Thoughts on 1990s Boat

[Fishing Rod]

Nice boat!

You will be really happy with it.

I'd repower with a 90HP if this motor is shot.

[CrowMan]

43 minutes ago, siwash said:

Honed and re-ringed - Can you expand on this ? Thanks 

Refers to "re-building" the motor. In layman's terms:

Hone....re-surface the cylinder wall (where combustion takes place) by removing a slight amount of metal and "polishing" to create a new surface

Re-ring....replace the piston rings to create a better seal to prevent combustion gasses "slipping through"

The end result is to restore the compression so you're back to the original power and  fuel economy

Unless, you have a decent amount of mechanical experience, not something for DIY.

Edited April 15 by CrowMan

[siwash]

18 minutes ago, CrowMan said:

Refers to "re-building" the motor. In layman's terms:

Hone....re-surface the cylinder wall (where combustion takes place) by removing a slight amount of metal and "polishing" to create a new surface

Re-ring....replace the piston rings to create a better seal to prevent combustion gasses "slipping through"

The end result is to restore the compression so you're back to the original power and  fuel economy

Unless, you have a decent amount of mechanical experience, not something for DIY.

I wouldn't even contemplate this. I can drain oil at the end of the season, change plugs and fog it! The rest I would leave to a marine mechanic! What would this cost if a mechanic performed it.

On another topic, should I get a transom saver ?

Edited April 15 by siwash

[AKRISONER]

18 minutes ago, siwash said:

I wouldn't even contemplate this. I can drain oil at the end of the season, change plugs and fog it! The rest I would leave to a marine mechanic! What would this cost if a mechanic performed it.

On another topic, should I get a transom saver ?

Usually a couple thousand bucks will be enough for an engine rebuild. 
 

basically turns your motor new again. 
 

id get a transom saver, aluminum wood transoms are soft to begin with, I personally don’t like the idea of flexing them constantly.

low compression equates to low power. Luckily on an old carbed two stroke it’s not going to be a major major issue until it totally blows. 

[BITEME]

Easy peasy

you can do it unbolt the head slide it off the pistons get the serial number tell them to bore it out for a new set of  over size rings to your pistons now put the rings on slide it back on bobs your uncle 2 strokes are easy and that’s not a complicated motor

personally I’d run it for the season the way it is

are you very confident with the pressure test

seriously rings are not big deal all said and done 500.00 on the high side if you do it yourself that’s with the boring

make a nice stand bring it inside or out and just do it get a good tear down manual lots online

 

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

Cheers

Peter 

BringOnAnotherThousand

[siwash]

7 hours ago, AKRISONER said:

Usually a couple thousand bucks will be enough for an engine rebuild. 
 

basically turns your motor new again. 
 

id get a transom saver, aluminum wood transoms are soft to begin with, I personally don’t like the idea of flexing them constantly.

low compression equates to low power. Luckily on an old carbed two stroke it’s not going to be a major major issue until it totally blows. 

I don't know if spending $2000 on that motor is prudent.  I can buy a used newer 2 stroke for not much more.. Maybe Biteme is on to something. Worth exploring.  What tools would i need?  

[siwash]

I should also mention that the seller had a used lower unit put in in 2021.  He said something about a gear issue.  But like I said, it sounded great, took off, attained a speed of 30 mph with three guys in the boat.  I realize that that doesn't mean it'll be trouble free! I like that they are pretty simple engines.  Lots of Johnson parts around still but i realize that in the future there will be fewer and fewer and parts will dry up.  By then I'll have a new motor!

[siwash]

The boat came with an older Minnkota powerdrive.. he never used it - you can tell because there isn't a scratch. With that boat, should I still be looking to move up to 80lbs or can I get away with less?  Seller said boat is under 1500lbs without the trailer. Is there any chance I can convert that unit to a spot lock by replacing the head? Thought i'd ask because i have come across this option. 

 

*I am going to continue this on the other thread I started on trolling motors.. *

Edited April 16 by siwash

[slwndwn]

Chances are it just needs the cylinders honed, new rings and gaskets. A much less expensive option. Buying another ol' two stroke may find you in the same position. $2000 is a rebuild. As said, basically a new motor. Sometimes it's the way to go. Better the devil you know. A new engine for 2k is cheap. 

In the interest of more power, you may want to keep your eyes open for a bigger engine and have it rebuilt while you still run what you have. Maybe find one with good compression and other problems like lower unit issues. Cheap motor and you can tackle it yourself. 

I just know that if I wanted toys, I had to learn to work on them. Otherwise I couldnt afford to own them when they broke. lol. Broken=worthless. Basically throwing it on the scrap heap and starting over with another old used motor with the same risks. Get some tools, pick up another cheap motor and tear into it. I think I mentioned Iboats forum. Those guys eat sleep and breath this stuff and will help you through anything you want to tackle. It's where to go for boat related problems. ANYTHING boats. I'm sure there are folks here that will agree. 

[Weeds]

Congratulations. Nice boat! I’d just enjoy it as it is for a bit before you dig into it, particularly if it seems to be working well. Love my 14 foot aluminum but perhaps a tad envious…

[aplumma]

A 30 lb difference between cylinders is a sign the motor is starting to self-destruct. The compression will continue to lose as more metal and the numbers become more unbalanced. This is equal to walking with one leg stronger than the other. For now, it might be less expensive to fix it before it damages the crankshaft, crank bearings, and piston walls. After reading your responses, I do not feel that you can do the machine work and ensure the correct tolerances and torque specs are accurate. Anyone can assemble a motor but without experience, the mistakes become apparent when you are not at the dock or home. Just some insight from a person who has been building high-performance jet skis and motorcycles 2 strokes since the late 80s. 

