Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

im in the market for a used outboard and have come across a 1987 20hp evinrude. i had posted a want ad and the guy said he wanted $500. pull start and manual steer
I've only used some newer outboards which we purchased new (1993). now my dad used to buy outboards from his o/b repair guy all the time and had tons of headaches and that's why he bought a new one in 1993. he thinks buying something that old with just give us headaches.
im a little bit wary of something that old. I know i should check compression before buying but what else? and assuming i do buy it what are some other things i can do other then sea foam. i have limited knowledge with outboards.
any advice with be appreciated

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

Old motors can be in good shape or bad shape, just like newer motors. The only inherent disadvantage of old motors is availability of parts and knowledgable mechanics who will work on them. That particular motor is 22 years old. It is likely that a lot of parts that are not usually replaced are no longer available. I also think the price is twice what it should be.

It doesn't sound like you plan to do your own maintenance or repairs. If so, I would pass on it, and get something in the late 90s. At least parts will be available and the mechanics may be interested in working on it.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

i would like to do my own work, and with a shop manual im pretty sure i can do some of the maintence such as the impeller, i havent really had much experience as im only 18, but im relatively mechanically inclined.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

proper maintained they are good motors. compression on a recoil start should be around 60 psi, or above. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=313963&highlight=compression . check spark, have the seller to start it. if you can test run it on a boat.

things that should be done, replace impeller, carb cleaning with kit. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=299680

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

all right thanks a lot guys. not sure if im going to buy it but ill definitely think about it.
EDIT: i just called the guy and according to him its been sitting in the shed most of its life. only problem is that it was used on the rehobeth bay. according to him though it was always flushed and has its original zincs. again he said its been sitting but he started in a last summer and it ran great. i guess ill just let the compression tester and it running to do the talking

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

well since you are looking for a small motor, you might find some that were not used in the salt water in NJ...

but dont be in such a hurry...I have seen many outboards from 5-20 hp from the 80's going for $400-$700 in the greater NY area.

so that maybe how he priced it...

any motor that has been sitting that long could have issues and just because he started it in a barrel doesnt mean that is it running good.

those carb problems that are caused by motors sitting unsused for years with out proper put away proceedures all fall into the same catergory

and the want ads should be full of them soon for spring clean ups..

about 10 years ago i bought a few older rmotors one a 5.5 and an 18 all from the late 50's...they ran great the whole time i had them....zero issues

so dont be affraid of the year....judge each motor on its own merits and story..

the best you could do is buy a motor that is on a boat that you have taken for a drive in the water..and the motor ran to WOT..

good luck

bob

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

bob johnson said:

about 10 years ago i bought a few older rmotors one a 5.5 and an 18 all from the late 50's...they ran great the whole time i had them....zero issues

so dont be affraid of the year....judge each motor on its own merits and story..
bob

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Yup - '87 is too new for me. I'll stick with the oldies from the '50s and '60s - lots easier to maintain by yourself and lots less to go wrong with them (IMHO)

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

hmm well i have all of this to consider. i have a budget of about $1000 for a 15-20hp outboard. just need to see what i can get. when do you think the market will pick up? and the best time to sell

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

NYGiants said:

hmm well i have all of this to consider. i have a budget of about $1000 for a 15-20hp outboard. just need to see what i can get. when do you think the market will pick up? and the best time to sell

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dont wait till the best time to sell..... you want to find your motor before the season....

i just think that more will show up in the spring. maybe by may...

but you would do good to find something before then...youll have more leverage

you looked in Craigslist???

I look there often and you have to play games with the search

first type in outboard motor
then type in Evinrude
then type in johnson
then type in yamaha
ect...
you will see motors show up that were not listed under outboards


good luck



bob

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

If you look in craigslist then search for bad spelling like evenrude or evanrude also, you may find one that was overlooked. Be patient and don't buy a pile that you'll regret later.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

Age is not anywhere near as important as condition and part availability.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

Thos older Evinrudes can be quite a trat - lots of power and low weight.. but salt is death - if the last use was salt, and even if it was rinsed, the salt residue can slowly corrode the aluminum over the years (yes, even when dry)
If I remember, the cooling channel between the power head and the lower unit will become clogged with corrosion and can be instant death. I have seen the cover latch break on many of them from corrosion. There are plenty of good mechanics who will be willing to work on it, but it will be expensive to go through it properly. I would look on this site for such a mechanic.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

Just another bit of my worthless rambling. A guy on here within the last couple of weeks was rebuilding a Rude Lark 40 hp of 1958 vintage. The thing was in beautiful shape not witholding the fact that it was 40 years old....mind boggling when you think about what it is, what it is made of, and what it has been through in it's life. As for this one, care wasn't in the equation as the guy bought it whereas it had been sitting in a barrel of water for who knows how long and it didn't ruin the lower unit. He completely disassembled it and took and posted pics of it. Absolutely amazing.

So in answering your question, anything is possible.

Mark

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

Age is a huge factor to me - if its new, I don't want it!

My main powerplant is a 1972 Johnson 65hp. Its also hydro-electric shift, which most people avoid like the plague. I run it quite a bit more than the average boater and I run it 12 months per year. It is used in both brackish water and salt water.

