tree on outboard

had some weather come thru last nite.dead pine landed right on top of my tohatsu 9.8 4 stroke 2009. right now the cowl is gone, the starter case is gone and the air silencer is gone. i cant see a lot more damage, have to fix the roof first. my question is, is it cost efficient to repair it?. also lost a piece of the moroe head. the flange where u mount the starter i believe.any opinions on what to do? repair ,replace, maybe trade or part out. iam out of sorts and could use some advice.oh yeah. no insurance coverage. thanks

Re: tree on outboard

Replacing all of those parts would most likely cost quite a bit so I would get an estimate on what it would cost just to get it operable.

I doubt parting it out is worth doing since the motor is so new there isn't very many people needing parts.

Tohatsu, Nissan, and Mercury are all identical motors so you can search for parts from those brands.

I would hang on to the motor and try and find a used motor with a bad powerhead, lower unit, or just plain ugly and pull the parts you need off that one.

Re: tree on outboard

Home owners did not cover the incident?

I would go to a dealer and find out a complete parts list.

I am sorry to hear about your loss.

Re: tree on outboard

Ugh. That's rotten luck.

Better check to confirm that the transom clamp is OK. If the motor was on the boat, and it was bashed hard enough to bust through both the cowl and the recoil, it may have cracked the clamp as well. Maybe homeowners will cover the damage...

New parts won't be cheap. For example, I have sold replacement cowls for these, and they [alone] are pricey at MSRP. BTW, if memory serves, oddly, the Nissan-branded cowl is cheaper than the [identical] Tohatsu cowl for the 9.8. I would do an assessment of all the parts you are going to need, and see what pricing you find. If buying new stuff (likely, as these motors are fairly recent, and there's not a lot of used stuff on the market), the cost is going to be way up in the hundreds. If a cast-in lug (cast into the head or block) for the recoil is snapped off, you should consider that you technically have a damaged powerhead -- with a cracked crankcase casting, for example.

One possible way to go would be to find a unit with a blown powerhead or trashed LU, and transfer everything you need, as mentioned before. Since you are into the off-season, you have the luxury of time to look for a used motor as a parts donor. Good luck to you.

Re: tree on outboard

i have done a partial assessment of my damages. i need a new cowl. a new air silencer, a new starter cover and maybe a throttle cable mount. i will do an in depth asseement tomorrow.i believe i will be able to turn it over and start it. if this happens i will order my parts, install them and before the season starts in feb have everythinf checked at a dealer. insurance did not cover anything, iam still fighting them, i will be lucky to get a few hundred. thanks everyone for ur help.

Re: tree on outboard

Have you considered contacting a public adjuster ? They are usually quite good at getting you the best $ from your homeowners insurance company, even with their fees......my guess is , if you get an estimate from the dealer you bought the engine/ boat from it may help ,verses your word of what is damaged. I would definitley have the dealer take a strong look at your transom...sounds like it took a good hit as well...I hope you recover from this loss in full...thats why you pay for insurance...good luck bro...

Re: tree on outboard

checked my damages today. new cowl, new starter cover, new throttle raturn bracket, new air silencer needed. i started it up, after playing with the neutral safety catch. will order parts tomorrow. the nissan cowling is cheaper. found the leaf springs on the trailer bent on the left side. does not look too bad. will assess towability. transom is ok. i will install parts and then take it to a dealer in feb for a thorough check.thanks everyone for ur help