sure, but I THINK that some outboards have temperature sensors that will shut down the ignition if the engine over-heats? With that in mind, Are you getting good waterflow out of the engine when you are running it on muffs ?

 

[djvan]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

On a small evinrude my dad owns he had a similar sounding problem, turned out to be a bad coil.<br /><br />DougV>

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

Fix it, it is only appealing to somebody for parts. It also eliminates newbies from looking at it, unless they are handy. The earlier posts contain some good data, and it may bring in more $ if it is a minor problem.

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

The motor is usually where the value in a rig is.If the motor is not running a buyer will figure it for a worse case scenario and the value of the entire rig will be minimal.Fix it first and that will make the entire sale process much easier for you and the buyer.Charlie

 

[Solittle]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

brian - An example -Years ago I had an oportunity to bid on a 19'er with motor & trailer. I knew that the motor had not been run in several years. I bid what I thought the boat and trailer would be worth to me and assumed that I would have to replace or rebuild the motor. I got it home, put a battery in it, squirted some premix in the carbs and hot wired it as there was no key. It fired right up. I got a key from a dealer and ran my family in it all over south Florida for eight years.<br /><br />I'm suggesting that you fix it and sell it or better yet USE IT.

 

[brianmerc]

Re: Selling my boat.... Questions!

Yeah, I'm just going to have it fixed for the sake of getting more $$ for it. I want to get what I paid for it, once it's fixed of course. Since I owned it, I have already spent about $400 in repairs, and another possible $400 when I fix it this time. Those two amounts add up to almost 1 1/4 of what the boat is worth. It's just not worth the headache, especially since I know almost nothing about repairs.<br /><br />I attached some pictures of the boat so you can see the actual boat I'm talking about. The interior is in great shape, redone about 8 years ago and garaged, so I'm hoping when I sell it, that will help the amount I want for it. Thanks for all your help, guys!<br /><br />

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