Never allow a used boat motor purchase to change into an Outboard Motor Repair
. Read on for some basic checks you can perform yourself. Here are a few steps you can take to prevent getting ripped off and reduce the odds of purchasing someone else's problems.
When hunting for second hand outboards it's crucial to get them inspected before you pay for them. It is not a large cost to get an outboard repair shop to look them over. The money saved in the long run is well worth it. I have seen time and time again people buy used motors in good faith. The prior owner swears that they are in good shape and running order. As soon as the new owner brings the outboard in for a tune up or check, frequently there is something wrong with it. I have noticed a lot of motors purchased in good faith that are in fact very badly damaged and will need an expensive rebuild. An outboard motor repair can be extremely expensive.
A workshop will go over the outboard from top to bottom. They will test the engine mounts and bushings, the propeller and gearbox condition. They should also run the motor and try out the tuning, gear shift operation, charging and get a close listen to the sound of the outboard, listening for some inner bearing sound or unwarranted piston slap etc that could necessitate an outboard motor repair.
A compression test should be carried out on the outboard and as a rule shops possess the ability to look inside the outboard by way of a little flashlight or bore scope. The state of the cylinder bores or liners will be observed, and this provides a pretty good indication of piston and ring condition. The time required to perform an inspection is about 1-2 hours. With repair shops charging about $75 bucks an hr, it is a very cheap and prudent step to take to safeguard yourself against potential unforeseen expenses.
However always bear in mind there is no assurance that your repair technician will notice everything that could possibly be amiss with the engine. There is only so much they can inspect to prevent an outboard motor repair.