If you're like I am, you want to save a few bucks, right?
If you're fixing up an old outboard, especially one you obtained for little or no investment,
you will likely not want to invest an arm and a leg into your project. In many cases, the repair job is a simple or cheap one.
Most shops won't even look at your old kickers anymore. If they do, they'll tell you parts
are either non-existant or highly priced. Labor is $50 to $75 an hour for something you can do for a very small investment. New parts are spendy for parts you could find used for a fraction of the cost of a new part.
Unless you're restoring a motor to 100% perect or have an odd rare collectible
motor of limited numbers made, you won't have to pay much for parts or manuals.
The fact is, if you ARE A or know a college student, you can get ALMOST any service manual
for FREE through interlibrary loan through your local university.
Also, if the manual exists at any university or library in the minitex system and is not available for a loan through interlibrary loan,
the school or institution who has a copy will photocopy the document at no cost to you, or the student requesting the information.
This would be especially easy for mechanic students at most universities to acquire these types of documents.
There, of course, is the internet search. This often times will result in dealerships
offering their photocopied versions of old manuals (reprints) at super high prices.
Not really cost effective if you're doing one motor and never going to restore another. Not to say, "don't buy from a dealer", just saying you can get the same information cheap enough if you look.
Information is out there, just have to dig for it and ask people. Copies are cheap enough, and
many folks (aomci.org members) will gladly copy their information for a much smaller cost, cost of mailing a packet sometimes, than buying a reprint from a dealership.
Parts... now here's the trick.
True, a majority of the old outboard parts are no longer available. True, the same parts break on certain models.
True, many salvage shops have the parts for big bucks.
BUT... did you ever wonder how they acquired the parts?
from junkers... frozen, stuck, blown up, seized, junkers that "aren't worth anything." In extrememly difficult to locate parts, a part can be made by hand. If it was made by a person, someone else can make it again. Yes, that can be spendy, but is worth it if all the parts motors have the same broken part and the motor is worth more than a few dollars.
It's easy enough, in certain parts of the states, to travel to antique shops, auctions, or even local newspaper ads
to locate outboard motors.
Johnson TD-20's often show up for 20 bux or less, for complete motors. TRY finding a coil for
one of those TD-20's for $20, let alone a complete motor from a shop or dealer for that cheap!
Most folks that have/had an old outboard in their family, still probably have it (or recently parted with it). They didn't get thrown out
usually. There are many that end up in scrapyards now though... (another good source for motors)
So, see, you don't have to pay a lot to fix an old motor.
Just need some time and dedication to look for the motors or parts and manuals.
They are out there and a lot cheaper than the shops want for them (especially when a shop averages $50-$75/hour for a service job)!
I'd rather rummage through some old scrapmetal and crack a few knuckles rather than pay big bucks for something! BACK TO INDEX
