2nd Hand Outboards??

 Hi everyone, first time poster here. I recently purchased a bost and used it 5 or 6 times and then it seized on me on good Friday a few miles out of Mandurah... top cylinders buggered and mechanic has advised me its not worth fixing as my boat is underpowered with it anyway. So now I am in the market for a new motor... :(

 

Where are the best places to get a 2nd hand outboard? I want to stay away from gumtree, and prefer to buy through someone that can also fit it. Currently have a Johnson 70hp BJ70PLEEE so if I stick with Johnson or Evinrude I can keep my controls and steering etc?

 

Im a tradesman with my first kid on the way and spent everythimg I could afford on buying this boat and a few things for it so needless to say im shattered....

 

Looking to spend 4 -5k for the repower... Paid 5k for boat originally and a bit more on EPIRB and other crap... Any help or advice appreciated as I dont really know where to start...


scano's picture

Posts: 1246

Date Joined: 31/05/07

If it's done a cylinder that quickly

Mon, 2017-04-17 07:03

i would say it was either running the wrong fuel / oil ratio (I think these run a separated oil injection system?). Either that or the motor has got seriously hot previously and picked up a piston ring and scored the cylinder bore.

I think with a limited budget gumtree may be your best option. And I wouldn't be phased about keeping the same style of motor, often if people are upgrading their engines to 4 stroke they will keep the old throttle and control cabling.

 

if your a tradesman, fitting yourself should be simple enough. YouTube and Google will be your friend prior to fitting, to give you tips on mounting height etc. I hope you manage to get it sorted easily enough in the near future. Best of luck with the kid on the way also

 

cheers

 

scano

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Posts: 57

Date Joined: 28/02/15

ElDub try "boats online"

Mon, 2017-04-17 07:17

ElDub try "boats online" plenty of used outboards for sale by dealers on there .I know you want to stay with Johnson/evinrude but if your going to spend 4-5k try and find a well looked after Yamaha(2 stroke) they are reliable engines and not to heavy.I presume your old engine is a VRO 2 stroke.

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Kuz

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 It was a2 stroke with VRO

Mon, 2017-04-17 07:47

 It was a2 stroke with VRO removed. I was using 95 octane premium with a 50:1 mix. Im thinking the guy I bought the boat off knew there was something up...

 

And im a spray painter so absolutely crap with anything mechanical haha.

 

Have receipts for new piston rings and engine being bored and honed and various other things so im thinking previous damage?

 

Will check out boats online now. Thanks.

barracuda's picture

Posts: 196

Date Joined: 01/09/13

Shop around

Mon, 2017-04-17 08:44

 could take a while to get the right one, when good ones come up they sell quick.

They are easy to take on and off all you need is a engine crane. I would avoid dealers if possible 

Posts: 308

Date Joined: 28/05/15

 What's your maximum motor

Mon, 2017-04-17 15:46

 What's your maximum motor size for your hull?

Posts: 79

Date Joined: 10/11/15

 get in touch with Dayne at

Mon, 2017-04-17 16:24

 get in touch with Dayne at Perth boat mechanics, he has a facebook page and website, honest and reliable.

Mal. (tel him I sent you)

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 Boat doesnt have a maximum

Mon, 2017-04-17 18:05

 Boat doesnt have a maximum HP plate on it. Bought it with a 70hp, old owner said it is underpowered, mechanic I had out on the weekend also advised me that 70hp is too small for the boat, and he recommended a 90 or 115 as they are the same weight. Any motor up to 200kg should be ok I think. Current motor is 140kg from memory.

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Date Joined: 01/02/10

 What hull is it?

Mon, 2017-04-17 18:54

 What hull is it?

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Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 18ft Douglas Craft half

Mon, 2017-04-17 20:06

 18ft Douglas Craft half cabin.

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 Went and had a look at an

Wed, 2017-04-19 17:25

 Went and had a look at an outboard today, 75hp 4cyl Mariner/Mercury, 1996, 2 stroke oil injected, with controls and gauges fully fitted for $3500, with 3 months warranty. Does this sound reasonable?

barracuda's picture

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Date Joined: 01/09/13

nope

Wed, 2017-04-19 17:30

 I certainly wouldnt pay that

Ashen's picture

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Date Joined: 22/03/13

Ideal motor

Wed, 2017-04-19 17:39

 Hi mate.

Not an expert but I think with a 18ft fibreglass boat, you should aim for a 90-130hp motor. A 70-75hp is just ok if theres only 1-2 people on board with a couple of portable fuel tanks. In future, you might want to put in larger fuel tanks, batteries and more people onboard. An outboard less than 90hp will not be ideal.

 

A1996 2 stroke 75hp outboard for $3500 is on the expensive side.

 In regards to dealer warranty on outboards, ask first what type of warranty it is... Most will say its 50/50, meaning they cover labour and the buyer covers parts!

 

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

Paj man's picture

Posts: 359

Date Joined: 16/09/12

Bugger!

Wed, 2017-04-19 18:18

I feel your pain mate - I had my motor go on me 2 weeks after I bought my boat. It was from a bloody ex marine mechanic too so it stung a bit!

I ended up replacing with a new 4 stroke and while it was a more expensive option, I'm so bloody glad I went down that road. Motor reliability is something I never want to compromise and there have been numerous occasions where I've been glad I've had the newer donk on the back. Ashen is spot on too, I'd be looking for a minimum 90hp.

I would be biting the bullet and if funds don't allow, waiting until they do (although me and my bro's have some serious bad luck when it comes to second hand things).

