What would you do?

BuilderFL

BuilderFL

Junior Member
If you had a budget of $3,500 for re-powering the mighty V20!

a) Buy a Mercury factory remanufactured (not a rebuilt) 2.4 power head for your 1980 Merc 200HP.

b) Or buy a newer used and/or rebuilt motor – most likely a 1998-1999.

I’m hurting over here seen the beautiful summer days going by and I’m high & dry…just can’t seem to make up my mind.
I’m thinking, what if I get that used motor and a month or two from now…bang, bang and I’m back to where I am today. :head:
 
I'd look for a used 2.5 merc. People around here hate Mercs, so they tend to sell cheaper. The 2.5 is a better bet on spending money on because they don't have th chrome bores, if you score a cylinder, it can be bored. I've seen factory rebuilt 2.4's start flaking the chrome off the bores, when we went back to the rebuilder, they told us the engine had been over heated and it wouldn't be covered by warranty. If your 2.4 motor uses the single cylinder trim system, the race guys like using that type of center section, so you could part that motor out and recover a little. You can find decent deals on OPti's for under $3500, but with no warranty on those things, they can get expensive if they need anything. I know Yamaha's bring a premium down in your area, they are more likely to be stolen as well( they end up in the islands)

check this site from time to time, suprisingly, there are a couple of deals on here for some Yamahas, but they're ususally alot of Merc's on there

http://www.charlestonfishing.com/forum/classViewAds.asp?catID=3
 
Find another engine would be my choice. I've read too many horror stories about MERCURY remans to ever trust one. Look around and find a good used 2.4L, I see them on CRAIGSLIST from time to time for under $1K running.
 
Thanks! I'll be on the look out for a 2.5L. A few days back, one of you guys send me a good one without the lower unit that was for sale in Ebay. I contacted the guy and he said he would take off the auction for $1K. When I looked back later in the day, and he had taken it off . Oh well! When you're slow...
 
BuilderFL said:
Thanks! I'll be on the look out for a 2.5L. A few days back, one of you guys send me a good one without the lower unit that was for sale in Ebay. I contacted the guy and he said he would take off the auction for $1K. When I looked back later in the day, and he had taken it off . Oh well! When you're slow...
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Just do a compression check, look at lower unit oil and go for it...:beer: but I gotta tell ya...I don't normally advise somebody to go into debt, but as bad as they're hurtin' and as long as they stretch payments out these days, it'd be REEL temptin' to use that 3500 for a down-stroke and hang a new one on 'er and be done w/it...no worries, Man...for somethin' as IMPORTANT as boat motor?...hmmm...might just be worth it...
 
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