Calling All Mercury Techs...Again?

[THEFERMANATOR]

Originally Posted by BuilderFL

Well my 1980 Merc 200 is shot and I will be breaking it down to sell parts on Ebay, so if any of you guys need any parts, let me know and will work something out.

Now, I'm looking to buy a 1998 Mercury 200hp for $2,850 and need your help once again.

Most important is what's your opinion about this motor?
Is this a fair price or what should I offer?
Is there way to tell the hours on this motor?
Anything in particular I should be looking for?
Is the oil injection a good or a bad thing on these motors?
What's an acceptable compression?
Best way to check for sparks?

Thanks again guys.

I'm going to assume it's a 2.5L since in 98 was when the 2.5L 200 OFFSHORE was introduced.

Good engine, but thirsty.
Sounds like a fair price if it's in good condition.
No.
Rust on the steering arm, signs of recent engine work, look for any major salt build-up on it, look to see if the paint marks are still on the linkage as many will try and turn these engines up for more power.
The oil injection on them is not all that reliable, the plastic(yes I said plastic) 2 piece crankshaft driving gear is prone to failure without notice. It is also known to slip and reduce oil output while not setting the alrarm off.
125-130 is normal for a 2.5L.
A simple spark tester available at most any parts store works great for checking spark.