With any engine.. you can't look at total time.. you have to look at time vs age. I'd buy a 2000 hour aircraft engine that was only 3 years old vs a 2000 hour engine that was 20 year old any day of the week. Sitting and lack of use kills anything....
Compression test and visual inspection are about your only friends with an outboard. Aircraft engines I can pull a cylinder in about an hour and look around inside the case/cam/lifters etc and put back together for $25 worth of o-rings and gaskets. Not as easy or cheap on an outboard.
Can't beat a chart.. that's for sure. You don't have to go far from shore on Simcoe to get into 100FOW.
This is my ice fishing rig.. with Lloyd driving it!
Well if I've gotta get into the Christmas spirit.. lets start here
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/flash/play/80853200
I like that if you click too fast.. you can go back !
They're definitely a brushed motor Albert.. bein low volt DC and all ! Probably a real cheap repair... and you had Vince pointed in the right direction for sure.
As for Bay Distributors.. they are Canon's repair facility and they've been great to me.. of course I got all mine repaired under warrantee for free...
If it still runs.. it's not the windings.. brushes maybe. Rebuilder would be where I would go first. I get my aircraft starters refurbished for under $80, just down the road, with brand new bendixs and solenoids. New they are $489 !