Help me find a motor...

[smokeonthewater]

Well guys while I was home last week dealing with family stuff Dad and talked more than we have in many years.... He asked about my V and wanted to know what I planned to do w it... I told him it was one of the best blue water boats for it's size ever built and that I hope to eventually get it rigged up well enough to be able to make trips n do saltwater fishing off the east coast.... He got excited and wanted in so I told him I'd step up my efforts to get a motor on it I can trust offshore and he and I would go hunt down a moby dick of a tuna....

Losing mom made me realize just how little time we may have left and frankly lit a fire under me....

My old merc 115 TOP does run well but I just can't trust our lives to a 1975 engine that was designed for much better gas than we have now and has a fairly complex ignition system that is 40 years old and I'm not real sure how long the lower unit is gonna hold up as it had more water in it than I'm comfortable w when I got it and no idea how long it was in there.

I am just not in a position to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on a motor so I need some help.... I know somewhere out there is a deal and maybe one of you guys can spot it for me....

I would settle for a 110 or bigger but a 150-250 would probably be better.

I would LOVE a 4 stroke but I highly doubt I can afford one.

I'm very handy w a wrench but would rather not get into a full rebuild as I really doubt I'd end up saving any money going that route..

I've got an old merc 7.5 short shaft for a kicker.... Not great for big water but runs great so unless I find an amazing deal on a bigger one I'll run it.

[bgreene]

Finding an honestly good motor can be challenging...........or you can get lucky .

I've purchased a few......found by contacting boat dealers, motor dealers, craigslist etc.

I can tell you that I found ARG Marine in Florida to be a reputable source.
Reputable meaning they answered all questions, follow up was accurate, and motors I purchased were delivered in proper crates, condition , hours all as presented.

They have a web site and contact was Victor....if he's still there.

If you find they have a motor you want , I suggest you make offer rather than take list.

[smokeonthewater]

Thx... I looked but they don't have anything.... Honestly I probably need to find a private party deal.

[phatdaddy]

in your situation,being inland(at least i think you are), i'd look for merc opti that's been fresh water used. lots of them being switched out for 4 stroke and the optis get as good, if not better fuel mileage. they are more expensive to run with special oil and compressor issues, but spare of ferm can probably give you some insight on the better years.

i sold the rebuilt 200 and the blown 150 and all my 2 stroke parts for $1100. i looked hard at the opti, but like the simplicity of the merc 4s.

i know you travel a good bit, keep an eye on the atlanta craigs list, lotta boats on lake lanier.\

i've also found you can sometimes get a better deal on a boat motor and trailer than just a motor alone.

good luck, i'll keep my eye out

[THEFERMANATOR]

If you need a 20" shaft engine, watch screamandfly.com. Theres always good freshwater 20" shaft engines going up for sale over there. If you're on a budget, I would go with a 2.0L carbed 150 MERC. OPTI's are nice for fuel economy, but when a compressor goes, it's a $100 bill last I checked. My 2nd choice would be one of the 2.6L 150 YAMAHA's. It's a TOUGH engine with a PROVEn track record. Also decent on fuel with fair power. Theres alot of good engines out there, but finding one that isn't going to drink you out of house and home buying on a budget will be a challenge.

[Monkey Butler]

I have a 1986 V-6 Special that needs to be put together. Powerhead is in one piece. Located in Mass. Any interest?

[yodaddy]

Smoke - I've got a 225HP 1991 Yammy V6 25" I planned on selling this year. It came on an Aquasport 222 I picked up a few years ago, and has been sitting since. I started it up one time after I got the boat, and the motor fired right up and idled nicely. I checked the compression, and best I recall it was 125# on all cylinders except for 85# on the top left cylinder. I was going to soak that cylinder and see if it was just a stuck ring, but never got around to it.

The boat is out back and I won't be able to get to it until about 3' of snow melts, which could be another month.

I planned on asking $1500 on CL, and offering it here for $1000. If you're interested I'll get it out ASAP and give it a going over.

[smokeonthewater]

Striper, copy that

YoDaddy, yeah i could be interested if the compression comes back.... you don't have to rush tho... would be a couple/few months before I could get up there to get it... from here it would be a 4000 mile round trip but once I get home it'll only be an easy 2000 mile round trip :)

MB, still interested in yours too.... curious if you ever did a comp test on it?

[Monkey Butler]

Sorry to take so long to reply.

The motor had good comp all around 115-120 as i recall. I'd have to bolt on the starter and flywheel to spin it up now.

The paint is faded bad and there are a few stuck bolts in the mid to deal with but if you want a cheap kit motor

[gw204f]

I've got a 25" '95 Merc 225 EFI that I am looking to sell. Picked it up about 2 years ago for a 22' Grady bracket conversion project and haven't been able to finish. Not sure when the boat will be ready for a motor, so I figured I would go ahead and unload it so it's just not sitting around.

Ran well and compression was between 98 and 105 on all six when I bought it. Hours are unknown (on a Mercury factory replacment powerhead) and it got a new lower unit 3 years ago. Has been stored indoors since I got it and the seller told me he stabilized the fuel before we pulled it off his boat. I fogged the cylinders once I got it home. It could use paint on the cowlings.

Comes with gauges, binnacle control, wiring harnesses, oil tank and 22' (I think) 1 year old throttle/shift cables. All it needs is your steering.



More pics are coming. Asking $2800, but I'll listen to offers.