Price an old boat motor?

Question

okay i found a boat motor and i am needing one bad! okay i found a 1986 johnson sea horse 3 HP motor. this ladys husband died 15 years ago and she knows it ran when he died. it has not been moved at all sence he died, no one has touched it, her son told her not to sell it for less than $100. i didnt think it was that bad of a price, but it has been setting for 15 years now. i figured i could buy it, drain gas and oil. put new gas and oil in it and then take the carborator apart and clean it out and change spark plug, just the basic stuff, and i figured it would work fine... it is also an outboard motor,it is goin on my john boat... so do you think this motor would be worth a gamble of $100? thanks!

Answer 1

Thats a great price. Go for it!

EDITED PART....Most parts you may need for that puppy are here;http://www.marineengine.com/

If you don't buy it (or haven't yet) I will, in a heartbeat!

Answer 2

br549 is right, if I was needing a motor I would snap that one up, great little motors.

you can try and start it,  you wont hurt anything, there is a fair chance the carb will have some dried gas deposits and might need taken apart and thoroughly cleaned.

change the lower unit gear oil before you run it, that is an easy chore, they can sell you a kit for less than $10.00 at any boat shop.

Good Luck

Answer 3

Absolutely! I have bought old motors that were from the fifties and were a little rough and they fired up and ran great. If it pulls over without any binding, I would fire it up. Small motors, running or not,  are selling for a premium here in Michigan. So, for a hundred bucks you are getting a great deal. Buy it and Happy Boating.

Answer 4

Motors that have been in storage for long periods have special problems, even if properly prepared for storage.  This motor has needle bearings on the crankshaft.  Depending on "where" it was stored,  moisture can condense on the shaft, resulting in rust spots, and pitting.  There is no way to tell without disassemble of the power-head.  While there are methods to repair this, I've never had any luck with them.  Having said that, it's a fair price for the motor.

   Perhaps you can negotiate some-type of price predicated on your getting the motor running.  I'm sure this engine has a water pump, that will have to be replaced.

Answer 5

Maybe, you will also need to clean the sediment bowl, check the pump impeller if it's water cooled. Parts may be hard to find.