Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

[BEKO1212]

i have a 1978 johnson 200 and i took it out for the first time this year and it was running ok nut after a few minutes it was running a little rough.I thought it might be the fuel pumps so i brought it in.Compression was a little low so the mechanic was going to change the seals or rings not sure which one.but anyway when he opened it up he said it was a cracked block.but i am puzzled because the compression was only a little low.dont remember the compression but he said there off by a little.he then offered to sell me another motor right away.not sure if hes telling the truth or is he just trying to sell me another motor.

 

[AEROCOOK]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

Get him to show you the crack.

 

[Daviet]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

I agree with AEROCOOK, you need to see the crack for yourself.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

Here's my 2 cents....

I'd would take quite a lot for me to take 1978 motor to a mechanic. I've read way too many threads where the motor owner ends up paying more for repairs than the motor is worth.

I certainly wouldn't let a mechanic open up my motor without knowing EXACTLY what he's gonna be fixing....and how much it's gonna cost.

Lastly,
Buying a motor from the same mechanic that fixes your motor is an iffy proposition. Kind of a conflict of interest IMO. They are less likely to get your motor fixed....if they think there's a chance you'll buy a new one instead.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

Wheeerrrreee's the Beef.....I mean crack??? Seems like if I were the mechanic telling someone about a new motor, I would have shown them the boogered up block first.
JBJ

 

[BonairII]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

My prediction is that the mechanic won't be able to show him the crack.....but will tell the OP the crack isn't visible without tearing the motor all the way down(at considerable cost to the OP).

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

Rule number 1. A mechanic will always try to sell you a new motor. He won't have to have any labor involved, other than puting it on the back or your boat and he will still have a sale. Anymore, mechanics don't want to work on anything, that's over 20 years old. And lastly, did he give you the numbers of your compression readings before he tore into it? If you actually had a cracked block, are there any water damaged internals? Watch out for those mechanics. If they sense that you don't have a clue, they will take take you for a wild ride with your wallet in their hand.

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

You should have fixed it yourself!!! I've been a marine mechanic for 20 years and you guys make it sound like were all crooks...

 

[Bigkat650]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

You should have fixed it yourself!!! I've been a marine mechanic for 20 years and you guys make it sound like were all crooks...

I think they are more or less just looking out for the best interest of BEKO1212. It's not that mechanics are inherently bad and prone to lying--its more a situation of making sure the proof is there beyond just the mechanics word--there should be proof beyond a reasonable doubt. It's one thing if the mechanic was listing things that needed to be replaced, its another to have them try and sell a new motor. If I took my car to a garage for some work, I would expect a detailed quote, and would like to be shown the problems. If the garage said "You have a blown head gasket and your transmission is toast--how about you buy this 1998 Honda Civic"--I would be a bit concerned, especially if all I took it there for was an inspection and oil change.

 

[egclassic]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

I think they are more or less just looking out for the best interest of BEKO1212. It's not that mechanics are inherently bad and prone to lying--its more a situation of making sure the proof is there beyond just the mechanics word--there should be proof beyond a reasonable doubt. It's one thing if the mechanic was listing things that needed to be replaced, its another to have them try and sell a new motor. If I took my car to a garage for some work, I would expect a detailed quote, and would like to be shown the problems. If the garage said "You have a blown head gasket and your transmission is toast--how about you buy this 1998 Honda Civic"--I would be a bit concerned, especially if all I took it there for was an inspection and oil change.

But it is true that it is hard to find a "boat" mechanic that will touch something older than 10-15 years old.
I had a '73 Merc 850 I was trying to get running once, actually it ran good, just had a shifting issue. Every mechanic I called offered to "sell" me a new motor instead of wanting to work on that one. Ended up, it was something small and easy to fix, I just needed someone more knowledgable than myself to look at it.
I will agree that one could put more money into an older motor than it's worth real quick, and I am not trashing boat mechanics here!
Heck, being a plumber, there are things I refuse to work on because of age also.

 

[BEKO1212]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

how much is this motor worth running right?

 

[rtek816]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

Define running right. Buyers and sellers would value the motor differently. If YOU rebuild the powerhead and everything associated with it and get it running right.......priceless. To sell it? Worth more parting it out. I would guess $300.00 - $500.00 running right. Reciepts for a new power head and running right? Maybe $1200.00 - $1500.00. But it will cost you more to get it in that condition. My $.02 worth.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

how much is this motor worth running right?

600.00 Tops... But it's not it's a parts motor now. Still worth 600.00.

You mechanic is looking out for you. You have a 1978 motor that has served well and lived well beyond the manufacturers expectations. Putting money into it is not wise at this point unless you want to learn about these motors by doing the work yourself. You would need to approach that with the attitude that you're also going to spend more money on it than it's worth. The return on your investment..... you'll be able to work on it for as long as parts are still available.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

LMAO!! 1978 isn't old at all, especially when all of mine pre-date 1970 and as early as 1941.

I'm sorry to say ENSIGN, but a lot of mechanics out there are crooks, especially if you are female and walk up in a pair of high heels.

 

[BEKO1212]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

i thought it would be worth more than $600.i see 10 H.P motor around that year going for that much.
when i start it it starts right up and sounds the way it should.

 

[Bigkat650]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

i thought it would be worth more than $600.i see 10 H.P motor around that year going for that much.
when i start it it starts right up and sounds the way it should.

Yea I was thinking about double that, about $1000-$1200 in proper tuned up running condition. That's in my local market, in June... Maybe $800-$900 in December, when the demand is at rock bottom. I saw a mid 1980's FORCE 125hp on craigslist for $1500 about a week ago... can't imagine it sold for that, but i'd rather have a '78 200hp Johnson then an '85 Force 125 any day of the week.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Is the mechanic telling the truth,or trying to sell me a motor?

A good running 200hp motor would be worth $1000-1500 in my area.

BTW- The "little motors" go for so much money because so many people want/need them.