New boat or replace outboard

[mwdilday]

I have a 2006 Bass Tracker 175 TXW with a 40 HP mercury engine that is in pretty good condition.  I bought it second hand in 2010.  Now it is 14 years old.  I changed the oil the beginning of the season and have put about 4-5 trips on it since then.  Yesterday just as we were returning to the ramp the engine started loosing power.  When I got the boat home I checked the oil and there was none showing on the dipstick.  I filled the oil and now the engine is smoking terribly and it is obvious the engine is toast.  Now the question is should I replace the engine with a 40 for $5,500, a 60 for $6,500 or buy a new boat with a 60 for $19,000.  Not sure if it is a good idea to put that much into a new engine on a boat that old.  Plus the new boats come with a lifetime hull warranty which I do not have on my current boat. 

[Bud Kennedy]

As somone who recently lived the same bit of horror, I would tell you that if you are happy with your current boat and it meets your expectations then I would simply re power to a new motor.  If however you current boat is not what meets your needs then by all means head to the new upgraded boat.  The lifetime hull warranty don't really mean much.  It is the motor warranty that is all important.  Just be sure you have considered what else you would have to buy or upgrade if you got another boat.

If your 175TXW will support a 60 then that is where I would go.  If the boat is actually rated for more than a 60 then I would go for the max rated hp motor.

My boat is a 29 year old Ranger that has experienced a whole bunch of motor issues.  It is currently running but I can tell you that if it breaks again and needs money spent on it other than maintenance I will opt for a new motor as my boat hull is just fine and does not need to be replaced.  However if I were a young man ( I am a senior citizen) I would likely buy a whole new boat but at my age I don't want that big of expense.

[Princeton_Man]

That's an odd failure. Any idea what happened to the oil?


I faced the similar decision four years ago. I never gave much consideration to replacing my Stratos because there's nothing wrong with it and I really like it. I could have had the motor rebuilt, replaced the powerhead with a rebuilt one, or purchased a used motor. All of those choices would have cost between one third and one half the price of a new motor. Most used motors have little or no warranty. A rebuilt powerhead generally has a one year warranty and that's only on the powerhead. The computer, injectors/carbs, coils, and all the other stuff moved from your old powerhead has no warranty. I choose to re-power with a new motor, got six years of warranty, plus it's a lot more fuel and oil efficient. To top it off, the dealer gave me a price just a few hundred over his cost which saved me several thousand bucks.


How much do you like your boat? Is there anything wrong with it other than the motor? Lifetime hull warranties are great, but they only cover defects in material and workmanship. If you haven't had a material/workmanship problem with your hull up to now, you most likely never will. The most valuable warranty you can have is on the motor. That's the heart of the boat. If I were in your shoes and not looking to upgrade to a bigger or better model boat, I'd just re-power with a new motor.

[Capt. BassinLou]

If the budget is there, and you will not be put in a financial bind, go new. New warranties across the board plus you will KNOW your outboard since you will be the original owner this time around.

[Lipripper]

Like has been said if you can live with your old boat go with a new motor after checking what your boat is rated for. If you can afford it go with the new boat. My fishing partner bought his 2014 Bass Tracker Pro Team 175 TXW and it's a great boat. The Bass Pro Shop where he bought it also throw in some extras to get him to buy it. It handles great so if it's not a money issue then I would go with the new boat.

[mwdilday]

I think I figured out what happened.  We didn't have any oil smoke while on the fishing trip.  That makes me think that the oil was not getting into the cylinder.  Today I noticed an small oil spot under the motor mixed with water.  There was no oil on the shaft or anywhere else on the motor and it appears it is coming from the exhaust.  I believe the head gasket failed between the high pressure and the exhaust.  The oil was pumped into the exhaust until it lost all of it's oil. The loss of power was the engine failing.  Replacing the oil and running it the next day the oil rings in the pistons and the piston rings were probably destroyed resulting in the oil smoke.  That is my guess.

[Lipripper]

So which way you leaning a new motor or a new boat?

[mwdilday]

Leaning new motor, wishing new boat.

[Lipripper]

Leaning new motor, wishing new boat.

Don't hurt to dream.

[Oldfart9999]

Is the boat you have working well for you, making you happy? If so I'd go with a new motor, I wouldn't bother with the 75 it weighs more than the 60, there isn't much gain in speed, a jackplate will give you more.
Rodney

[Capt. BassinLou]

Leaning new motor, wishing new boat.

If your leaning towards a new OB, then consider the maximum horse power the boat is rated for. When and if you decide to sell the boat down the road, the max rating will help the resale.