Marine Mechanic In Rogers/bentonville Area?

[J-Doc]

My best advice is to buy a repair manual and take as a learning experince and get dirty if you have friends that are good at repairs and buy some beer that helps too (don't bring out beer until repairs are complete).

The best place I have found for parts is King's Marine they have the lowest mark up and I can get parts there for same price as iboats without the shipping and if they don't have it, they will get it in one day. (479) 636-5242.

Good luck

Thanks for the tip. Ill give them a call.

Yes, the quote was for all 4 cylinders. I was told it would be a new motor when he was done with it but it wouldnt have new electrical components, just a powerhead overhaul/rebuild.

Motor is a 1979 Evinrude V4, 85hp model 85999R.

No, the gauge used last year was my mechanics gauge. I got one from O'Reily's when I did the test myself this past weekeend. Good to know that gauges can differ slightly.

[Stump bumper]

Sure, if you have the proper tools and the confidence. Just remember that there's no warranty on DIY projects

Can a person read a fishing manual and have the same amount of success that you do, without the actual experience you've gained from doing it for years ?

No offense to experts and they are worth every penny, but I have been in the postion serveral times were if I didn't fix it myself I would have to throw it away so I fixed it, that goes for trucks, boats and cars.

And yes, people who know very little about fishing beat me all the time, usually from the back of my own boat.

With an older boat you really have to look at return on investment and how long you want to keep the boat. After putting $4,000 in that boat you are not going to increase the value any more than what it was worth right before it broke. So with a blown engine what is the worth vs what can you get for after repairs?

The only way I know to offset that is to remove labor cost, the other choice is to look into trading where the dealer could absord the labor cost.

Just thoughts; If you plan to keep the boat forever then cost really doesn't matter.

[Chief Grey Bear]

Hey wrench,

I just wanted to say that even though I don't have any motor problems and hopefully never will have but, I am darn glad you are here and so freely offer assistance and advice. I can honestly say that if I do have problems, I will be making a trip north to let you work on it. And I hope others here will do the same and support one of our own.

[eric1978]

Hey wrench,

I just wanted to say that even though I don't have any motor problems and hopefully never will have but, I am darn glad you are here and so freely offer assistance and advice. I can honestly say that if I do have problems, I will be making a trip north to let you work on it. And I hope others here will do the same and support one of our own.

That Wrench is a good turd. darn fine mechanic, too, from what I've seen.

[fishinwrench]

Thanks y'all

J-doc, That '79 V4 is a solid motor. That design has definately stood the test of time, lots of low-end grunt and who doesn't love that low pitched throaty Howl at WOT

Personally I'd trust a meticulously restored '79 Evinrude over a 2008-2010 Merc or Yammie anyday.

Here's a restored '76-'79 hybrid 55 that I'm willing to bet will still be running smooth and strong when the 2010's are in the shops waiting on backordered parts.

[Gilly]

Very nice. That's exactly what my youngest boy is looking to do this winter. Hasn't found a good candidate yet.

[J-Doc]

WOW! Now that's a clean motor and nice rebuild.

Maybe one day I'll break mine down and restore it to that level. For now, it's in it's original condition. I have to admit, for original condition it's in REALLY good original condition.

[fishinwrench]

WOW! Now that's a clean motor and nice rebuild.

Maybe one day I'll break mine down and restore it to that level. For now, it's in it's original condition. I have to admit, for original condition it's in REALLY good original condition.

Wow, no kidding. That's super clean for a '79 Looks like you've taken good care of it over the years. Those CDI power packs kill me, excellent aftermarket pack, but why do they gotta be that outragious shade of blue ? LOL

[bigredbirdfan]

Hey wrench,

I just wanted to say that even though I don't have any motor problems and hopefully never will have but, I am darn glad you are here and so freely offer assistance and advice. I can honestly say that if I do have problems, I will be making a trip north to let you work on it. And I hope others here will do the same and support one of our own.

I did and it saved me a small fortune. Might haul it back up in the future too.

[J-Doc]

Just as an update, I took "things into my own hands" with a little help from some folks and pulled the head cover myself. Inspection of the low cylinder showed no visible signs of gasket failure, slight water damage/scalding of the cylinder wall but not worth an overhaul, and no major damage as the mechanic said over the phone. The decarb did not do this, it was due to ring failure and the rings are still OK and usable.

Three cylinders have 120psi and the one cylinder has 80 when the motor is warm. Since the motor is in such good shape and no futher damage should occur after replacing the head gasket, I'm going to keep running the motor "as is" and keep a close eye on the compression and temperature.

So far, the little boat is running 40-42mph in rough choppy water on ALL ORIGINAL GASKETS! A 31yr old outboard that has never once been cracked open. Unbelieveable! That's a tough little motor!

So, it looks like the suggestions made for local mechanics were good suggestions and will definately keep them in mind for future work. I will try to do the work myself when I can to save the cash. I've already taken the starter apart twice now and cleaned/greased it to solve the squeal when my mechanic told me "just buy a new one". Saved myself $180......