New motor needed

[silent runner]

I am new boat owner and as you can see by my name my engine won't run. I have a 1986 Sportcraft 20' Fisherman 200. It is a Seadrive with a 115 HP OMC . I want to replace the motor but can't find what size motor is compatible with my boat. The boat repair man that told me to put a new engine on the boat, but said seadrives are hard to replace. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to what to buy to replace my engine? Thanks

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: New motor needed

A good friend of mine has that boat, not sure if it is the same year or not. . Anyways, he said that the max HP rating on his is 115, which sounds a little low to me. He put a 135 Merc on the back, with hydraulic steering. He ended up having to replace the bracket, steering, controls, and that's it, I think he just added a bracket, as the old engine just mounted directly to the transom.

 

[dontask]

Re: New motor needed

My question would be first is it worth the money???? As far as horse power goes-- realize that horse power and prop pitch go hand in hand. Determine how fast to you need to go, then you'll know what pitch you'll need and then you can determine what horsepower you need to turn that prop at the motors minimum required rpms. A 115hp will push that boat but will you be happy with the speed?
Also if you get sold the idea to put a Gill bracket on the back the handling may not be the same as your Ocean Drive. Good luck

 

[silent runner]

Re: New motor needed

Thanks for the info. I bought the boat and trailer for under 2000.00. I did all the basic maitence and installed a new blower and bilge pump. The electric works great and the boat ran really good for 5 hours and then the motor wouldn't start. I thought it was the battery, but changed it and it still wouldn't start. The mechanic came out and check the values and manifold and they were ok. He looked at it for an hour and said it was internal and that he would recommend not going any further but to look for a new (used) motor to install. I have a 79 Mecury 115 hp that i picked up for 500.00 and I hope i can swap it out and get some more life out of the boat or find a little nicer motor to put it on. The boat is only used on a lake I live at and the bay for flouder.

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: New motor needed

Exactly what did he say was wrong with your motor? "Something Internal" is pretty vague. You might need a new mechanic more than you need a new motor......

 

[AEROCOOK]

Re: New motor needed

Exactly what did he say was wrong with your motor? "Something Internal" is pretty vague. You might need a new mechanic more than you need a new motor......

Oops, see below.

 

[AEROCOOK]

Re: New motor needed

Exactly what did he say was wrong with your motor? "Something Internal" is pretty vague. You might need a new mechanic more than you need a new motor......

I agree.
You say you replaced the battery... Why, was the motor not turning over?
Does to motor turn over by hand? If so, has the compression been checked?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: New motor needed

was the mech who looked at it a Johnson/Evinrude mech. most do not understand sea drives. all it is, is a 115 hp outboard mounted differently.

 

[silent runner]

Re: New motor needed

The motor would not turn over by hand. It won't budge. The mechanic checked the pressure and it was good for all cylinders.

 

[HybridMX6]

Re: New motor needed

I'm curious how he checked the compression if the engine won't turn over. In order to get a reading you have to be able to turn the engine over to build the compression.

 

[silent runner]

Re: New motor needed

I had the compression checked prior to buying the boat. Sorry i didn't specify that.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New motor needed

OK well now it does sound like it's locked up. However I still think you may want to take it to a mechanic who's willing to give a more specific diagnosis. Maybe it's fixable.

The OMC sea drive was just a Johnson/Evinrude outboard with an integrated mounting bracket. If you replace the motor, you'll need to buy a whole new mounting bracket and a new motor. That added cost may make it worthwhile to have you're current motor rebuilt OR swap the powerhead from a running Johnson/Evinrude.

 

[silent runner]

Re: New motor needed

Ezmobe I live very close to York Pa only 13 mile west, do you know of a trustworthy mechanic?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: New motor needed

I most certainly do. He's in the middle of nowhere but he does great work and has no issue working on older motors.

Fisher's Marine & Custom Canvas
303 Middle River Rd
Brogue, PA 17309
(717) 927-6544‎

Where do you live and where do you boat? I live in Mount Wolf very close to the river and I boat at Long Level or Conowingo.

 

[silent runner]

Re: New motor needed

I live in East Berlin and live at a lake called Lake Meade. I bought this boat to take down and dock at Barneget Light NJ and fish the bay. I am not firmiliar with Brogue, but I will look him up. Thanks for the information this is a great site for a new boater, like myself.