marksanmarco
Recruit
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2005
- Messages
- 2
I am the second owner of a 1998 150 Mercury Offshore outboard; I estimate it has no more than 300 hrs on it, if that. The last time I took it out, I had an alarm come on and drove back to dock on idle.<br /><br />I brought it into a shop and the mechanic said that one cyclinder is leaking 100% and another on 30%..he said the issue was probably from "sitting" around to long or a faulty oil pump. He etimates it would cost $4-6,000 to rebuild...I almost fainted. I'm not sure I buy the sitting around to long theory as plenty of people store their boats for 6 months in the winter in the northeast.<br /><br />I am clueless about outboards...any recommendations? Bring it elswehwere for a second opinion? look at new outboards?<br /><br />Thanks for any suggestions!
<br /><br />I have no idea what that 100% and 30% means. I've never heard it put that way. If there is no compression I suppose that would mean it leaks 100%. But again I would have no idea what he was talking about that way. You usually get compression readings, not leaking figures. Leakdown figures are usually for 4-strokes only, although I supppose you could do it on a 2-stroke. I just don't know of anybody that does leakdowns on 2-strokes. He must be a sterndrive mechanic dabbling in outboards. I'd suggest a 2nd opinion from an Outboard mechanic.<br /><br />As far as sitting around goes, it depends if it was prepared for storage or just left to rust. A saltwater atmosphere can do that in a hurry resulting in a destroyed powerhead. Rather than overhaul, I'd opt for a reconditioned powerhead. The guarantee is usually much more reliable.<br /><br />I suspect the powerhead overheated and continuing to drive it did the destruction. If the alarm was a beeeeeeep, then that means overheat. A beep beep beep means an oil system problem. Still, continuing to run an outboard with the alarm sounding is always a bad idea unless it means life or death (yours).