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Author Topic:   1989 Whaler Mischief

iwilsmar posted 03-30-2000 12:44 AM ET (US)
Looking to buy a used Mischief that is in excellent condition. The boat and the motor are both 11 years old. Im not concerned about the boat but I am about the engine.
It is a 70hp Yamaha. It starts on the first crank, runs and idles smoothly. Has been used 30 or 40 times a year in salt water and was stored in garage between uses. My questions are,
Can an 11 year old motor last much longer without giving me major problems.
What is the cost to rebuild if I do run into problems.
I just want to make sure Im not walking into a series of headaches.

Thanks
Mark
jimh posted 04-01-2000 11:25 AM ET (US)
Can an 11-year-old motor run without problems? Of course it's hard to predict. My 24-year-old motor has been running pretty reliably, although I did invest about $750 in it over the winter. I had the carburetors rebuilt and the lower unit resealed. I also needed a new bearing carrier--that was the most expensive item ($150 + more $ Labor).
You mention that the hull is in excellent condition. I'd use that as a gauge for the engine.
A 70-HP engine (new) is a pretty big investment, so it would seem reasonable to invest a few dollars in repairs.
If you considered the engine separately from the boat, that is, as if it were sitting on a rack somewhere for sale as a used engine, what value would you assign to it? Then subtract that from the price of the boat/motor package and see if the hull is reasonably priced.
If it still looks like a good deal, and the hull is in good shape, then GoForIt!
--jim
matt posted 04-01-2000 04:51 PM ET (US)
i have a 1985 70 johnson. saltwater use only!i had the motor completely overhauled,it was completely dissisembled down to the seals in the trim and lower gears.it cost 1500.00 they took the vro off as well.it runs real well and starts better than when it was new.the only reason it was overhauled was that hurricane george flipped it over and i was concerned salt and water may have gotten it.you need to count your blessings for having an older motor! you could be stuck with a ocean pro,then you would know what problems are!!
konoco posted 04-01-2000 09:59 PM ET (US)
Mark,I ran a marina for 10 years all are work boats had yamaha mtrs we did baby them and they had NO t.l.c.,change the gear oil and dont be afraid of it they will run a long time,Buck
konoco posted 04-01-2000 10:00 PM ET (US)
Mark,I ran a marina for 10 years all are work boats had yamaha mtrs we did (not) baby them and they had NO t.l.c.,change the gear oil and dont be afraid of it they will run a long time,Buck
David Reid posted 04-03-2000 05:21 PM ET (US)
Lots of folks down here (south LA) love the Yamahas, and they are the #1 work-boat choice. Get your mechanic to run a compression test all around. If it's still within 90+% of "spec", you ought to have little trouble. Scaling (corrosion) within the power heads is a possible headache with an older motor. High run temp or a poor stream out the "pee" hole will clue you to the need to remove the heads, have them bead-blasted and repainted... for about $400. Past that, you've got routine maintenance items, some fairly costly (like power packs if they're on the Yam's). My suggestion: get your mechanic onto the boat for a couple hours to see what's up. He can either save you some head-aches or give you a pretty clear send-off. I've put about $1,200 into a 1985 Johnson 90 over the last six years. That seems about par for routine stuff, and she's never left me stranded, still starts on a dime.

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Author	Topic: 1989 Whaler Mischief
iwilsmar	posted 03-30-2000 12:44 AM ET (US) Looking to buy a used Mischief that is in excellent condition. The boat and the motor are both 11 years old. Im not concerned about the boat but I am about the engine. It is a 70hp Yamaha. It starts on the first crank, runs and idles smoothly. Has been used 30 or 40 times a year in salt water and was stored in garage between uses. My questions are, Can an 11 year old motor last much longer without giving me major problems. What is the cost to rebuild if I do run into problems. I just want to make sure Im not walking into a series of headaches. Thanks Mark
jimh	posted 04-01-2000 11:25 AM ET (US) Can an 11-year-old motor run without problems? Of course it's hard to predict. My 24-year-old motor has been running pretty reliably, although I did invest about $750 in it over the winter. I had the carburetors rebuilt and the lower unit resealed. I also needed a new bearing carrier--that was the most expensive item ($150 + more $ Labor). You mention that the hull is in excellent condition. I'd use that as a gauge for the engine. A 70-HP engine (new) is a pretty big investment, so it would seem reasonable to invest a few dollars in repairs. If you considered the engine separately from the boat, that is, as if it were sitting on a rack somewhere for sale as a used engine, what value would you assign to it? Then subtract that from the price of the boat/motor package and see if the hull is reasonably priced. If it still looks like a good deal, and the hull is in good shape, then GoForIt! --jim
matt	posted 04-01-2000 04:51 PM ET (US) i have a 1985 70 johnson. saltwater use only!i had the motor completely overhauled,it was completely dissisembled down to the seals in the trim and lower gears.it cost 1500.00 they took the vro off as well.it runs real well and starts better than when it was new.the only reason it was overhauled was that hurricane george flipped it over and i was concerned salt and water may have gotten it.you need to count your blessings for having an older motor! you could be stuck with a ocean pro,then you would know what problems are!!
konoco	posted 04-01-2000 09:59 PM ET (US) Mark,I ran a marina for 10 years all are work boats had yamaha mtrs we did baby them and they had NO t.l.c.,change the gear oil and dont be afraid of it they will run a long time,Buck
konoco	posted 04-01-2000 10:00 PM ET (US) Mark,I ran a marina for 10 years all are work boats had yamaha mtrs we did (not) baby them and they had NO t.l.c.,change the gear oil and dont be afraid of it they will run a long time,Buck
David Reid	posted 04-03-2000 05:21 PM ET (US) Lots of folks down here (south LA) love the Yamahas, and they are the #1 work-boat choice. Get your mechanic to run a compression test all around. If it's still within 90+% of "spec", you ought to have little trouble. Scaling (corrosion) within the power heads is a possible headache with an older motor. High run temp or a poor stream out the "pee" hole will clue you to the need to remove the heads, have them bead-blasted and repainted... for about $400. Past that, you've got routine maintenance items, some fairly costly (like power packs if they're on the Yam's). My suggestion: get your mechanic onto the boat for a couple hours to see what's up. He can either save you some head-aches or give you a pretty clear send-off. I've put about $1,200 into a 1985 Johnson 90 over the last six years. That seems about par for routine stuff, and she's never left me stranded, still starts on a dime.