Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

[Nickeh]

I am looking for a cheap way to get on the water and I was looking on craigslist for cheap small outboards. Most of the ones I saw dont run, but I am pretty skilled with my hands and I figured that I could fix it up. I guess my question is... even if a motor has been abused, sat outside for 15 years, and didnt pee, with the right tools and equipment it would always be fixable?

 

[halfmoa]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

I think it's more of a matter of it not being cost effective to repair at a certain point of wear and parts availability. I dug an (automotive) engine out of a ditch because it was the proper year for a project vehicle. It took way too much work and money but it was the correct year and that was more important to the owner than being cost effective.

 

[Handyman1]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Hi some time to fix up a motor costs more then to buy a running motor. It all depends what is wrong with it and how much the parts going to cost you. Before you buy the motor make some calls and check the part cost. Good luck.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Well, I collect a LOT of all sized outboards. I bought one that had sat outside on its side for at least 5 years that I know. It had a small tree growing through it. I took it home, set the points and it fired right up.

In reality, it all depends upon the engine and where it was stored. Generally, if it has compression and the bearings are not rusted, it would be repairable.

However, the old caveat emptor always prevails. The burden of determination is up to you. More times than not, engines are for sale because they will cost too much to repair. Less often you will get a gem.

If you really need to go cheap, look for a Chrysler or Force engine. They have a much worse reputation than they deserve and so are generally cheaper to buy. The smaller ones tend to run forever. They also tend to be dirt simple and easier to repair.

 

[Nickeh]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Thanks! I was actually thinking of maybe doing it as a buisness, buying non running motors fixing them and selling them. Once I found a non running mini motorcycle at a garage sale for $15 dollars.. went home put new gas and air in the tires and sold it for $150.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Thanks! I was actually thinking of maybe doing it as a buisness, buying non running motors fixing them and selling them. Once I found a non running mini motorcycle at a garage sale for $15 dollars.. went home put new gas and air in the tires and sold it for $150.

OK, So a $135 profit. Divide that by the number of hours you put into buying it, fixing it and selling it to see if the hourly profit is more than what a job could fetch.

Most old cheap motors don't bring much anyway. People are either interested in a new one, or if they buy an old used one they want it dirt cheep! Hard to make a profit.

If its a business that will be your livelihood, the taxes and insurance will eat you up. If its a side business to keep you busy in your spare time, you'll have to be real gung ho on it because it won't make you much money.

 

[F_R]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Good luck with that idea. I've lost money on every one I've done. And that doesn't even count my time. Maybe I fix them too good.

 

[aerobat]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

when the project is to get yourself cheap on the water look for an older package- so boat and motor where the owner loosed the interest in boating and the boat was without use, is dirty etc. many times its mostly a cleaning job then and fixing small things, in the motor often just cleaning the carbs and putting new plugs in.

dont look for a motor which is for sure seized or blown , here the spare parts may become costly.

happy boating !

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

I doubt you'd make much doing that, at least not enough to justify the number of hours you put into it. Another problem with some older engines is parts availability. For instance, I have a '73 Merc 7.5 that I got pretty much for free which I decided to get running and sell next spring. A 9$ plastic part that was broken is no longer available through the dealer network and I couldn't find it on ebay so I had to spend a bunch of extra time repairing the broken one with fiberglass. The cheapest I found points for that same little engine was $35 each. Sadly I think I would have made a lot more money parting it out.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Unfortunately the allure of many old outboards is how stylish they look. And unlike old cars (of equal or greater "stylish-ness"), the market of admirers is substantially smaller. Too bad too, because the classic look of the 40's, and the bodacious fun of the 50's are styles unique to American design and new stuff is just too predictable (though very reliable).

 

[steelespike]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

You might try getting into the repairs of older pre 1975 small 40 hp or less Evinrude/Johnson outboards. Probably 95% are esentially the same design even many tuneup specs are similar
some parts span 50 years and hp from 3 to 40.And are readily available both new and used.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Repairable depends on what is wrong with it. I have an inline six Merc with a rod pushed thru the water jacket. Since I was running it in salt water, and I just put it away, the crank has likely rusted to the bearings.

The carbs, ign and the rest of the stuff is good. However, does anyone think that one is repairable?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

Nick, it will not be a good business venture unless you are retired, don't need the money and your time is worth 0.

Remember, too, the learning curve. If you buy a non-operating motor, there are dozens of reasons why it won't work--some are related and some are independent. Then there are dozens more reasons why it doesn't work well, once you get it started. You don't have the experience yet to have instinct, and OB motors are just different.

Unlike most car engines, OB motors are tough on the nuts. What I mean is, they freeze, seize and lock up, and the heads ring off. usually there is one you can't get to without removing a bunch of other stuff, like the lower cowl, and then you encounter more frozen nuts/bolts, screwed into fragile pot metal that crumbles in your hands.

Old motors that have been worked on previously contain mysteries known only to God and the previous mechanic, and neither is talking. I have a mysterious mid-80's Johnson that runs like a scalded dog but no one can identify the year(s) of the parts and there is this mysterious weld on the side of the head.

Consider your top recovery. If you get a broken down OB for $100 and fix it up so it's running, you are selling an old motor with a max sale price of a few hundred dollars.

Start with an old motor that is running and try to take it apart and put it back together, maybe do a carb job, water pump or lower unit seals. That should cure you.

You have 2 independent questions: one is getting on the water cheap (answer: start with a running motor) and the other is starting a business in which you have no experience (Answer: just run).

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

A good friend of mine did that very thing, buy cheap...fix them up...sell them. He never really made much money because people looking for an older motor really don't have money to spend, then when the economy went down hill the market dried up completely. He has had all his stuff stored at my place for several years while trying to liquidate it. He's had an add running on Craigs list for months on end trying to sell running older motors and parts, he rarely gets a response now.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Would an outboard motor always be repairable?

There was a time, not too long ago that the economy was good and a guy could buy old motors and fix them up to sell. Unfortunately, those days are gone now. If you surf through the craigslist ads, you'll find bunches of good motors, for less money than you could tune one up for. Say for instance you find a nice 18hp Johny/Rude for 50 bucks. It looks good but hasn't ran in a few years or "ran last time it was used" You bring it home and find the coils are toast and the impeller needs replacing. By this time, you're into it for $100 for parts and when you start it up, you might get $200 for it. This is a buyer's market for outboards and a lot of people out there are selling them cheap. If you want to make money with outboards, just start a repair business and offer a shop rate that's better than the other guy's rate. You can also collect oldies to part out if you get them cheap enough and make some money that way.