Evinrude 88 HP V4

[Waterrazor]

I am looking to buy a my first boat and it has an evinrude 88 HP V4. The boat is a 1991 and I imagine that the engine must be from the same era(it's blue but fading fast). The owner said it has low hours but it looks well used, however I don't see any stains or oil leaks!<br /><br />My question is, what do I need to look for to see if the engine is good? The ownner said that he would start it for me to hear it run but if it idles good does that mean it will run good?<br /><br />Some one had told me to do a compression check but I don't know how or what #'s to look for?<br /><br />I found a gallon of superflow outboard engine oil in the boat and I know that that is a very cheap oil that he has been using. Should this be a good indication?<br /><br />I know my way around a car engine pretty good but I am lost around these outboards!<br />Thanks in advance, <br />The New Guy!

 

[JB]

Re: Evinrude 88 HP V4

Howdy, Razor. <br /><br />Ask the seller for a sea trial. Pay close attention to how easily the engine starts and how it performs under load. Make him run it hard long enough to reveal any over heating problems.<br /><br />He may decline and still want to run it for you in the drive. Don't bother. That V4 can sound great and idle smooth under no-load conditions when running on 2 cylinders.<br /><br />An alternate to the sea trial is to take it to a dealer and have them diagnose it under load, on a dyno. Costs more, but insurance is never free.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . .<br />JB

 

[G. Patton]

Re: Evinrude 88 HP V4

WaterRazor.... The above is excellent advice. <br /><br />It's a good idea to have a experienced marine mechanic check the engine out "before" making the purchase as some boaters sell simply to trade up or down, others (as hard as it is to believe), sell for unscroupulous reasons.<br /><br />At a minimum, a buyer would want to know the "compression" of all cylinders, the quality of the spark (with the s/plugs out, it should jump a 7/16" gap on all cylinders), the condition of the gearcase lube (does it look normal or does it contain metal filings or traces of water?)... <br /><br />If the carburetor area smells of "stale" gas (a smell all its own), the carbs are no doubt fouled/gummed (a common occurrence with outboards). They can also be fouled without the smell present.<br /><br />Pertaining to the year of the engine, OMC's code is the word "INTRODUCES" whereas each letter stands for a number ie "CD" would be "86", "EI" would be "91", etc etc. There should be a plate or sticker either on the left (port) transom plate, or at the top of the swivel bracket (the long main bracket that the engine turns on, that contains the "MODEL" number. There is also a core plug on the powerhead (looks like a quarter sized freeze out plug) with the model number.<br /><br />That MODEL number will look something like 88***EI* (the asterisks could be anything). The important ID you would be looking for in that number would be the letters that would refer to the "INTRODUCES" word. If it starts with a "C", it falls into the 1980s area, a "E" has it in the 1990s area, and the next letter would identify the exact year. Good Luck.

 

[Waterrazor]

Re: Evinrude 88 HP V4

If I were to do the check myself then what #'s should I look for? What would be the lowest I should except?<br /><br />Do I just turn the engine untill the needle stops climbing?