My primary kicker (I have a couple of others) is a 1969 Johnson 6hp. This motor was once used as part of an unusual setup, involving operation in a dual configuration with another 6hp motor. They were on a heavy 15 foot boat and were run wide open essentially all of the time, for probably well over a thousand hours. Prior to owning them, I have no idea how much time they had on them, but considering one is a 1965 and the other a 1969, its probably safe to say that they had a lot of use to begin with.

My '72 65hp still has compression values in the high 130s and is extremely reliable. I think nothing of taking it out in the middle of the night and recently did so, while assisting the USCG in a search effort. The '69 6hp just received some maintenance (new water pump kit and points/condensors). It showed 55 pounds of compression in one cylinder and 54 in the other, which is good for that motor. When I tested the it in the water, it started on the second pull cold and the first pull warm. I pushed the boat with it for a mile or so, just to let it get warm and try it at various power settings - it was fine all the way through the run.

The trick to older OMC motors is proper use and proper care. If they have received both, they can be great engines that will continue to provide good service well into the future. In fact, I'd dare say that some of them will be retired due to future environmental laws, not service problems.

"Go gitya" an old OMC! You will have lots of fun towing guys with $20,000 motors back to the launch!



???

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

jay_merrill said:

"Go gitya" an old OMC! You will have lots of fun towing guys with $20,000 motors back to the launch!???

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You got that right !!!

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

jay_merrill said:

Age is a huge factor to me - if its new, I don't want it!

My main powerplant is a 1972 Johnson 65hp. Its also hydro-electric shift, which most people avoid like the plague. I run it quite a bit more than the average boater and I run it 12 months per year. It is used in both brackish water and salt water.

My primary kicker (I have a couple of others) is a 1969 Johnson 6hp. This motor was once used as part of an unusual setup, involving operation in a dual configuration with another 6hp motor. They were on a heavy 15 foot boat and were run wide open essentially all of the time, for probably well over a thousand hours. Prior to owning them, I have no idea how much time they had on them, but considering one is a 1965 and the other a 1969, its probably safe to say that they had a lot of use to begin with.

My '72 65hp still has compression values in the high 130s and is extremely reliable. I think nothing of taking it out in the middle of the night and recently did so, while assisting the USCG in a search effort. The '69 6hp just received some maintenance (new water pump kit and points/condensors). It showed 55 pounds of compression in one cylinder and 54 in the other, which is good for that motor. When I tested the it in the water, it started on the second pull cold and the first pull warm. I pushed the boat with it for a mile or so, just to let it get warm and try it at various power settings - it was fine all the way through the run.

The trick to older OMC motors is proper use and proper care. If they have received both, they can be great engines that will continue to provide good service well into the future. In fact, I'd dare say that some of them will be retired due to future environmental laws, not service problems.

"Go gitya" an old OMC! You will have lots of fun towing guys with $20,000 motors back to the launch!



???

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I frequently take my pontoon with a 1957 Evinrude Lark out at night and my only kicker is a wooden paddle. It has never stranded me. I frequently end up towing stranded boaters with this boat/motor. Last Fall when I was running to the boat ramp to pull the pontoon out for the winter, I saw another pontoon with a late model Merc drifting across the lake. Went over for the rescue and towed the guy to the boat ramp, which was his destination when the motor quit on him. I always carry a tow rope on the pontoon just for such occasions.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

I have found the late 80s model OMC outboards to be very good motors...just do a good visual inspection, you can rack up quite a bill on little plastic linkage parts that break and are wired or rigged and need replacing. $500 is not a bad price if motor is in good shape..I would deduct the price of any parts that need replacing. With a DVA adapter you can test the stator, spark gap tester you can test coils and run it up the river once if you can before buying it.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

lindy46 said:

Yup - '87 is too new for me. I'll stick with the oldies from the '50s and '60s - lots easier to maintain by yourself and lots less to go wrong with them (IMHO)

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Yep, I'm with Lindy and Jay Merrill. If I had a choice between a restored 57 Fast twin and a modern engine of the same size, the oldie will win hands down. The quality of the parts that put it together are far superior of the new ones today. Allthough I do have a 1986 25hp that is in awesome shape, it was a freebee. I have a 57 18, that's going to be totally worked over, once my house sells and I get to where I'm going. I had a few in the past like it as well.
I've fixed and restored oldies for sometime now and find the older ones are easily brought back to life and once you go through everything and tune it up right, they will run forever. I seen may good outboards and lawnmowers end up in the scrap yard, only on count of the fact no one wanted to take the time and money to give them a simple tune up. The motor in my avitar is my very first example, when it comes to old outboards.

If you're a young man who is mechanically inclined, this would be a great project for you and something you could handle. Besides that, if you have questions, you have come to the right place for answers. There are a lot of members here who have a lot of experience (even way more than mine) at repairing motors and give great advice.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

i am not a fan of the electric or assisted shift models..And I would think that parts for 40s-60s motors would be hard to come by. IMO an 80s- 90s model motor are easy to work on..and there are plenty of them out there and you can still get parts pretty cheap.

Re: Buying a 1987 motor. age a big deal?

it seems to me that i would want to stay away from motors that used points

if I remember right they needed to be changed at intervals that i dont see other electrical stuff needing to be changed on motors without points.

who wants to pull flywheels ??????

if you do it enough you bugger up the key way and shaft....

ok I, bugger up the key way and shaft...or well I used to!!! ha ha ha

but I have this feeling that the OP wont see many more $500 late 80's 20-25 hps for sale in his area...

I look into northern NJ once in a while for outboards there...the prices are not that low

bob