Should I sell my outboard or fix it?

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Longcast8

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I have a 1981 johnson 115hp v4 that doesn't run. It came with the 18ft 1963 starcraft. I was told that it is a strong engine and could be fixed by a marine tech. Should I get rid of it or spend the money to fix? I will post pics soon. Please help???
 
Kinda vague info

1st what is wrong with the motor?

2nd what is the cost to have it repaired

3rd what value does it have right now?

and finally, will it costs as much as a new (or used0 motor to have it fixed?

generally, you can fix just about any motor for less then it costs to replace to motor. Who told you this is a 'strong" motor without being able to run it?
 
Nuke it on craigslist or the paper, buy something newer. I opted not to have a 1975 johnson repaired because of the cost, age or motor, and what else would go wrong with it that would cost me more money later or get stranded on the lake. I kept my old motor and going to tinker with it later and maybe sell it..
 
do alittle tinkering and see whats wrong with it. you need fuel, fire, and compression

fuel ( take one sparkplug out and cover the hole with your thumb. turn the motor over several times. is there gas on your thumb?)

fire- take all the plugs out one at a time. touch the end of the plug to the motor and turn it over. do they spark? if so is the spark blue?

for compression you'll need a test guage. when your checking for fuel you should be able to tell if it has decent or good compression by how hard it pushes your thumb off the hole.

this should give you a general direction on where you should go into further diagnosis
 
Good tips Loggerhead! I'll try that on my 1981 Merc 25 when I get my boat cleaned out and get it mounted back on. Mine hasn't been run all that much so I don't think it should be problematic.
 

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