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aka Nick

teamjelly's picture

Posts: 47

Date Joined: 27/07/16

what Paj said

Tue, 2017-04-25 06:41

Yeah I'm with Paj man on this one. I bought a 4.85Trailcraft a year ago and had a Etec 90 that only had 280hrs. Tested it on water before buying and ran like a dream...month later it was rooted.
Spend 7k to fix or throw 14k at new donk???... I went brand new Suzuki 90 4stroke and it is amazing! Hard egg to swallow at first but a year on and you just don't have to worry about it. Best investment I've done hands down.
Absolutely amazing on fuel too.
But if a new donk is well out of the question yeah I'd go a 2nd hand Yammi 2stroke. they seem to go forever. After months of research I wouldn't touch a secondhand Etec around the 2006-2011 unless you can be 100% sure its been looked after.
Good luck buddy, I know your pain.

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Give a man to fish and he'll eat for a day, Teach a man to fish and he'll sit in his boat and drink all day...

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

Hmmm shattered... I did get a

Wed, 2017-04-19 18:42

Hmmm shattered... I did get a quote for a new Etec but 14k is just stupid to put on my boat worth 3k tops now with a blown motor.

 

Just keep looking around..

Paj man's picture

Posts: 359

Date Joined: 16/09/12

True

Wed, 2017-04-19 19:46

 I guess i should've added that it's dependant on how long you want to keep the boat. If you're going to keep it and use it then I think it's worth it but if it's not going to be that serious then it won't be.

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aka Nick

barracuda's picture

Posts: 196

Date Joined: 01/09/13

Dude

Fri, 2017-04-21 17:55

 70 Yamy on gummy looks the goods

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Date Joined: 17/08/10

Motor

Fri, 2017-04-21 19:06

All-safe marine Rockingham sells used outboards...From memory rebuilds them first....

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 Need something a bit bigger

Fri, 2017-04-21 23:17

 Need something a bit bigger than a 70 :( and yep im in contact with a bloke at All Safe.

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Date Joined: 18/01/12

 Yeah Id be careful of old

Sat, 2017-04-22 18:52

 Yeah Id be careful of old motors that are sold "rebuilt with warranty".

Fact is it is not cost effective to recondition properly an old outboard unless you do it yourself and/or cobble it together out of several boxes of used parts.

Think about it, easier to sell it that way if its running well and then fix it if it fails during the warranty period than to actually rebuild it first.
And "rebuilt" is a very loose term which doesnt have a set meaning.

None of which is to mean that you cant get a good reliable 2 stroke used outboard but take "rebuilt" with a dose of scepticism to save disappointment.

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 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Ashen's picture

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Date Joined: 22/03/13

Great advice!

Sat, 2017-04-22 20:45

 Well said Rob!  "Rebuilt" motors although sounds good, could mean anything!

And I will mention this again, confirm the so called warranty with the dealer before buying... most of the time it is for labour only! 

 

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

Posts: 5739

Date Joined: 18/01/12

 Very true, similarly look

Sat, 2017-04-22 20:58

 Very true, similarly look closely at the warranties offered on used cars especially ones like the "nationwide 5 year 200,000km warranty" you often see.
I kid you knot, they are not FOR 200,000 km but UNTIL 200,000, usually cover a max of $500 per claim and only safety stuff.

____________________________________________________________________________

 Give a man a mask, and he'll show you his true face...

 

 

The older you get the more you realize that no one has a f++king clue what they're doing.

Everyone's just winging it.

 

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 140hp 2 stroke suzuki a bit

Mon, 2017-04-24 20:28

 140hp 2 stroke suzuki a bit big ya reckon?

Ashen's picture

Posts: 1042

Date Joined: 22/03/13

Depends

Mon, 2017-04-24 21:57

Not familiar with Douglascraft but if its built like most other boats of that era, it'll be tough as!  Most important factor is whether your transom is up to the task.   My old Voyager 18.6ft half cabin had a 150HP 2 stroke.   Awesome power!  A bit bum heavy though.

A thing to consider is most similiar power outboards are the same block.  Eg:  115-130hp v4 , and 150-175hp v6 2 stroke johnsons have same blocks respectively but different carbs etc. IMO, I would choose the lesser of the two, in that block size.  

 Regarding the Suzuki 2 strokes you mentioned , they're not a common 2 stroke like OMC (Evinrude/Johnson) or Mercury, so if you need parts in future, might be hard to find...

 

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

Posts: 54

Date Joined: 02/04/17

 Yeah and I checked the

Mon, 2017-04-24 22:04

 Yeah and I checked the weight of it theyre about 200kg which is a fair whack heavier than whats on there now. 

Ashen's picture

Posts: 1042

Date Joined: 22/03/13

Johnson

Mon, 2017-04-24 22:24

In a perfect world, we would all have money to buy the latest and greatest 4 strokes... unfortunately, world aint so perfect.

If I was in your position, I would find a late 90s to early 2000s Johnson 115-130 v4. Cost about $3000-$4000 if in great condition and would be a perfect match for your boat! Spend an extra $150 or so for a good outboard mechanic to do inspection/tests etc.

If its been looked after, it will provide you with years of reliable service.  Another good series is the Yamaha Saltwater series, namely the OX66.  Proven worldwide to be great 2 strokes!

Don't want to mention Mercury coz I dont seem to have much luck with them.... thats abit biased... i know.. lol

 

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A fish in the hand is worth 10 in the water!

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Date Joined: 22/01/10

Mercury

Tue, 2017-04-25 09:34

 I have a mercury 4 stroke only 3 years old... but going from a 1980's tohatsu it's a bloody dream. Never an issue and starts

first time every time.