Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

[AK_Fish]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

I didnt go with a poll because I didnt want a poll. Im not going to go out and buy whatever the most common answer is....haha..I just wanted to hear all of the really cool stories that people have to tell. You guys have been alive, using, and working on motors a lot longer than I have so I want to hear these great stories about rock solid motors...and just the same, I wanted to hear about motors blowin up right out of the gate. So thanks to those of you who have responded and to those of you who will repsond in further posts. But no thanks....I didnt want a poll!!!!!!!! Because yes...it is a list of wrong answers, and I know their is no right or wrong answer, only our personal experiences.

Thanks...Adam

*Whoever said "Its not whether you win or loose, but how you play the game"...PROBABLY LOST!!!*

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

I've got a 1977 merc 850 inline 4 I can't kill. It's been ran lean at WOT several
times, overheated, etc. and still has the same compression as I bought it
~6yrs. ago. This was enough to make me a mercury fan. Especially after a
1983 johnson 50hp lost a cylinder 2mos. after I bought it. I think most people
agree that J/E 90-115hp V4 crossflows are some of the most reiable engines made in the 70's-80's. I see a few eveytime I go to the lake, not so much
on the older merc inlines.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

My experience is that the '55-'63 johnson and evinrude engines from 5.5 to 35hp motors are really reliable when replacement coils are put on them. I would probably faint if my '57 johnson or '58 18hp evinrude didn't crank by the 2nd pull no matter what weather!
JBJ

 

[DJ]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

We have a 2000 model year Merc. 2-stroke 75 HP that has just over 2000 hours-on a pontoon.

Nothing done to it but water pumps, gear lube changes and spark plugs.

 

[jasonbailey]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

I know you Johnnyrude/Merc/Yammy guys are going to laugh me off the thread but, I had a 1984 75HP Chrysler up until last year. It was a good motor. It had very few problems, and I ran the snot out of it from 2001 to 2008. I wanted something a little bigger and something with power tnt, so I bought a 90HP Merc.

It was my FIL's before I had it, he bought it new and NEVER did anything to it except for impellers. I had to rebuild the carbs once, and I had to change the head gasket to solve an overheat problem. It was super easy to work on.

The boat, motor, and trailer(brand new trailer) cost me nothing and I ran it for 8 seasons for nothing more than the cost of gas and maintenance. My FIL ran it from 85 until about 99 and he did not use it after that.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

I know you Johnnyrude/Merc/Yammy guys are going to laugh me off the thread but, I had a 1984 75HP Chrysler up until last year. It was a good motor. It had very few problems, and I ran the snot out of it from 2001 to 2008. I wanted something a little bigger and something with power tnt, so I bought a 90HP Merc.

It was my FIL's before I had it, he bought it new and NEVER did anything to it except for impellers. I had to rebuild the carbs once, and I had to change the head gasket to solve an overheat problem. It was super easy to work on.

The boat, motor, and trailer(brand new trailer) cost me nothing and I ran it for 8 seasons for nothing more than the cost of gas and maintenance. My FIL ran it from 85 until about 99 and he did not use it after that.

I say that this story provides undeniable proof that there is a God and that he loves people in Maryland.

 

[jasonbailey]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

I say that this story provides undeniable proof that there is a God and that he loves people in Maryland.

Live right, be good to your kids, don't cheat(not too badly) on your taxes, throw a dollar or two in the collection plate, help your fellow boaters, and the boat gods will look kindly upon you. I'm living proof, or my old O/B was anyway.

 

[DJ]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

Live right, be good to your kids, don't cheat(not too badly) on your taxes, throw a dollar or two in the collection plate, help your fellow boaters, and the boat gods will look kindly upon you. I'm living proof, or my old O/B was anyway.

The boat gods demand MUCH more than a dollar or two.

I'm not laughing at the Chrysler comment. 99% of outboards die of neglect, not inferior engineering or workmanship.

 

[ajgraz]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

I've got a British Seagull for a kicker for my 15' trihull. I keep it under the lounge seat. I haven't done a damned thing to it but freshen the fuel since my Dad won it in a poker game 20-some years ago, it smokes like a chimney, leaves an Exxon-Valdez sized slick, and is loud as hell, but the damned thing is absolutely unkillable and would run on liquid pig turds.

The 1978 Merc 700...when the CDI system isn't acting up, is an awesome motor. Unfortunately, it spends almost as much time in an un-awesome state as in an awesome state.

My brother's 1987 Johnson 140...skip the auto-oiling system and mix your own and that motor will run until the end of time.

Note that I have no personal experience with OB's newer than the late 80's. I'm poor but I like boats...bad combination

 

[Downwindtracker2]

Re: Most Durable / Reliable Outboard Of All Time???

We were hunting on the Alaska/B.C. border area and in the camp site were in there was a retiree from Prince Rupert,who had been a fisherman. On his boat was an Evenrude,one that was left over from work. I asked him about it,he said he seemed to have less trouble them than Mercs,and had a bunch of both.