1988 Bayliner Trophy OMC advice

[jbflying]

Hello to all,

I'm new to this forum so I hope I put this in the right category.

I was hoping to get some advice...

There is a 1988 Bayliner Trophy 2459 Hardtop for sale in my area for $3500. It appears to be in relatively good shape for a 1988. Everything appears to be solid as far as the hull. It is on a dual axle trailer that is in really good shape. The 5.7 engine (with OMC Cobra) was repuilt 2 yrs ago and sounds good. Now for the problem. It will not go into gear. The guy selling it says that he believes that the shift cable is broken in the lower outdrive. He said he has asked several mechanics their opinion and each one tells him a different story. I have looked online and found the shift cable for about $80, lower units for $1500, and upper and lower for $3000. I would most likely get this fixed by a marine mechanic as I have read that this is not a job for the inexperienced. Although I'm not sure what the labor costs would be.

So, I'm thinking $80 best case senario or worst case senario it will cost $3000 in parts. Is there anything I'm overlooking here? Is there any other structural or engine problems I should be looking for in a boat this old? Is it more likely the cable or something more serious? I know this is a pretty general question but any information will help! Or should I just run while I can (keeping in mind I need a boat for $5,000 not $50,000)?

Thanks,
JB

 

[JMC69871]

Re: 1988 Bayliner Trophy OMC advice

You are taking a shot in the dark here. I own a Cobra and they can be great drives with the right maintenance and care. I personally would not buy an OMC that wasn't working correctly at the time of purchase. The industry is slowly loosing competent technicians and depending where you are located it might be hard to find someone to work on it. You can always try shifting the drive manually by hand. Although OMC has been out of business for quite some time now, it is not very hard to source parts for them. Those drives are not cost efficient to rebuild considering the proper tools to align the gears in the lower unit are outrageously expensive. If you can get a hell of a deal on the boat, SEI makes an OMC conversion kit which is basically an aftermarket MERC drive with a warranty. I believe they are in the range of $1600-$1800. Hope this helps.

 

[sea wolf]

Re: 1988 Bayliner Trophy OMC advice

The Trophy is a nice boat. Too bad it has an OMC hanging off the back. I own a boat with a Cobra drive & no way would I ever consider buying another.

 

[jbflying]

Re: 1988 Bayliner Trophy OMC advice

Thanks, for the replies. The guy that owns the boat said that he pulled on the cable with a set of pliers at the drive (as one mech had suggested to him) and there was basiclly no resistance at all (meaning most likely the cable).

I really like the Trophy set up as well, and was considering the Merc swap out later down the road if a quick cable fix would get me by for now. I was thinking the same thing if I could get the boat for cheap, then I wouldn't mind spending the money on the upgraded outdrive.

Thanks,
JB

 

[Don S]

Re: 1988 Bayliner Trophy OMC advice

He said he has asked several mechanics their opinion and each one tells him a different story.

That is the problem with guessing what a problem is. Time to pull the drive, then check the cable, and the shifting of the drive manually by moving the shift arm up or down and turning the ujoint shaft and seeing what the prop shaft does.

If you want to buy the boat, have a shop check it out first. It's cheaper to spend 150 for nothing than to end up spending 3000 for repairs.
Personally, I wouldn't suggest buying any OMC sterndrive because OMC has been out of buisness for 12 years. Techs that can actually work on them are getting few and far between. Lots of AFTERMARKET parts out there, if you know what to do with them.

 

[jbflying]

Re: 1988 Bayliner Trophy OMC advice

Thanks Don S! That seems to be the reoccuring theme as I read things online. It is a shame because it is a really nice looking boat. But, looks won't get you back to the dock!

JB