no compression

[mr shag]

Your two topics have been merged so members can help you better. GA_B, moderator

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Hello guys. Hope I get some better news than the shop gave me. My motor wouldn't stay running after storing the boat for a while so I went through the motions. New fuel, new plugs, checked compression and sure enough the last cylinder I check has 0 compression while the rest are 125-120. The local shop says $3500 on the low end to rebuild if the block is savable. I know without opening her up I don't know the extent of the damage but does anyone have any ideas on how to save some bucks any way? I didn't even pay that much for the boat to begin with so I'm not sure I wanna dump a bunch of money into it. Thanks

 

[GA_Boater]

For starters - What motor are you asking questions about?

 

[Chris1956]

Gee, that sounds like a lot of $$ for a single cylinder repair. I would get a second opinion.

 

[Faztbullet]

Pull the head and inspect cylinder....

 

[enginepower]

Did it run good before storing it? If so, maybe you have some stuck rings. Before tearing it apart, try something like Marvel Mystery Oil or some type of piston ring cleaner and let it soak then spin it over with the plugs out to blow it out (make sure spark is disabled when doing this) After that, try running it on the muffs for a bit and see how it does. If compression is still 0, rebuild time and you need to find out why. Is carb lean maybe and you damaged it on your last run possibly? If it ran good before storing, you might have a chance.

 

[wired247]

Pull the head. When you see the destroyed piston pull the motor. Pull it apart. Send the block in to get a sleeve for $300. Add $100 to ship it back and forth. Hone the rest. Buy a piston for $90. Buy a set of rings for $150. Change the rod bearings for the hell of it. $150. Set of gaskets $125. Send the injectors in for a good cleaning $150. Put it all back together. Worst case your'e out $1000 and 10 hours of your own labor and you havent paid someone else $2500 labor to do the exact same thing.

 

[Dukedog]

"0" it's dead.....No bringing it back. 24/7 has a good idea! Let us know how that works out for ya! There could be several other things inside damaged that you won't notice unless ya know what your lookin' at. Ya don't know for sure till ya get in it. Ya gotta know what your lookin' at. Takes more than a hammer, pliers and screwdriver. Doin' something like that yourself isn't for everybody like he seems ta think!............But if your up to it get an OEM manual and get after it..............jmo

 

[wired247]

Specialized tools you'll need .... Flywheel puller $25. Thats really the only tool thats not in a normal tool set. Timing light. You should have one but if you don't $50. A torque wrench $50 if you dont have one.

Its not like working on a lower unit. If you have the most basic of socket sets, A come along and a tree ( I pull them by hand but I'm on the large side ) and a few wrenches youve got all the general tools you need. The Mercury service manual is available online . Do a search for 90-824052R3. Its LONG winded but its written for someone who's never touched a outboard motor before. If youve ever done any automotice motor work you'll find Merc V6's to be a walk in the park. No valve train to set up and time, no distrbutor etc. You arent trying to diagnose motor electrical or injection problems. Youve got a bad piston and probably a wiped out bore. Simple mechanical stuff. The machinist is doing all the work.

 

[mr shag]

1989 mercury laser 220 xri

 

[Dukedog]

Really, most single cylinder "PATCH" (which is what you would be doin') deals don't work out very good especially with tha first timer and a chrome bore motor. If its done by a knowledgeable mech (sometimes hard ta find) it stands a better chance.....First thing is you don't know what caused it and don't know how ta find it! I don't care what "whistle britches" says Its not that easy.......

Being an '89 "Laser" its already got two strikes against it. Tha early ecu's were tha worst. That part in itself would need ta go. Probably part of tha reason for failure when all said b done.......jmo

What part of tha Country ya in? There might be someone "known" in your area that might be able ta help

 

[mr shag]

Long Beach California

 

[Dukedog]

Sorry took so long but have no idea in that part of tha country............

 

[wired247]

LA sleeve in Santa Fe Springs on the other side of LA county will do a sleeve for you for $300 and they can tell you exactly which ones need to get redone. Sure, you get to drive through Compton to get there but it makes for an interesting trip. Its a chrome motor. Its what youve got. Inspect the bores for flaking chrome and resleeve the bad ones. Chrome bore motors get rebuilt all the time with used pistons. You can rebuild the thing completely for another few hundred for new pistons but weigh the cost against how much you want to spend and how long you want the motor to last.

For $3500 you could sleeve all the holes, replace all the pistons and install a brucato ACU and have a motor that would last your kids lifetimes.

 

[mr shag]

Wired.... Thanks for everything. You make it sound so simple. A lot of people told me its a waste to rebuild because this motor was nothing but problems from the start of production. I've built small blocks before (with help) but outboards scare the hell outa me.