303john wrote:Give me advice on how to assess used Evinrude FICHT 250-HP engines before buying them.
The corporate owners of Evinrude have abandoned the outboard engine market. The FICHT engines have not been made in about two decades. The reliability of the FICHT engines varied with the production epoch. The last series of engines made were reasonably reliable, but whether or not there will be OEM replacement parts available in 2024 or in the future is very difficult to predict.
In assessing the VALUE of the twin Evinrude 250-HP FICHT engine as part of a boat purchase deal, I would not accord them very much value. You should realize that if those engines need to be replaced, the replacement cost of two new 250-HP engine will be enormous, perhaps more than $40,000.
My observation of the used boat market for late 1980's larger Boston Whaler boats that have older twin engines in the 200-HP or higher range: these boats are often available at attractive prices because the value of their engines is very low, and a buyer has to be willing to take the risk of potentially needing a very expensive re-powering with new engines at enormous cost, typically much more than the used boat's asking price.