Best Shop/Service/Repair Manual?

jbuote

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Aug 17, 2016
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Hi,


I'm just wondering what the general consensus is on shop manuals.

I haven't had to do anything major to my outboard, so I've been referencing the service manual I can view on the boatinfo.no library website.
I saw a post or two saying that those have incorrect specs and or procedures for some engines.

I see that manuals are made by Clymer and Seloc (I'm guessing the boating worlds equal to what Chilton's manuals were to cars)...
Personally, I have a '71 Johnson 50. the Johnson Evinrude site directs me to Ken Cook Co for an official manual for my engine.
Well THAT is certainly what I'd like, but there is no indication as to what the manual IS that I'd get.

Would I get the manual I can currently see online? (Rhetorical, but if anyone DOES know... lol)

So I ask, What is the most reputable and reliable manual IF not "Original Factory" documentation?

Thanks in advance! :)
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
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factory manual all the way. clymer and seloc manuals make great knee pads

you can view the factory manuals for FREE http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html

and yes, Ken Cook Co is the official source for the factory manuals
 

hardwater fisherman

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I think the Ken Cook manuals are reprints of the factory manuals. You can look on EBAY to find a used one at a lower price.
 

David Young

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I got me a Factory service manual for my Evinrude for 30 something dollars :)
 

gm280

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Factory is the only way. They have tons of pictures, break downs, schematics, specifications and even theory of operation as well. After market types usually don't cover some of the more detailed issues that the factory manuals do. JMHO
 

SeaDooSam

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I picked a Seloc one up at a marina on clearance. Looks pretty detailed to me.
 

Scott Danforth

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I think the Ken Cook manuals are reprints of the factory manuals. You can look on EBAY to find a used one at a lower price.

I hate to tell you that you are wrong.... but you are wrong

Ken Cook was the print house used by OMC since OMC was founded and still is the print house for BRP. it is also the print house for thousands of companies. everything from snow blowers to cranes to marine engines to generators.

I have used Ken Cook for many manuals while working at many places. they have a huge staff of technical writers and illustrators, as well as a full print facility.
 

GA_Boater

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I'm going to disagree about Factory vs Aftermarket manuals.

Factory manuals are for trained techs and the AM manuals like Seloc/Clymer are written for the shadetree mechanic, as most of us are. The AM manuals cover normal, day to day maintenance well and abnormal maintenance like motor rebuilds are best covered in the factory manuals.

If you can find an affordable factory book, go for it. Otherwise a Seloc or Clymer book will cover most of your needs.
 

hardwater fisherman

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I hate to tell you that you are wrong.... but you are wrong

Ken Cook was the print house used by OMC since OMC was founded and still is the print house for BRP. it is also the print house for thousands of companies. everything from snow blowers to cranes to marine engines to generators.

I have used Ken Cook for many manuals while working at many places. they have a huge staff of technical writers and illustrators, as well as a full print facility.

How am I wrong? If I buy a manual for a 1971 50 hp johnson. Are your saying it was printed then and has not been reprinted since?
 
Last edited:

82rude

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May 8, 2012
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I'm going to disagree about Factory vs Aftermarket manuals.

Factory manuals are for trained techs and the AM manuals like Seloc/Clymer are written for the shadetree mechanic, as most of us are. The AM manuals cover normal, day to day maintenance well and abnormal maintenance like motor rebuilds are best covered in the factory manuals.

If you can find an affordable factory book, go for it. Otherwise a Seloc or Clymer book will cover most of your needs.
Covered my needs for 40 plus years.So far ive never been able to not repair my motors by using them.Factory manuals assume your a mech,aftermarket assumes your a shade tree,and actually has a very good explaination of 2 stroke theory.Cue the F.MC,s.(factory manual snobs),lol.:popcorn:
 

jimmbo

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I agree that factory manuals assume you know a bit about outboard motors in the first place, especially Mercury Manuals. However they also contain info specific to the motors they are covering. AF manuals often leave a lot of details out, or in some cases have the wrong specs, but then covering so many models and years it is bound to happen.
 

jbuote

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Wow, Thanks folks!

I think I'll end up with both and AM and the Factory..
I am using the manual found at http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html now, but had seen a few posts where it was stated that some specs and or procedures were incorrect (for some makes/models) in the manuals from that website. That's what posed this question.

In any event, I think I'll continue with the website for the moment while I order a factory manual relatively soon, and also get an AM for it too.

Even if the website I'm using is the factory manual, I'd like to have a hardcopy. I could print the whole thing from the web, but that's 30 pages at a time (no more realistically) and you never know how long web resources will remain available... LOL

Thanks!!!
 
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