Little 8hp 2stroke outboard

[frosted]

Hi, I'm having issues with servicing a 1997 Mariner 8hp 2stroke outboard that i have been using with a 3m inflatable . Most places are asking around 140+ vat + parts, does this sound right and is it something I can do at home by myself ? A service on a car from vw dealer costs less !

Thanks

[MOTORVATOR]

Impellor - forty quid
Plug - fiver
Gearbox oil - tenner
Gearbox oil pump so you can get it in - thirty quid
Anodes - tenner
Fresh starter cord - fiver
Marine grease - tenner
Full range of grease guns from auto store as you find that the nipples are sited in peculiar places - forty quid

1 hour of a decent marine mechanic with all the tools and knowledge.

4-5 hours of yours looking up drawings on the net to find out why the prop doesn't go round since you dropped the leg off to get at the pump. Hundred quid in sundry parts where you have tried to get the gearbox oil to go uphill without a tool to do it, found you couldn't and turned the motor on it's head thinking the oil will go downhill meanwhile busting a coil pack. Filthy looks from the wife after you realise all the oil that wouldn't go uphill through that small hole is now on the living room carpet. And twenty quid in beers for the kind lifeboat chaps that towed you back to shore.

So in answer, Yes do it yourself and we want blow by blow pics.


Actually it's the easiest job in the world if you have a bit of savvy. Look up your motor on here for part numbers and exploded diagrams.

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/selectModels3.asp?t...

[daz3210]

Doesn't sound too bad at all tbh.

We used to pay more than that 10 years ago (admittedly on a bigger motor).

[frosted]

MOTORVATOR said:

Impellor - forty quid
Plug - fiver
Gearbox oil - tenner
Gearbox oil pump so you can get it in - thirty quid
Anodes - tenner
Fresh starter cord - fiver
Marine grease - tenner
Full range of grease guns from auto store as you find that the nipples are sited in peculiar places - forty quid

1 hour of a decent marine mechanic with all the tools and knowledge.

4-5 hours of yours looking up drawings on the net to find out why the prop doesn't go round since you dropped the leg off to get at the pump. Hundred quid in sundry parts where you have tried to get the gearbox oil to go uphill without a tool to do it, found you couldn't and turned the motor on it's head thinking the oil will go downhill meanwhile busting a coil pack. Filthy looks from the wife after you realise all the oil that wouldn't go uphill through that small hole is now on the living room carpet. And twenty quid in beers for the kind lifeboat chaps that towed you back to shore.

So in answer, Yes do it yourself and we want blow by blow pics.


Actually it's the easiest job in the world if you have a bit of savvy. Look up your motor on here for part numbers and exploded diagrams.

http://www.mercruiserparts.com/selectModels3.asp?t...

Sounds like a bit of fun to me


Thanks

Do these engines need to be serviced regularly ?

[daz3210]

frosted said:

Sounds like a bit of fun to me


Thanks

Do these engines need to be serviced regularly ?

Usually says in the handbook, based on hours of use.

Our's used to be done every year, since we didn't reach the number of hours in a season.

Think of it this way, usually you lay the thing up over winter. Best to get the impeelor etc checked before starting to use again. A failed impellor can mean no cooling, which can mean a big bang and a knackered engine.

[danyeates]

frosted said:

Sounds like a bit of fun to me


Thanks

Do these engines need to be serviced regularly ?

I work for a big marine dealer. We specialise in outboards. It's worth looking after it and keeping it serviced annually, as you can't buy these new anymore! Ok, when they were £400 to buy new and you were spending £150 a year having it serviced it seemed mad, but you can't buy the little two strokes any more and there's a lot of demand for them. And a new equivalent four stroke is going to be c. £2k.

Labour rates are usually around £45 an hour + VAT at marine dealers. Sure there will be one man band types that will do it for less, but then you don't get the facilities, backup and support you get at a large dealer.

In addition, yes, it's amazing car dealers can service cars for £100 or so, but it's a pretty basic service. It's usually literally just an oil and filter change. And they have a much higher throughput of work and sales to help. They can afford to make nothing on basic services as they will usually find more work to do, or would have absorbed the price of the basic service when you bought the car from them.

It's also not the best time of year to be booking in work. In the winter a quiet dealers will be happy for work and may be more competitive on price, at Easter, we're turning work away as we're booked for 3 weeks.

Edited by danyeates on Friday 30th March 13:23

Edited by danyeates on Friday 30th March 13:24

[danyeates]

PS. Our service charge for an 8hp 2 stroke is considerably less than that!

[frosted]

danyeates said:

PS. Our service charge for an 8hp 2 stroke is considerably less than that!

Once motovater told me about his experience I realised this is something to be done by experts . Just out of curiosity where abouts in the country are you ?

[danyeates]

frosted said:

danyeates said:

PS. Our service charge for an 8hp 2 stroke is considerably less than that!

Once motovater told me about his experience I realised this is something to be done by experts . Just out of curiosity where abouts in the country are you ?

Lymington - http://www.bhg-marine.co.uk/

[MOTORVATOR]

frosted said:

danyeates said:

PS. Our service charge for an 8hp 2 stroke is considerably less than that!

Once motovater told me about his experience I realised this is something to be done by experts . Just out of curiosity where abouts in the country are you ?

Not my experience, just what I have observed in the past. I quite happily tear down my 8.2litre Mercruiser and the Bravo outdrive on a regular basis (heavy right foot) so when it comes to my little outboards they really are a nothing job. The only ones I leave to the pros is the pair of 9.8 litre Detroits as I am too fat and lazy to lay on my back in a dark damp engine room nowadays.

