How many times can a boat break ?
- Thread starter Blueone
- Start date
I got the tender to cruise around in while the big boat is down.
It's brand new, the Outboard is brand new and so are the fuel tank and lines. There is so little that can go wrong. Except now it won't start. It's that kind of season
People have this impression that new outboards are so much better than other engines. That just doesn't seem to bear out.
I was getting tired of frequently adjusting the linkages and rebuilding the carb on my 1998 Evinrude 15 HP 2 stroke. I wanted something that needed less maintenance and I didn't have to futz with the idle. So 2 years ago I sold it and bought a Mercury 15 HP 4 stroke EFI.
Part way through the season it broke a shift rod in the lower unit and it was stuck in reverse. With my kids driving it. Took weeks to get the parts.
Last season same thing happened again - shift rod snapped. Plus it was leaking engine oil when tipped up. The local Mercury authorized guy said if it broke again he would be too busy to repair it under warranty - Mercury discounts the amount of time needed for the repair by 50% of the actual time so he loses money. I was always careful with the shifting but now I'm uber cautious.
I'm not so sold on the whole computer-controlled small outboards either. To do ANY diagnostics or tuning you need to have a computer and Mercury's $$$ diagnostic software. At least with the Evinrude I could fix or tune anything on my own with just time and hand tools.
Soulshine
Well-Known Member
I have been pretty lucky in the 6 years I've owned my 39 year old boat...yikes.
That said, I have persistent gremlins in the fresh water system that are getting old. I solve a few, I get a few more.
It doesn't help that I despise plumbing.
That said, I have persistent gremlins in the fresh water system that are getting old. I solve a few, I get a few more.
It doesn't help that I despise plumbing.
Our latest boat is a 2019 had 30 hrs on it when we bought it an has a full warranty till 2024. There was debris from manufacturing in the tank that would sometimes clog the pick up tube and shut the motor down we had them clean the tank and fuel and do a full service on the engine, Sea Ray paid the bill on most of the work now it’s great till something else goes so even on newer boats things break.
