Need a replacement motor for my 16' MonArk... ideas??

Currently have a 40 hp Merc which is a 1980. Wiring is VERY corroded and melted down, as I bought it. Boat mech tells me that when (not if) something fails that the wiring and motor parts in general are not worth replacing due to high parts costs for this old motor. I am on a pretty tight budget but don't want to be left high and dry so I am considering a new (used) motor. Any input or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Big Aug said:

Currently have a 40 hp Merc which is a 1980. Wiring is VERY corroded and melted down, as I bought it. Boat mech tells me that when (not if) something fails that the wiring and motor parts in general are not worth replacing due to high parts costs for this old motor. I am on a pretty tight budget but don't want to be left high and dry so I am considering a new (used) motor. Any input or recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

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If you adhere to that logic, there are a whole lot of people here that should toss their motor now and go buy something new. Personally, if my 1975 model breaks down and it's something other than a complete lower unit replacement or power head replacement, I'll be searching ebay for some used parts to get it back up and running again. IMO wire is not expensive and there aren't that many in a your motor. You can start buying and replacing wires one at a time as funds permit, until you've replaced them all, and not have very much invested.

BTW, as far as I'm aware, "when (not if) something fails" applies to everything in this world that has moving parts. It's going to fail sooner or later and need to be repaired or replaced.

Far be it for me to contradict a real mechanic cuz I'm not one. But what I think he was saying is the he couldn't make any money working on your motor. He has a business to run. But you CAN spend your time and effort to locate parts and make repairs. I agree with Mike.

Points well taken. While I am ready to undertake buying parts and wiring on ebay and doing it myself, I should mention that I have no electrical or mechanical experience other than minimal repairs. For example, I have no idea what IMO wiring is. So, that being said, can you provide me with some constructive recommendations that I can begin to utilize? Specifically, where to start, with what tools, specifics?

I am a Marine so I am all about adapting and overcoming, but I also know what I don't know...

You can buy in Walmart autoparts the liquid electrical tape to coat the wires where the insulation is frayed.

You should also have a decent trolling motor and battery which you use for fishing, but it also can get you to safety if you need it.

OK Marine, I'm former Navy so you know where that's gonna go. :lol:

IMO like BTW are the mans way of taking a shortcut on forums by using acronyms. IMO = in my opinion, BTW = by the way. If you spend much time on forums you'll learn more of the commonly used ones before long.

For doing the electrical, the first thing you'd want to do is locate a source for marine wiring and electrical connectors. Marine wire is designed to inhibit or eliminate the problems with wire corroding inside the insulation. Older motors don't have this type wire because it didn't exist when the motor was built. You'll need to pick up the basic tools like wire cutters, knife, crimp tool, soldering iron, etc and maybe a multi meter.

Start simple by locating a wire that you can trace to both ends and remove a nut/screw that is attaching the wire at each end. Once you've located a wire like that, you'll need to get replacement ends the same size and type as those used on the old wire and a piece of wire the same gauge (that's the diameter/size of the wire) and length as the wire you're going to replace. Once you've removed the old wire, use it as a pattern to cut the length of the new wire, strip a little of the insulation off the ends and crimp the connectors onto the ends of the wire. Now all you have to do is attach it and you're ready to start on the next one. There are some very good instructional videos on youtube that you could learn a lot from if you poke around there a while. Here's one example.

[youtube]jCRsx38WRw8[/youtube]

Thanks JM, and hoohah! At first I was wondering if all I was gonna get for my questions were smarta#* answwers. Constructive recommendations I am all about. Where can I get "marine" wire and the proper hardware? Any good links for this stuff or would it be easier to go to Home Depot or a hardware?

I don't think Home Depot carries marine wire, at least the ones around here don't. You don't have your location listed but if you're on the coast the ones around you might have it. You'll also want to get the good connectors that have the adhesive in the heat shrink (watch the vid I linked). You can find a few sources for both if you google it. Just shop around for best prices. Keep in mind shipping and taxes add to the total cost so just because it's listed cheaper at one place, that doesn't mean their final cost is best. I hate places that try to gouge the buyer by inflating their shipping/handling charges.

