Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

Bubba1235

No longer on Forums
Joined
May 25, 2008
Messages
588
I went to look at a boat yesterday with the seller telling me it "runs perfect". Unfortuantely there was no way to water test it at the time. I took along my compression guage and a few other tools to help determine the condition of the engine and sterndrive.

Ok, so I get there and the guy has the water hose and muffs ready to go and asks if I want to hear it run. I said not yet, first I would like to do a visual inspection.

Open the dog house and,,, everything (I mean EVERYTHING) on the interior of the dog house has a very light film of oil on it. Not only an oil film but a dirty oil film due to it trapping dust for a long period of time.

I told the guy the engine had "issues" because the only way for that to happen is from excessive blow by that isn't being sucked into the carb. His reply, no way, it runs perfect.

Ok, pull the flame arrestor off and there is oil everywhere and the arrestor is fully clogged where the crakcase vent hose connects. He again asks if I want to hear it run and I say not yet, instead I want to remove the spark plugs and run a quick compression test.

Oh oh, guy gets agitated and finally says he won't allow me to do that and says I may damage something. (Pulling a spark plug is a big task in his world I guess. Or he KNOWS what the results are going to be.)

Long story short, he would not allow the test and I walked away knowing that this guy fully knows the engine is worn out and he is going to dump it on some unsuspecting buyer.

So, if your in the boat buying market, look for an oily film in the dog house. If you see it, run away and find another boat. :(
 

scoutabout

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 14, 2006
Messages
1,568
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

Good job escaping that disaster.

Too bad there are such con artists out there. Even sadder there are at least an equal number of uninformed buyers waiting to throw their money at them.
 

rrhodes

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 24, 2008
Messages
636
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

I made the "Trust the owner" Mistake once. put the boat in the water and the bilge filled up with water. Transom seal was shot.
 

Jeep Man

Commander
Joined
Oct 17, 2008
Messages
2,803
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

Good catch Bubba. The more I read, the more I learn...Who'd a thunk !
 

Silvertip

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 22, 2003
Messages
28,758
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

You have three options when buying a boat (or anything that is required to "operate"). 1) Test drive or make it work, 2) If #1 isn't possible or allowed, the red flag goes to half staff and you then begin the series of tests and base your decision on the outcome. If the testing is stopped by the owner, the reg flag goes to full staff. 3) Take the owners word that it runs perfect or just needs a tune up. If #3 is the only option, the price you pay better be nothing more than salvage value (or free) as the best you can assume is the unit is junk. You can of course get lucky, but failing at #1 and #2 should be enough to convince you that this is not a prime piece of equipment.
 

beerfilter

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
305
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

I often wish there was a way to add comments to adds on Craigslist to warn the uninformed. I just KNOW this is going to be someones "dream" turned "nightmare". Sigh...

No compression test ? LMFAO , I'll give you a dollar for the entire rig , non-negotiable final offer . If they get PO'd ,I laugh harder as I walk away .
Soon as I am home , their posting gets flagged , and I post a warning about the scumbag multiple times . I have been known to find EVERY ad by the same seller and flag every one of these as well , despite being a different item . ;)

I do the same with any motor vehicle . No test drive + no mechanical testing/inspection allowed = a seller looking to scam a sucker .
Run , don't walk , away from these crooks !
 

jay_merrill

Vice Admiral
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,653
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

I often wish there was a way to add comments to adds on Craigslist to warn the uninformed. I just KNOW this is going to be someones "dream" turned "nightmare". Sigh...

There is - just post your comments as an "ad." People do it all the time. My advice would be to make sure that everything you post is supportable fact, or an opinion clearly stated as that.
 

AZSenza

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Mar 11, 2008
Messages
521
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

We do that, we flag as well as post our own ad with a decription of the seller and item(s) being sold. There are a lot of people selling pretty, freshly painted junk, as well as stolen items. Sometimes its obvious sometimes not so. BUYER BEWARE
 

windsors03cobra

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
1,191
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

That's nice of you guys to do that stuff, its too bad there are such schmucks out there that have no problem ripping people off.
I don't really blame the dumb uninformed folks but guess that's where the old saying comes from. Hows it go ? A fool and his money something something.

Anyway yea a Dupont overhaul always looks good. :rolleyes:
 

scoutabout

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 14, 2006
Messages
1,568
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

I was looking at vintage Ford 8N tractors a while ago and drove a couple of hours to see a guy who had two "fully restored" machines. Didn't take more than two minutes to see they were knackered crappers coated in fresh paint. Just about everything was shot. What I didn't understand was his fully equipped shop with lots of photos on the walls of a great variety of machines.

When I challenged him that he was selling repainted junk and asked why considering he looked like he had all the tools and knowhow to do it right he just shrugged and said, "I've learned that I can either waste a year rebuilding something from the ground up, spend many thousands of dollars, and in return get top dollar from someone who appreciates it...OR...I can spent a couple of days and far less money painting up one of these and have some uninformed "collector" from the city take it off my hands for the same top dollar. I just have to be patient and that person always comes along in the end. He'll park it beside his 57 Chevy he paid too much for as well, polish it every once in a while and be happy anyway...."

Sad and cynical. He wasn't even slightly embarrassed about it.
 

Shizzy

Ensign
Joined
Aug 5, 2007
Messages
984
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

I would have done the same thing.

In fact when I show up to look at a vehicle that engine better be stone cold. if I show up and it has been or is already running I just walk away. all engines start easy when they are warmed up.
 

jay_merrill

Vice Admiral
Joined
Dec 5, 2007
Messages
5,653
Re: Another "tell tale" sign of a tired engine.

In my area, those posts are gone in 10 minutes or less.

Folks do that here sometimes too. Like most things on Craigslist, its "hit and miss." What I usually notice is that the unscrupulous sellers who appear often on CL, get "outed" often. Someone will put up a post about their rep, they will flag from a couple of IP addys, and then the others will just repost the warnings. This tends to go on for awhile, until one side or the other get srustrated and quits. In the meantime, the word gets out on who not to buy from.
 
Top