1989 200Hp Merc DOA

[gss036]

Well the day finally arrived, started out for what I hoped would be a nice day of fishing. Got about 6-7 miles out and got a couple of rough surges, throttled down and the engine stopped running. Tried restarting and it would only grunt at me, ran back in w/15hp Honda kicker. Took about 1 1/2 hrs to get back to the dock. I then tried restarting the big engine, fired up but definately running rough. Put boat back on the trailer and headed home.
PUlled the spark plugs, nothing real evident, so started with the starboard head, then when I tapped it and it came loose after removing all the bolts, I felt good until I got it in hand, then my heart dropped. Then center hole and top of the piston was all chewed up. Large gouge running up the entire piston wall, was about 1/8 inch deep. It looks like a ring broke and did the damage.
Seeing that it is 19 years old, I need to decide if it is work rebuildable. The inside of the cyliner head and top of piston are nice and clean, no carbon build up evident. Haven't pulled the port side head yet, don't know that I want to. I just need to sit down with a cup of coffee and digest the bad news and try to decided what to do or what to repower with.
AS luck would have it, the Coast Guard was launching one of their large (32-34 ft) SafeBoats with 3 275Hp Merc Verados on the back of it. I asked the guys what they thought of them and they said not much as they were not very reliable.

 

[j_martin]

Re: 1989 200Hp Merc DOA

Looks like a ring locating pin came out. I hate it when it does that.

An individual cylinder can be bored oversize if it's steel, and bored and sleeved back to standard if it's not with a steel sleeve. The sleeved hole would then take slightly different rings, but the engine would run just fine.

Be sure you have a marine machine shop do this sort of work. Automotive shops just aren't set up for it.

Another option for a budget fix would be to find a similar engine with a good powerhead and a blown lower unit. Musical parts makes one good one between them.

hope it helps
John

 

[gss036]

Re: 1989 200Hp Merc DOA

Updated 1530 hrs PST.
I had thought about a rebuild, but the more I think about it, who wants to stick $6K into a 19 year old engine w/corrision. It whole life has been in salt water.
I think I will start looking for a new engine. I am going to talk to the E-Tec and Honda today and get a solid price, then back to the Yamaha dealer. I talked w/Yamaha yester today w/o knowing the shape of the engine until I got home and pulled the head. I was told $16,500 (+ accessories/prop & wiring harnness guages, + 8.3% sale tax )for a Yamaha 250 HP w/30 inch leg. Went back to the Yamaha shop and got prices in writting, they nickled and dimed the price up to the $23K out the door. That is terrible/eliminates the Yamaha for me.
Also talked w/2 Merc shops, got a quote of $16000 (they were within $50 of each other) out the door for a 225 Optimax & over $20K for a VeradoI had posted later over on Non-outboard repair & JB locked saying it belonged here, I was thinking the opposite, that why I posted it there also.
Also checked on a Honda 225hp, was quoted $20,000 out the door. The only thing I didn't ask about was whether my SS prop would work. So I am now seriously considering the Honda.