fishbait 81

when winterizing lower unit on Merc 225 hp 1996 2 stroke, noticed
oil was milky. Question is whats a fair price to replace seals & remove
& replace lower unit.
Thanks
Jim

Bryan A.

I don't know what a fair price would be but you could save youself a few bucks by pulling the lower unit and brining it into a Merc service center.

It is fairly easy to remove, most outboards have a bolt under the trim zinc also.

__________________


2003 Parker 2530 "El Mar".......click the pic
1973 Seacraft 20SF

Landlocked Beachbum

That's what I was thinking too. The main shop here wanted $265 + tax to put a water pump kit in my '94 Evinrude 40 hp. I did it myself for about $40.

__________________
Landlocked Beachbum

gypsymanii

Now is the time to have it done. Anyone looking for work will do it reasonable now. While he is at it have the pump done also. 265 for
the pump is steep. You shoule be able to have the unit sealed and
pump for 200. Look on craiglist there are marine mech. looking for work there.

Scup

Wow, $200 seems cheap to me! I think one of the local boat yards has been putting it to me. I had 25 HP OMC motor winterized last fall and I thought it would run me around $100. I just as soon let the yard do it as I fish commercially and write it off. However, the bill came to $240. This year I am gong to do it myself. They did a few other things like replacing zincs that did not have to be replaced, but I have had it with this piggy yard. Sooner or later, every motor is going to need work, but I do not know of a reasonable and competent place to take my OMC motor to. I know of many unreasonable and incompetent yards but perhaps someone can give me a suggestion for a decent place in the Stonington CT area.

Landlocked Beachbum

Scup, it sounds like you got screwed, unfortuanately. You can buy a can of fogging oil and do it yourself, as with the lower unit lube, and use the drain screws in the bottom of the carb/float bowls to empty them completely. Shouldn't take longer than 20-30 minutes. Replacing zincs takes a socket set. You may have one, but owning a repair manual for every outboard can save a lot of cash!

__________________
Landlocked Beachbum

Scup

Landlocked,

It is worse than you think; I am a part time West Marine associate. I can get the plugs, fogging oil, lower unit oil, zincs, and gasoline stabilizer for the associates discount. I used to rebuild small outboards and have quite a decent assortment of American made tools. This is nothing more than a case of being lazy (or stupid). I just never believed a yard would put it to me like they did. They used to be fine, but for the last two years or so they must have fallen in on hard times with many so so boaters giving up their boats because of the high price of fuels. Still, by screwing me, things are not going to get better for them as I will never again give them any business.

There is one major problem I have with outboards and that is parts. If you go to an OMC dealership for parts, I know you are asking to be screwed. The internet is very reasonable in price but then you have to wait for the parts to be shipped. When you commercially fish, waiting for parts to come in sucks. I really am not too fond of outboards and they always seem to come with $$$$ attached.

I am trying to negotiate with a boat builder to build a one off 20 foot Seabright skiff with a tunnel stern using a conventional air cooled low horsepower Honda four cycle engine for power. These engines are dirt cheap on the surplus market. I have always wanted to break the grip outboard motor dealerships have on me. So far we have not come to an agreement so it looks like I am still stuck with outboards for the time being.

Landlocked Beachbum

I know a guide in Corpus Christi and met an old gent up here that both run 200 hp Evinrude Etecs and they swear by them for dependability and fuel economy. I am the Race Committee Chairman at the local sailing club. We just bought a new boat for RC duty and put 115 hp Etec on it. Unbelievable!

I know what you mean about $$$$$ but sometimes you still get what you pay for. Do you have tow insurance?

__________________
Landlocked Beachbum

Scup

Landlocked,

No, I do not have towing insurance. This is another stupid thing I am doing because I can get an insurance discount at Boats US because I work at west marine. However, I never needed a tow in 55 years of boating. The reason for this is I always go out with at least two additional means of getting home. I have a very deep trust in my electric trolling motors (always with me along with several deep cycle batteries), and since none of my boats are more than 17 feet and can be rowed, I always have three oars with me (in case one breaks). While I am close to 70, I row all the time and work out at a local gym. I clocked my speed (GPS) rowing my 17 skiff with oars and I can maintain 2.5 mph for several hours, 3 mph for a sprint. For reliability, oars have never failed me, and these electric trolling motors, while they have no real power, they never seem to fail either. I think I have the smallest ride of any commercial fisherman in Stonington Connecticut. I fish pots for scup most of the time, and there is really no need to have a big boat to pull pots that weigh about twenty pounds each. There is no reason to rush to get out there either since my pots are fishing even when I am not there. The outboard motor I have is a 25 HP Commercial Johnson which is probably the most reliable motor I have ever owned. Too bad they do not make them anymore. The reason I keep my power to 25 hp is I make about $50 per day selling fish, and I do not need a $75 fuel bill. The only time I get nervous out there is when a very strong north wind kicks in unexpectedly. I have to go north to get back home and one cannot always make headway against a strong headwind using electrics or oars. I do carry three anchors, hundreds of feet of rode, as well as a VHF radio, GPS, bottled water, and a cell phone.

ChuckA From "Land of the Lost"

GOD BLESS YOU Scup. You are truely a man of the salt.You have more hours on the salt than days I have on land. I certainly hope to get a chance to meet you this season if I end up with a boat in Mystic.

Chuck