webhawk26 Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 Here is my situation: I was driving along and seen the tell tale sign of a bass boat for sale (sitting near the road) so I stopped and talked to the owner about the boat. It is a 1988 18 foot procraft with a Mercury 150 Black Max on it. The upper end on it is shot (a loose nut got in the cylinder and ate the piston then shot it out the side of the case), so I was a little bummed, then he said he had another Mercury 150 x4 that the cylinders could be bored out and should be fine. My question is if I get them bored do I need new pistons or would they just put a bigger ring on the existing pistons? It is a sweet deal, the boat needs new carpet but that is it. It will come with 3 props (one is a $500 5 bladed prop), 2 Mercury 150 Black Max's, cover and all the electronics. It is a 1988 procraft 18 footer. What do you guys think about the motor and how much cash would it cost to get repaired? Thanks for any input. Quote
Super User cart7t Posted April 29, 2009 Super User Posted April 29, 2009 Shop around. $2,500 - 4,000 for the engine rebuild Might as well do it right. Double check that transom on the boat, Procrafts of that vintage were good for rotted transoms. Quote
R520dvx Posted April 29, 2009 Posted April 29, 2009 A local guy is just finishing up a similar rebuild for a buddy of mine on a Merc about that age. He's gonna end up having about $1800 in it. They bored it our .015 over .... new pistons, rings, gasket sets, carbs rebuilt, etc. $400 for the block work .... $900 in parts ..... $500 in labor. The tech is an independant and works cheaper than a dealer. $50 an hour ..... Quote
Super User fishfordollars Posted April 30, 2009 Super User Posted April 30, 2009 Anytime you increase the size of a cylinder you MUST increase the size of the piston accordingly. If you are going to do it, make sure it is done right. Don't go in the motor and just repair one cylinder. Suck it up and get the job done right. Going rates in this area run about 600.00 a hole to rebuild that model. I would be more concerned about the shape of the boat myself. The transom, floor, and stringers will be a major job that if needed will run anywhere from 3,500-5,000 to repair correctly. Good luck. Quote
Super User fishfordollars Posted April 30, 2009 Super User Posted April 30, 2009 A local guy is just finishing up a similar rebuild for a buddy of mine on a Merc about that age. He's gonna end up having about $1800 in it. They bored it our .015 over .... new pistons, rings, gasket sets, carbs rebuilt, etc. $400 for the block work .... $900 in parts ..... $500 in labor. The tech is an independant and works cheaper than a dealer. $50 an hour ..... If this guy actually knows what he is doing, that is one hell of a deal. Quote
R520dvx Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 A local guy is just finishing up a similar rebuild for a buddy of mine on a Merc about that age. He's gonna end up having about $1800 in it. They bored it our .015 over .... new pistons, rings, gasket sets, carbs rebuilt, etc. $400 for the block work .... $900 in parts ..... $500 in labor. The tech is an independant and works cheaper than a dealer. $50 an hour ..... If this guy actually knows what he is doing, that is one hell of a deal. This guy has over 30 years experience .... he has had cancer and had to quit working at the bigger shops .... he's just trying to make a living instead of screwing people ..... plus, in our neck of the woods, even the "big" shops only charge around $75 per hour. Quote
Super User cart7t Posted May 1, 2009 Super User Posted May 1, 2009 I will say this. I wouldn't take the sellers word for anything on this deal. "It probably just needs to be bored out" isn't the same as "I got an estimate from a mechanic here a year or so ago and it just needs to be bored out, the rest of the engine is fine". When I bought my current boat it had a blown 175 Merc on it. More specifically, it had the lower unit of the merc on it, the rest of the power head was in about 6 boxes. I was given a full blow by blow description of what was wrong with the engine if I wanted to rebuild it along with potential cost. That is until I got home, started sifting through the boxes and couldn't find the carbs. It didn't matter since I already had a motor to put on the boat but.. The seller is interested in selling the boat. He's also not exactly sure what is wrong with the engine other than the obvious and will minimize anything else to make a sale. Definitely make sure you've got plenty of money in reserve (several thousand) in order to get this boat up and running and I'm not just talking about the motor problems. Quote
Bud Posted May 1, 2009 Posted May 1, 2009 Cart7t is right on. You can throw several thousand at a old boat in a hurry. I was lucky with mine for I know how to do all of the work myself. Quote
GLADES Posted May 1, 2009 Posted May 1, 2009 A 1988 procraft of that vintage is only worth $3000-$4500. The motor is blown, the hull is suspect until proven otherwise. The trailer will need bearings and tires. It adds up quickly. You should spend a little more money and buy a better condition running mid-late 90's boat motor and trailer that was checked out by a outboard mechanic. Thats what I would do. I own a 1984 procraft/150 merc so I am talking from experience. Quote
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