Don't do it.....

If anyone out their is considering buying an outboard from iboats think it over carefully.I was told my motor would arrive in "about a week"It took 19 days.It had a scratch in the cowl from top to bottom.It has rub marks with missing paint around the tell tale outlet.It is now waiting to get looked at by my local Yamaha dealer.It's an F50 '04 four stroke.It never liked to start when it was cold last season.It won't start at all this season and dealerman says It ain't covered by the usually good Yamaha warranty!Look,they hype these motors as "gently used" from "pristine lakes" Mine looks like it got the snot kicked out of it at a lumber camp.(It was shipped from British Colombia.No U.S. warranty!!)I'm wondering if they took the time to break this engine in?I'll never buy a motor from iboats again.I'll hook up with my local Yammy man and tell everyone my tale of"iboats and the grey market motors" New or used, buy from a dealer and get your warranty!!!

Re: Don't do it.....

Bummer. What did you pay for the engine and shipping? No warranty? Thanks for the tip. If I were you, I'd trade that engine in on a new one and go fishing. Somtimes we try to save money so bad, it hurts. Your complaint is rare here. Good luck.

Re: Don't do it.....

Hello Oldbaldduffer<br />Did you buy it from iboats or did you buy it from a private owner who advertized in iboats?<br />Did you winterize your engine last fall?<br />Please tell us some more because at least as far as I am concerned,I always received very honest and straight forward service and this does not sound like the iboats that I know.

Re: Don't do it.....

That is a carbed engine, not an EFI engine. It requires care and it requires correct starting procedure. It also requires winterization.<br /><br />How long did you use it last season? What have you done to determine why it wont start now?<br /><br />The time to contact iboats about your dissatisfaction was last year, and it is iboats you need to contact, not scapegoating them on this forum. The originator and iboats have nothing to do with your current complaint.<br /><br />You got an excellent discount on that engine. It is not reasonable to expect it to be perfect cosmetically or to survive a year of neglect.<br /><br />I am going to move this to the Yamaha troubles Forum, where you can get excellent advice on caring for your engine and getting it runnning again.

Re: Don't do it.....

The 60 warranty is not a good deal, but clearly outlined in the sales material. I bought mine and dad bought his here on iboats, and we both got excellent engines, mine had a scratch on the decal. Dads had old gas in the tank when shipped !! <br /><br />So, what was done to winterize it?<br />It has spark, and fuel to the bowl.<br />How about gas to the cylinders?<br /><br />Dirty carbs?<br /><br />Kill switch in the off position?<br /><br />Let us know what they find.

Re: Don't do it.....

I wish it was simple as bad gas or dirty carbs.The carbs were drained in October and the boat was put away indoors until this april.With fresh gas and a charged battery it does not get fuel.I've drained the carbs and water seperator 20 times at least and I got a new fuel pump installed also-NO DICE.Last season it never liked to start when cold and would stall a few times before it would smooth out.iboats doesn't give a rats *** about your stating problems-this season or last.The problem I have if I was to spend a little more cash I could of found a motor from a actual human dealer-with a warranty- and not some kid on a telephone 2500 miles away.Live and learn.I'll never do this again.

Re: Don't do it.....

I see you are from CT. The ethanol gas here is not kind to carbed Yamahas. I started having troubles last year. This is the second season I have had to rebuild my carbs with less than 50 hours use between rebuilds.<br /><br />Rip the carbs off and take the bowls off. I'll bet you will find this reddish/orange powdery crap in the bottom of the bowls. Once you clean and rebuild, I'll bet you will run fine.

Re: Don't do it.....

Hey Slapshot,<br /><br />What do you suppose is that "stuff" you found in the carb bowl? Ethanol (the alcohol portion) is a colorless liquid, as (almost is) gas.<br /><br />Sounds like the supplier up there may be your problem...dirty tanks, not the fuel....But it's starting to show up down here and I am on the alert.<br /><br />Thanks,<br /><br />Mark

Re: Don't do it.....

