Re: Chrysler Power Trim/Tilt
try craigslist first. They don't charge 15% fee. Ebay is no longer land of bargains. They have priced themselves out of being a good auction site. Too many of their auctions have reserves and auctions with no reserve are usually bottom of the barrel quality. Ebay has become the internet flea market.
There is only one system worth looking at on ebay right now (06/03/09). If you look at motor, the top nut is facing wrong way. That means it has been serviced at least once. So you can figure that the motor probably does not have any internal rust and that it has recent seals to keep it that way. That's the next best thing to an actual rebuild. So bottom line on this system is that you're only looking at $130 in repairs (valve body rebuild to stop bleed down) and the thing is probably good to go for another 5-7 years. There is no rust around mounting eyes. There is no white deposit around transom mounting holes ... this is a clean system.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQitemZ110398048894
Can't say the same about other ones ....
The one from NJ has oildyne pump and has probably seen saltwater use. When (and if not already) something breaks it will cost more to fix than throw away.
The one from california is insanely overpriced. $550 to buy a system that's going to need another $250 in pump repairs within a year? That's just plain nuts. You'll be dropping $800 in cash and wasting six hours of labor taking pump back off next fall.
The white one from PA is a high risk system. Paint doesn't peel off just because it got tired of being the same color. Look closely and you see rust around mounting eye. It is possible that this is a freshwater system in great shape with just a little surface rust around mounting eye. Throw $320 at it and it becomes brand new. It is equally likely that it has corrosion damage and will cost over $400 to fix.
when looking at ebay, you have to be extra careful to avoid systems that show corrosion. It is retarded to think that you can buy a 20 year old system and it won't need repairs. First off, if the boat had been properly maintained then the engine wouldn't have blown up and the trim system would not be listed for sale. Second, you wouldn't expect the rubber on your tires to last 20 years just because the paint is shiny and you hardly ever drive. Whether you use it or not rubber gets old and breaks. Same is just as true on boats as on cars. If you buy a trim system that has been used in salty/brackish/polluted/acidic water then it will cost you $100 to $250 more to fix than a freshwater system. Look for white deposits around transom clamps and rust around mounting eyes. Avoid galvanic corrosion like the plague.
