92 Yamaha 200 lower unit repair

sonfun

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As we do before the season starts, I had my 92 Sailfish in for a preseason checkout. I'm told the starboard engine failed a pressure test and had water in the lower unit. I'm told the parts alone are over $1,000. I'll be meeting with the dealer (Yamaha) Monday to review. Any advice? I want to do the right thing, but not be taken.

FYI - The rest of the engine checks out ok.
 

cdwood

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Do you feel you are dealing with a reputable dealer? You sound like they could be questionable.
 

Grog

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If all you need are seals it's no where near that much in parts, but if the bearings are wiped and if things got hot it's gonna cost. I take it you didn't see the oil coming out? How handy are you or your friends?
 

sonfun

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CDWood - I don't feel uncomfortable with the dealer, but you know dealers in general look to max the repairs. This just came at me yesterday via my cell. We didn't have the time to go into detail, but he definately was leading me down the road of a full repair. He said a factory rebuild was $2,200.00 plus installation. If it has to be, I'll do it, but I'm in unfamiliar waters and there is no place like this site to get feed back.

Grog - I'll know more tomorrow, do you have experience in this area.
 

Brad1

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$1,000 for parts alone sounds steep. They might be giving you a worst case estimate. Then again, perhaps they have enough experience with that motor that they know without tearing it apart, what to expect when water gets into the lower unit. The last time I had a lower unit that needed resealed, I caught it early. I only had it re-sealed and it only cost me a couple hundred bucks. I took the lower unit off and took it to the shop. Maybe send a note over to SIM on THT and ask him (Andy) what typically to expect to have to replace when that motor takes on water in the lower unit. Maybe get a service manual and see what's involved with doing it yourself. If there are not too many "special" tools required, you could do it yourself. Sometimes there are ways around the special tools, or if you weld, you can fabricate your own special tool.
 

sonfun

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Brad1 - thanks for your input. The dealer claims to have dismantled and inspected the parts. Tomorrow I'm going to see for myself. While speaking to him, he did mention seals and a special grease, but wouldn't go that way if it were his boat. I'm capable of small repairs, not sure I can take on a lower unit.
 

gradyfish22

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It seems like your dealer is going to replace a bit of parts, regardless of their condition, not sure if this is because they truely need to be done or becuase he has done a bit of work and knows that over time they too will need replacement. Sometimes it is easier to do all the work now, instead of as it goes, but that is a bit of money and I agree, I would not want to replace perfectly good parts without justification.
On the other hand, a lower unit is not something to fool with, it can ruin your season if there is water in it. Whatever you decide to do, make sure the source of the leak is targeted and fixed, and that anything that may have been damaged was fixed. Not sure if you change your own lower unit oil, I do it myself and can tell by the color of what comes out if things may need a looking or not. I'm sure the dealer has long thrown out the lower unit oil from your engine, but seeing tht would have been the best source you could have to determine if he is riping you off or if you truely need the repairs. Some engines are caught before damage really occurs, so it may only require seals and smaller parts which can be done by anyone that is very handy, although personally I leave that to a mechanic because I would rather them be responsible. If there was a bit fo water in your lower unit, the lower unit oil would be very discolored, have water seperating from the oil, and even possibly some metal shards. If this is the case, then more then likely you would need a bit or repairs or even a reuild.
I'm not familiar with what work has been done on your particular engine, but given the year of it, there is a chance it may need some repairs to it, but it may not require a full rebuild.
If you are going to the dealer and he has the engine apart, have him show you whats worn down and might break, I know you are probably not familiar with what the parts look like, but you can often see a worn part when shown one.
I guess the only real piece of info you can go by is asking th color of the oil that was removed. If it was clear and slightly hazed with a small amount of oil, it is probably just seals and has not done enough damage to justify a rebuild. If it is clear with no water, he is ripping you off big time, but I almost guarentee no dealer would tell you you need work done to a lower unit and tell you your oil is good. If the lower unit oil is black and had some metal scraps, I'd think about doing some work, maybe not a full rebuild, but that is a tell tale sign of parts wearing and that you should really think about having a bit of work done.
 

BobP

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Look for a used 1992 or there abouts 200 HP for sale, get the whole motor for less !
 

Grog

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If he already took the unit apart, I'd be very sceptical. It just sounds fishy to assume you're going to dump $2K in an engine worth around $2K. Look into a used unit, change the seals, and put it in.