1989 70 hp evinrude Bogs Down...HELP!

[jhells66]

Long story kind of short.....I have a 1989 evinrude 70hp VRO, I have had it for 2 years never 1 problem, this year go to take it out runs about 15 minutes bogs down, after a few tries fires back up goes for a bit then bogs down again. I pulled the fuel tank 15gal aluminum. cleaned it, drained primer bulb, changed fuel filter, drained carb reservoirs, pumped gas until these were clean fuel flowing, with boat on the trailer in the water started idles kind of rough, placed in gear throttled and it bogs and stalls. When I had it in the water testing it, another boater who repairs DNR police boats was there fishing said carbs need rebuilt..... I said OK told him everything I did, he said $50 he would rebuild the crabs plus parts. Dropped off the boat to him that day, he called me yesterday, said he rebuilt carbs, said they were not bad at all, said he couldn?t get it to run so he hooked his fuel tank up got it fired up,, ran rough so he figured he would drain and clean my fuel tank (never asked him to do that no did I have the $ to pay him additional plus I just did it two days prior) did a compression test said the middle cylinder has 90 psi and top and bottom had 120 and 125 respectively. Said low compression in middle cylinder indicated heads need rebuilt. This is beyond my expertise, I said how much is that he said complete engine overhaul $1500-$2000. Said if I was going to scrap the engine he would buy it from my for $200 plus the $200 I owe him, I reminded him he told me $50, he said he didn?t know there were 3 carbs plus cleaning the fuel tank plus compression test none of which he called me about so I am upset about that. Does it sound like engine is junk?, could the water in the gas caused a cylinder to show low compression by freezing up one of the rings (can it be fixed without tearing down the engine, PB Blaster Marvel mystery oil?) said the VRO is not working it would be $400 for that, so I said I read many posts' on here, said to disconnect VRO mix gas & oil...he then said it was the fuel pump side that wasn?t working not the oil side (well which one is it). Am I being taken? I feel like I am. Anyone have any suggestions where to go from here, he offered to buy the engine for scrap said he would give me $200 plus the $200 I owe him (WHAT he told me $50 to rebuild the carbs plus parts), if I sell it for junk is it really only worth $400 (Or does it sound like I am being taken). Please HELP! New to the boating game and engine repair.

Again so for the long post tried to give it as short as I can...

Jeff

 

[ezeke]

Re: 1989 70 hp evinrude Bogs Down...HELP!

The engine may well only have blown a head gasket, which should require replacement if that is all that is wrong. At any rate, you should probably consider getting your motor back before the bill gets any higher.

Part of a good wrench's job is to troubleshoot the engine before replacing and servicing parts when not needed. The compression test and spark tests should have been done in the first place and the low compression would have been disclosed so that you had a better idea of what was wrong.

Your motor is one of a series that had problems with air being trapped in the cooling sytem, which caused the upper cylinders to overheat. When this happens, the engine binds when it warms up, and if the rings catch will cause major damage. Very often, the heat just blows the head gasket, so its worth the time to take the cylinder head off and take a look.

Click the thumbnail twice to read the very well publicized service bulletin regarding the problem.

 

[jhells66]

Re: 1989 70 hp evinrude Bogs Down...HELP!

Thanks for the reply I am going to pick it up tonight, If it is a blown head is it worth fixing? He is telling me between $1500 -$1800 to fix. Just afraid if I have him do it when I pick it up it will be $2500?

 

[jhells66]

Re: 1989 70 hp evinrude Bogs Down...HELP!

a little update, spoke with another mechanig told him what was going on, he said before he would get into any expensive fixes such as the heads I need to troubleshoot, said to run a decarb thru the engine, said if something like that has never been done the carbon buildup could be causing the low compression in the middle cylindar. I ran that through and it appears to be running smoother, havent had a chance to take it out in the water, just running it in the driveway with the muffs on.