You bought that engine through iboats.<br /><br />I wonder why you didn't come to this forum with your starting problems last year. The existence of this forum sort of contradicts your snotty comment about whether iboats cares about your starting problems. Such comments are not going to inspire lot of help.<br /><br />What happens if you squirt/spray fuel into the carb throats when trying to start?

Re: Don't do it.....

Ethonal does several things. It breaks down o-rings, certain gaskets and the one way valve in primer bulbs. It also scrubs the inside of your entire fuel system. Older tanks tend to have a buildup of crud on the tank walls (mine is 10 years old). That stuff suspends in the fuel and gets pulled through the fuel delivery system. <br /><br />The ethanol fuels have been in CT and Ny for a few years now. The problems are well documented on regional internet fishing and boating sites up here.

Re: Don't do it.....

"gently used on a nice scenic fresh water lake". <br /> You should know better. That tells more about the seller than it does the motor.<br /> Think about why anybody would be selling an 04 model in 05...because it's had the sh** used out of it is why. Usually by people that have never run a boat motor before at a rental dock. these are sold after a certain time when the dock deems they may start breaking down and leave their customers stranded somewhere (that they don't care about...they care about the money this might cost them).<br /><br /> They are not sold due to depriciation or any tax reason either. If they still looked new and ran new for 10 years, they would still be on rental boats.<br /><br />And telling a customer they "got a deal"?? That's just funny.

Re: Don't do it.....

Those rental fleet or guide fleet engines used at Canadian resorts (on pristine, fresh water) are leased. The lease runs out, they are sold. It has nothing to do with some wrench's idea that they may break down.<br /><br />Yours is the first complaint I have heard from hundreds of buyers of off lease engines through iboats, and I find your complaint without merit. <br /><br />All this fantasizing about dishonorable motives in resort owners and iboats is just that. . . fantasy.<br /><br />What you did or didn't do in the past is history. What you need to do now is quit your pathetic whining and do something about getting your engine running.<br /><br />I say again: What happens if you squirt/spray gas into the carbs when trying to start? It is unlikely that all the carbs are gonna quit at once. It is more likely that your trouble is not in the engine at all, but in your fuel supply system. . .tank vent or pickup, primer bulb, lines, filters (you DO have a water seperating fuel filter, don't you?). Restrictions or air leaks anywhere in this system will prevent the carbs from getting gas.<br /><br />Check it out and let us know what you find.

Re: Don't do it.....

There is nothing dishonorable about owning a resort. There is nothing dishonorable about claiming something is "gently" used or "little bit" pregnant, "like" new, "just" rebuilt.<br /> Those terms simply say more about the person doing the talking rather than about the part itself.<br /><br />Leased motors should have hour/service information..if not..that's neglect. If it's not mentioned, or wasn't kept up with...there is a reason.

Re: Don't do it.....

Perhaps so, brownies, but not the reason you imagine. When offering a group of, say 50, off lease engines like iboats does, how do you suggest they advertise hours and service history? <br /><br />Your negative description of people selling as dishonest and deliberately misleading says a lot more about you than it does the seller.<br /><br />Same for the rest of you iboats bashers. Hell of a way to treat your host.

Re: Don't do it.....

JB, sit back and enjoy a malt. somefolks will complain if you hang them with a new rope in the color they chose.<br /> its not an iboats problem its a customer stupidity issue and wont go away. at least my stupid ones I just tell them to leave and not comeback.<br /> your gonna get wall marks on your knoggin .<br /> got mine monday but they are healing.<br /> a carb getting no fuel is not a motor issue but a neglect/hull issue.

Re: Don't do it.....

Have the Scotch. . .21 year old Chivas Royal Salute from the Ruby Flagon. Not single malt, but better than most SM. (Son got it for me in Cancun for Fathers' Day.)<br /><br />Feel better now. Not good yet, but better.<br /><br />Thanks for the advice, rodbolt.