Congratulations and enjoy your new boat. 

Art

[AKRISONER]

3 minutes ago, aplumma said:

A 30 lb difference between cylinders is a sign the motor is starting to self-destruct. The compression will continue to lose as more metal and the numbers become more unbalanced. This is equal to walking with one leg stronger than the other. For now, it might be less expensive to fix it before it damages the crankshaft, crank bearings, and piston walls. After reading your responses, I do not feel that you can do the machine work and ensure the correct tolerances and torque specs are accurate. Anyone can assemble a motor but without experience, the mistakes become apparent when you are not at the dock or home. Just some insight from a person who has been building high-performance jet skis and motorcycles 2 strokes since the late 80s. 

Congratulations and enjoy your new boat. 

Art

I agree with this…you truthfully are gambling when your motors compression is starting to go that bad. Sometimes the piston ring cracks and you “mildly” blow it. A re bore and some new rings and you’re back in action

but sometimes she blows bad, your piston essentially super heats and gets stuck while firing and destroys the crank case, or literally blows through the top of the motor. I’ve seen videos of high powered motors shoot a piston literally through the engine cowling like a rocket.

Needless to say, there’s no rebuild when it blows that bad

 

 

 

 

[siwash]

Geez, I hope this thing lasts me the year  without major headaches. 
 

i guess I should be considering a re-bore and new rings sooner than later? Will this just die on me? Or is this more of a slow death? 
 

Starting to regret this now. 

Edited April 17 by siwash

[smitty55]

39 minutes ago, siwash said:

Geez, I hope this thing lasts me the year  without major headaches. 
 

i guess I should be considering a re-bore and new rings sooner than later? Will this just die on me? Or is this more of a slow death? 
 

Starting to regret this now. 

Don't start regretting now. Get that engine fixed soon and you'll never have to worry about it blowing up on you. The boat looks real nice.

[siwash]

So what should I be expecting to pay for this work (re bore and new rings, if that's all I need)?

 

And, does anyone know who does this in York Region or Simcoe county? I could even head a bit further west toward Bolton/Oragneville/Dufferin County.

Edited April 17 by siwash

[DD88]

Nah don’t sweat it. There are used two -stroke 50s and 60s in the 2k ish range everywhere. If that’s worse case scenario, enjoy your nice boat. You’re generally good if the cylinders are between 10-15% difference in PSI, your in 25% territory so you don’t want to leave that for more than a season.

[AKRISONER]

1 hour ago, siwash said:

So what should I be expecting to pay for this work (re bore and new rings, if that's all I need)?

 

And, does anyone know who does this in York Region or Simcoe county? I could even head a bit further west toward Bolton/Oragneville/Dufferin County.

Top gun marine in innisfil, but not sure he works on lower horsepower engines?

maximum marine in port Perry does it for sure, my buddy got his motor rebuilt there

[siwash]

So if it's close to pooched, what would this current engine be worth if I opted to buy another one and sold this as a "parts" motor? I see them advertised in the $500 range

Edited April 17 by siwash

[AKRISONER]

4 minutes ago, siwash said:

So if it's close to pooched, what would this current engine be worth if I opted to buy another one and sold this as a "parts" motor? I see them advertised in the $500 range

I personally think you run it until it explodes and then re power with a used motor with the max horsepower for your hull. You might get a year out of the motor for free.

[slwndwn]

7 minutes ago, AKRISONER said:

I personally think you run it until it explodes and then re power with a used motor with the max horsepower for your hull. You might get a year out of the motor for free.

I agree. Get your bigger motor and get it up to par. If your looking to optimize your boats performance, why waste time and money on the current motor. Use it up while your waiting to repower. 

[siwash]

sure.. but would hate for that to happen if i'm on a trip...  and get stuck on the water. We are going to Port Loring for 4 days in early June.. Would hate for something like that to happen. 

[siwash]

the motor ran really well on the water.  Started up without a problem. I know that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems.  

[slwndwn]

Having to get towed is always a risk. Thats just boating with older equipment. New equipment breaks too. All one can do is be prepared as anyone on the water should be at all times. Treat it right and I think you'll be fine. I've been on the water my whole life with some questionable equipment including ill running motors. Never been towed, but always ready for it. Just dont go out for midnight cruise's with the wife and kids on board. lol

 

[RandyLinden]

Hi, I suggest that before you get too worried about what might or could happen with the engine, you or a experienced mechanic should perform a thorough inspection of everything to make sure that there are no evident service or maintenance issues such as fuel lines, chaffed or damaged wires, leaks etc. Then do another compression test and actually confirm that there might be a problem. It is very important to use a high quality reliable gauge. I have seen some widely variant readings from cheap low end compression gauges, so find a good one to do the testing with, you need good consistant readings to confirm what the compression is. You can also try doing a cold and warm test that might show that the compression is within spec when warm and may explain why the engine seems to run well. If the compression is not bad go ahead and enjoy your boat and stop worrying, Should the new testing show that there is a potential problem then it becomes a question of how bad is it really? If it is not to severe use it this season and have it freshened it up in the off season for use over the next few years with no worries. If it turns out that it is in fact bad enough to be worried about then bite the bullet and fix it now. That engine as others have pointed out is a good, reliable, and relatively simple engine that any good experienced outboard mechanic can overhaul in a few hours without having to spend a fortune. Finding a good and honest mechanic might be the biggest challenge... Best of luck and have fun with your new boat!

[Fishing Rod]

I was about to reply almost exactly what Randy said.

Start with a compression check on a warm engine.