Try https://tinnedmarinewire.com/wire/ or https://shop.genuinedealz.com/Marine%20Grade%20Wire/ ....I use Genuine dealz there fast /free ship and got it..I hear the tinned marine place is is good too...I would look long and hard for a wireing harness for that exact motor ..There's one out there at your price, finding it is the problem....cva34

besides the wiring that motor looks good for an 80. that being said looks dont make it run better or worse...

Ok I'm tracking on replacing the wires one at a time by tracing them but what about the components that the wires run into? Most of the wires terminate in small compartments. I'll try to get some pics of what I'm talking about on here this weekend.

If it were me I would just keep looking on ebay for a good used wiring harness for that motor. One will eventually pop up.

Did redoing your harness work? Idk if you have a 16' flat bottom or MV, but I have a 16' MV Monark and when I bought it the previous owners had a 75hp Stinger2 motor on it which is above the boats rating. The motor got the boat moving down the lake pretty good, but the boat sat real low in the back. It also had manual tilt which was a PITA. I had a 60hp 87 Merc with tilt on it lying around so I started going through it and getting it working correctly. I'm still working on getting it to plane just right, but I can tell you this, no way would I want to go any lower than a 60hp. Of course like I pretty much just fish on lakes, I guess if it was for the river a 40-50 would be fine.

That being said, I'd still try to get your current engine running and sell it to someone. It's worth much more running than not.

If it were me I would just keep looking on ebay for a good used wiring harness for that motor. One will eventually pop up.

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His harness shouldn't be that difficult to rebuild. If it were me I'd take pictures of the connections and label them. Then I'd run a new wire to each end. I had to do this to some of mine on my Blazer when I did an engine swap, now those harness's are complicated if you don't know what you're doing.

Most marine mechanics will tell the owner of a older outboard that its not worth fixing or you can't buy parts for it. That's usually a tactic to sell you one of their motors. IMO your motor looks pretty clean other than the wires, which look like they may have caught fire at some point. Don't sweat that though because it can be fixed fairly easy. The easiest way to fix your wire issue has been said , replace the harness. I would figure out the exact year/model of that motor then try to find a part # for the harness.
That way you can narrow your search for the parts you need. But..
If you just decide not to jack with it & replace it, get the max HP your boat is rated for.
You will be glad you did in the long run.

Gents - A lot of points well taken in terms of mechanics trying to sell stuff, but I would like to clarify up front that this guy isn't trying to sell me anything, except a straight answer from someone who has been looking at motors for 30 + years. He has actually got her running smoothly for me a couple of times without even charging me and let me hang out in his shop and repair some things using his tools and expertise. I judge character fairly well and am confident that he is not trying to "take me for the proverbial 'ride'..." (Lebowski anyone??).

Honestly I don't really feel like "jacking" with it... There have been some good ideas thrown out there to me since the original post about replacing wires one by one and replacing the harness and whatnot, but I need an in detail, illustrated step by step to do that, Barney style. Unfortunately I am not in any way electrically or mechanically inclined, and don't have the background to figure it out as I go and not get really fired up in the process. So far with this boat I have stripped it down from its original paint, re-decked it, partially rewired it, and put two solid coats of OD green on it. Found a good dude that welds aircraft to weld the nose which was crushed by a previous owner (looked like a drunken collision with a dock), weld the bowline hook back on, and weld a couple of rivets that were leaking. I also ran new tubing for the live wells and put a battery/gas can deck put down in the hold. That in itself tried my patience and took me altogether too lone, and for the time I could spend looking for parts on ebay and craigslist and replacing things one by one I am thinking I might just put a new used Yamaha on her and start fishing... Otherwise I'll probably find myself deployed to some armpit of the earth never having been out on the water nearly enough. Then again, that's just how I am looking at it today, until I start looking at the price of motors...

All respect to you guys with the know how, keep it coming if you have the time and patience