Really though your little Mariner shouldn't need a service if you maintain it as you go. I generally pop the impellor when it's getting weak, change the gearbox oil each year and grease up every time I have a gun nearby. Spare plug, shear pin, start cord etc carried on board the big vessel, but then I use it year round.

Worst thing you can do to them is pack them away for the winter having done nothing and then expect them to work when the sun starts shining again. Reason is all the oils and fuels are hygroscopic so take up water all through the winter if not in pristine condition.

Service before lay up not after.

[daz3210]

MOTORVATOR said:

Service before lay up not after.

Surely not, if you do that all the water that has been attracted to the oilt is there until the end of the season.

Correct way surely is to winterise and then service before the season.

[danyeates]

daz3210 said:

MOTORVATOR said:

Service before lay up not after.

Surely not, if you do that all the water that has been attracted to the oilt is there until the end of the season.

Correct way surely is to winterise and then service before the season.

Best to service it before the end of the season, then use corrosion inhibitor fogging oil and block up exhaust and intake so nothing is open to the environment.

[daz3210]

danyeates said:

daz3210 said:

MOTORVATOR said:

Service before lay up not after.

Surely not, if you do that all the water that has been attracted to the oilt is there until the end of the season.

Correct way surely is to winterise and then service before the season.

Best to service it before the end of the season, then use corrosion inhibitor fogging oil and block up exhaust and intake so nothing is open to the environment.

I have to bow to your better knowledge.

One problem we used to have with our boat (1995 Mercury 2 stroke 60hp outboard) was that it didn't like UK Unleaded. The marine engineer suggested that the additives in the petrol were reacting with the 2 stroke oil and attracting water, which caused poor running.

Is this still a problem with current day 2 strokes, or is that why you can't get the OP's model motor anymore?

[MOTORVATOR]

daz3210 said:

danyeates said:

daz3210 said:

MOTORVATOR said:

Service before lay up not after.

Surely not, if you do that all the water that has been attracted to the oilt is there until the end of the season.

Correct way surely is to winterise and then service before the season.

Best to service it before the end of the season, then use corrosion inhibitor fogging oil and block up exhaust and intake so nothing is open to the environment.

I have to bow to your better knowledge.

One problem we used to have with our boat (1995 Mercury 2 stroke 60hp outboard) was that it didn't like UK Unleaded. The marine engineer suggested that the additives in the petrol were reacting with the 2 stroke oil and attracting water, which caused poor running.

Is this still a problem with current day 2 strokes, or is that why you can't get the OP's model motor anymore?

The marine engineer was probably not explaining himself well.

High quality marine 2 stroke oils are designed to not only attract the water but emulsify it to burn with the charge. That's the main difference between specs of marine and auto 2 stroke oils.

That's also the reason you generally find 4 strokes fitted with water separators and 2 strokes not.

There also shouldn't be any reason for the unleaded making it run rough as contacting surfaces are not the same in a 2 stroke and pre ignition has never been a big problem here anyway as our octane ratings are considerably higher than the American market which the engines are designed for.

And the only reason you can't get the 2 strokes now (not totally true) is they find it hard to meet emission ratings.

Top tip of the day. When you are racing a little too hard and turn your boat over pulling water through the carbs or come off a wave top and get a surge of seawater up your straight through exhausts thereby soaking the internals of your engine. Or simply drop your outboard over the side while trying to hang to on the dinghy.

Firstly pull the plugs and spin it over to get rid of as much water as possible then slowly feed the cylinders with 2 stroke oil while turning by hand, replace the plugs and dose up your fuel with as much 2 stroke oil as you can get your hands on then run it up. Your actions will save a shedload of expense and even allow you to make the next day's race without a rebuild.

[daz3210]

We use(d) Mercury's own 2 stroke oil.

Boat was used for skiing and wouldn't give the oomph to get up on plane.

We spent a fair few quid on the engineer checking the darn thing over before he asked the question, are we using leaded fuel. Our answer was no. As soon as we started using leaded (he also said use Redex in every tank) problem was solved.

[MOTORVATOR]

So despite Mercury for at least the past thirty years saying unleaded only for their 2 strokes and expressly asking for additives not to be used as they have been shown to tear out the nikasil liners, he suggested it?

I think you'll find that engine was not right for other reasons such as coked heads or an overly high comp ratio due to compressed/wrong head gaskets and he was just using what to you seemed a quick fix. You could possibly have had the same effect by using 100 octane fuel or maybe the lead was slowing the burn rate down from an incorrectly advanced timing spark masking that problem.

Either way I doubt the engine was producing full power.

[mickrick]

You can still buy new two strokes in the Caribbean.

[MOTORVATOR]

You can still buy new 2 strokes in the UK.

[danyeates]

MOTORVATOR said:

You can still buy new 2 strokes in the UK.

Yep! Difficult to get hold of though.

[MOTORVATOR]

Which ones Dan. E-tecs, pre 2007 builds, commercials or race engines?

Thought the E-tecs were readily available. Other DFI manufacturers are still about aren't they?

Got no idea on commercials other than them being outside of EU2006. So rescue and the like can still use non compliant engines.

Merc were talking about continuing production of the 2 litre to allow class 3 to continue use. Race engines being exempt. Don't know what the latest is.

I guess pre 2007 stock has got to be getting thin on the ground though.