new boat questions

[bama647]

hey guys some of you might remember i was looking at getting my first boat
its 85 stratos with a 70hp johnson.anyway i finally got to take it for a spin yesterday and this is what i found wrong 1st had a really hard time getting the boat started 2nd the motor wil not idle at all but runs good at crusing speeds. 3rd very hard to steer i guess it needs cables? and also it needs new trailer tires. otherwise its a great looking boat for the year and all. i think i could get it for around $1200 to $1500. i dont have alot of money to sink into this boat and was wondering what yall thought about it. are these fairly minor problems ? the owner says that the boat hasnt hardly been in the water in almost 2 years and the engine trouble will straighten itself out if it were ran more often. thanks

[MDCrappie]

The carbs should be rebuilt. From sitting the fuel degrades and turns into varnish which blocks the small idle jets, hence the reason for good midrange and poor idle. Fairly easy job if you're mechanically inclined. The steering could be just dirty. Turn the motor all the way like you are making a right turn. Spray some wd40 or similiar on the bare part of cable and wipe it off. You will probably have a very dirty rag. Do a couple more times until the rod is smooth to wipe. If it is "frozen" inside the cable it will need replacement. Again - not a hard job. Cables can be had off ebay for as little as $50.

In my opinion all are minor problems. I would check the compression of the motor also. Be sure they are all within 10-15 percent of each other.

[Minnerman]

Change the spark plugs. That will help with the starting and idling.

[bobberdown]

A used boat IF it has been Pampered can be a great buy at that price. BUT If you are not maniacally inclined be careful. Even a new boat after a full season of fishing will cost you some bucks to keep it in good condition for the next season. One of the problems you talked about was involving carburetion , The older outboards have reeds in the carburetion system. Replacing the reeds and setting them will cost about $65.00 per hour and can take 4 hours. Running new steering cables 2 hours. Check out ALL the wiring under the dash, and under the cap, if it's been parked where varmints could get in it you may have some bad wiring that will raise it's nasty head on the lake on a other wise great fishing trip.
I have found you can plan on spending $600 per year on maintenance alone on a boat, and still pull it out of the yard the first time and find it's need something fixed before you can put it on the water. The boat gremlins have a way of hitting you when your not looking.
The $1500 would be a fair price but plan on having a grand total of about $3000 at the end of the third or forth fishing trip.

[gabowman]

Remember, motors are what costs you the most money, not the boats or trailers. I recommend you take it out one more time for a test ride and invite along a boat mechanic if possible. If that wont work then take it to a pro shop for inspection from a mechanic. Even if it costs you a few bucks now it may save you thousands later on.

From what you described it doesnt sound too serious. But unless you intend on changing out the cables yourself, that and a tune up will still cost you a few bucks. Check into it with a mechanic for shop prices before purchasing.

[twojigginjohn]

B.O.A.T. break out another thousand. thats why mine is still sittin.

[FisherMike]

First do a compression test. Very simple and inexpensive. Next, pull the carbs off and clean them up. You do not want to run the motor if one of the carbs is getting plugged up and you run it with a lean condition on one cylinder. Steering doesn't sound very serious to me if your at all mechanically inclined. Make sure you check the lower unit grease and the water pump tell tail before you run it for very long.
Here is a great site for all kinds if information on all boats and motors.

http://www.themarinedoctor.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl

[bama647]

thanks guys appreciate the info

[LIL' Joe]

I took my last boat to a boat shop, and had them go through it. Didn't cost much either.