Is my motor worth fixing??

[Blake Hearn]

I have a 1971 18hp Evinrude that is a little rough. It has problems with overheating and it has a new water pump and the t-stat is fine. That leads me to believe there is something restricting the water flow. The old impeller was real torn up and a lot of the rubber was missing. I was told i need to pull the powerhead and check for blockage which i do not want to do. It already needs a new head gasket and exhaust port gaskets also the lower unit seal and i pulled the lower unit and determined it needs a clutch dog. This is just turning into a money pit and i was wondering if it was worth fixing or just selling for repair and getting a better/newer used one. I can do all the repairs, i just dont know if its worth the time and money to do. What would you guys do?

 

[soundchaser]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

well that's a great motor, And someone will give it the love it deserves, Personally I would keep it, get another motor and fix that one too. Those 18's are getting harder to find.

 

[boobie]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

I would try and find another mtr of the same vintage and keep this one for parts. As it sounds right now to me it's not worth repairing.

 

[Mas]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

Sounds like the impeller bits might be blocking the flow...but also if the water grommet pickup tube was pinched during re-install...you'll still overheat.

Mas

 

[JB]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

Is it worth fixing? What is the "worth"??

If you only measure its sale value after fixing, probably not. It will probably cost more to fix than the market value fixed.

If you simply love getting your hands dirty and treasure the feeling of accomplishment that will come when she purrs and performs like (or better than) new, then she is well worth fixing.

I would definitely fix her. That was a great outboard once and I would get great satisfaction from making her great again.

 

[levi_tsk]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

x2 jb
all antiques merrit saving and if you been trading glances between it and the trash barrel i beg you reconsider because while you may think its trash some poor motor out there only needs one part off that engine to make it run like new again and that engine may save a dozen others from the trash pile

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

if it over heated it could also need pistons. Keep that motor for parts in case you run across another one that runs later. you can usually find a 80s-90s model for around $500-700 already running and in decent shape. they are easier to work on and get new parts for also.

 

[Blake Hearn]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

Is it worth fixing? What is the "worth"??

If you only measure its sale value after fixing, probably not. It will probably cost more to fix than the market value fixed.

If you simply love getting your hands dirty and treasure the feeling of accomplishment that will come when she purrs and performs like (or better than) new, then she is well worth fixing.

I would definitely fix her. That was a great outboard once and I would get great satisfaction from making her great again.

JB i would get a ton of satisfaction out of making it run like new. I love turning a pile of scrap into something usable again. But i am not assured of myself nor do i even want to tear into the powerhead and find what is blocking my waterflow. I am considering replacing the gaskets and clutch dog and just using it at an idle/low speed. It seems to run fine and cool until you start to run WOT. This motor would be used for running trotlines and juglines so speed is not really an issue. If i were going to go with a different motor i would sell this one for parts/ repair, not simply throw it out. This motor and boat are kind of centimental to me since it was my first boat so i think ill go ahead and spend some money on it. I only paid $100 for the boat, motor and trailer. Ive found a clutch dog on Ebay for $50 and the gaskets come up to around $40 so i may just do that.

 

[Mas]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

This motor and boat are kind of centimental to me since it was my first boat so i think ill go ahead and spend some money on it.

Those sentimental motors are often dangerous to the wallet...remove the LU again and hope it's something easy like a pinched grommet.

Mas

 

[outdoorsman10]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

Get a different motor but definately fix that one, a little at a time.

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: Is my motor worth fixing??

if it over heated it could also need pistons. Keep that motor for parts in case you run across another one that runs later. you can usually find a 80s-90s model for around $500-700 already running and in decent shape. they are easier to work on and get new parts for also.

I, myself, think the 18's are in the top 3 outboards OMC ever built. I prefere the oldest ones, but the later ones are just as good. I think the best thing to do, is take a compression test on it and that will tell you if the pistons are scored. If your compression is over 100 psi per cylinder and the numbers match on each cylinder, then it's safe to say you're safe. You can get a visual of the pistons, by removing the bypass covers and the exhaust cover too.
After that, I would go ahead and fix it up. I would take an 18, over anything newer, personally. I've had several of them and all were very responsive, when I ran them.