Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

[Pain'n'da'boat]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

do what i did. go to your local libary find the manual covering ur engine copy the chapter for ur enginefor about 10cents a page and presto u have a manual for that engine punch 3 hole put in a binder and that way u dont have to look through all the other hp's to find yours it cost me $1.10 and and it covers 50-85hp from '58-'68 evin/gale/johnsons

wow-just shows that the interwebz can't always beat your local library!

 

[lonemust]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

lonemust, public libraries really have these OMC manuals???

R. Johnson, do you have happen to have this service manual that started this whole mess, for a '84 2hp-V6, it has a part # of 394607??

go to your local libary and ask them they will be in the reference books area mine is for '58-'68 50-85hp v-4's

 

[bktheking]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

I agree that the manual's are overpriced but what isn't these days. It seems like if it has the word boat or outboard in it the price is double. Thermostat for my car, $12, thermostat for a 40 Evinrude $32. If it says boat on it be prepared to pay the piper. This site is a godsent to people without the manual or the knowledge. I understand both arguments on both sides so I will stay neutral.

 

[Pain'n'da'boat]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Relay for car---$3.89
Relay for boat--$14.59

Your paying for the "marine" quality!
Ha-I took the car relay and "plugged" it into some cardboard and sprayed the top-side with rubber undercoating for a car and *presto* marine grade relays

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Here is a link to download a pdf version of the manual for $9.00 and it covers 48-265 hp years 1973-1989.
http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/1128482-johnson-evinrude-48hp-235hp-marine-engine

 

[jonesg]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

I have pro cookbooks that cost $200+ each.
Thats what professional literature typically goes for.
And they are decades old, this is nothing new.

 

[iwombat]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

^^ agreed.

My last Harley OEM shop manual was around $120. You're not only paying for the printing costs, but the cost of keeping inventory. Having 200 pre-printed manuals sit on the shelf for a decade isn't free.

 

[R.Johnson]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Kyudisky: I have every service manual from 1964-1987. Part's manuals from about 1945 to 1999. These are all OMC Evinrude manuals. I would gladly sell for half of a Cook manual. Forgot! I have the snowmobile, and I.O. manuals also.

 

[Daviet]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

R.Johnson,sent you have a PM.

 

[Yreka]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

I got my OEM manual from Ebay for $30.. Old dealer stock I believe.. Book was in perfect shape when I got it.. I also have the SELOC manual which I paid $30 for..

One thing the aftermarket manuals have going for them is they tell you how to troubleshoot without factory tools. For example, doing ignition checks, the OEM book tells you to plug in the "OMC Ignition Analyzer", while the SELOC tells you how to check with non-specific tools like a DMM and DVA adapter.

The "Quality" of the manuals, in my opinion and in my situation are pretty close, I would actually give a nod to the SELOC for the reason listed above. Your average garage mechanic isn't likely to invest several thousand dollars worth of single function tools that only work on one particular OB..

The OEM definatley isnt head and sholders better as I have often found to be the case in the auto/motorcycle world.

One good thing the OEM has going for it, it doesn't try and cover 10 years and 100 different models in one book, reading exceptions can get frustrating

 

[Thumpbass]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

I have owned seloc, clymer, OEM OMC, and OEM Merc manuals and have found wrong, confusing, or lack of information and or poor illustrations in all of them at one time or another. I have to say though the manual for my '98 Mercury 90hp is the absolute worst!!...to be fair i am far from being a mechanic. my $.02

 

[ErieRon]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Hey;

I bought and downloaded the Johnson/Evinrude Repair/Service Manual, 1973-1989, 48-235 HP for $13.95 on July 22nd. It's 572 pages, scanned in a pdf file.

I just tried to go back to the site and get the link for you, but it's saying the domain name has not been renewed

Anyway, here's the info...good luck;

Merchant
EvinrudeRepair.com
sales@evinruderepair.com
641-715-3900 x88929

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

The reason that link disappeared is probably because of copyright issues.

As for printing costs, getting quotes on several hundred manuals gets you a higher cost per book than getting on several thousand. For a 1984 book I certainly would not print and stock several thousand books only to sell a handful each year. Storage and shelf space costs money too.

Age of the document also has no bearing on its cost to print. Demand for that manual does have a bearing on its cost to "maintain". The owners manual for my 2006 car is $35 and another $10 bucks for the plastic folder if you want it. Is this fair? If I really needed another one, yes -- and it is not nearly as complex to produce as a multi-series engine service manual.

 

[kyudizky]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

R Johnson - sent you a pm.

Just for clarification, whether is its violating copyrights or not, the pdf manuals for download, availible at multiple sites, are pdf's of the third party manuals seloc and clymer, not OMC manuals.

I do appreciate the replies trying to help.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

OK, I just looked at Cooks site and for my model, year they list a manual and a manual set. So what's the difference?

Also I have 2 OMC outboards, one is a 1978 35hp Evinrude and the other is a 1981 35hp Johnson. The Evunrude manual is $43.48 the Johnson manual is $51.95. The "set" is $90.00

I don't see that there is that big of a price change between the 2. But the manual for the Johnson I did notice covers ALL 35hp models for that year. Same part number on all models.

Now I could see having both manuals because there are significant chages between those 2 motors even though the power heads and lowers are basically the same. And yes I would pay that price for both.

 

[wilde1j]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Call them and ask ...

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

May just do that, just thought someone here might know.

 

[longjohn119]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Greedy people like Ken Cook, Big Oil, Big Insurance and Big Mortgage Investing are the reason our economy went all to hell and continues to be in a rut ... When Profit is your only value and ethic eventually you will fail

Just like in 1929 ... Unbridled greed will eventually trash any economy, no matter how strong ... The Greed we see today and Capitalism are really two entirely different things despite all the spin to the contrary from the Greedy Elitists

Simple as that

 

[JB]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

Well, I think the guys who think the price of reprinted OEM Manuals is too high ought not buy them.

Bring your outboards to me or TD. I will only charge you $90 an hour plus parts to fix the things you screwed up because you didn't have a good manual or hadn't a clue how to do. Lessee, now, a link 'n' synch on a Johnny V4 should take about an hour $$ plus overhaul of 4 carbs at an hour each $$$$. Storage of your boat will, of course, run only about $10 a day until I get around to it. . . .probably sometime in August $$$$$.

Why waste your money on some paper when you could leave it all to JB or TD? (I charge more because I am old and slow).

A bogus offer, of course, but we need to keep things in perspective.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Manuals - Getting Raked Over the Coals!

OEM book for 47 bucks....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Evin...Motors_Manuals_Literature?hash=item2c51711a72