NEED HELP DECIDING ON 2 OUTBOARDS

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scoobeb

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So ladies and gentlemen, i have a i should say good problem first but such a really hard decision.I have a 1993 20hp 2stroke mercury and a 2002 25hp 2stroke mercury in my possession.The issue is i don't know which to keep so i need help here as i am going to post pics of each and what i think of them and i will take the majority rules formula and apply it to my decision because i am having a hard time with this choice. Number 1,a bit about both.
1.) The 1993 20hp 2 stroke mercury i got off a gentlemen who's dad used to own it but passed near 20yrs ago or so and this merc has sat in storage since with only 25hrs or so on the engine,i mean so clean you can eat off the engine.The motor sat so long that like the coils got brittle/impeller and all that stuff on the water pump was all in great shape along with the carb and gaskets,etc....I being a maintenance freak replaced everything because i wanted to,not that all of it needed to be,i put new coils(needed)wires with boots(needed),all new fuel lines and fuel filter/new thermostat and gasket(needed)/all new carb gaskets,needle etc....New tank and line,lower unit oil and lower unit drain plugs are new and the little round gaskets/new prop and cleaned and re greased/New plugs/new tilt pin/complete water pump rebuild not just the impeller/new key,washers,gasket,metal plate,water pump housing,impeller,all 4 bolts to hold the housing were new and replaced and i cleaned everything in the lower unit i mean cherry spotless,i also cleaned the entire engine top to bottom several times till it was cherry spotless/new pull cord/If i keep this one i am upgrading to a 25hp carb also so that will be completely new/That about covers i believe all of what i did,please keep in mind it did not need all of this done but some was def needed.

My intention was to keep this one for sure till i got lucky twice and found this 2002 with only 3hrs freshwater use on it, i bought a 2002 package used only a total of 3 hrs to resell and make a good profit because i got it at an unreal deal,the engine is not even broke in yet.The guy bought it back in 02 and he has a very ill son at the time that he thought would get better in time but never did but he held on to hope that one day he would and they could use the boat together.That never happened and he got worse, i told him i was sorry.So he just wanted it out of his yard because it reminds him of the times he won't be able to have with his son,terrible.He just gave me a price and i told him it will need a few things which was the truth,so we agreed on a price and that was that.He has all the original manuals for all 3,Boat,motor and trailer to my surprise.So it needed a few minor thing because even with no use sitting in the fl sun and in the elements things do happen like the tiller got lose due to a plastic washer getting brittle and fell out,the motor hadn't been run in 14yrs and i pulled the pull rope and she fired up in 2 pulls to my amazement.The fuel filter on the engine was just full of gunk but the filter itself did it's job and i mean nothing got into the carb or system because i ran it today and man it runs like a rapped ape,it screams. Didn't miss a beat after 14yrs.I took the lower unit off to change the impeller and the impeller was i mean perfect,nothing wrong with it as it looked like brand new so i just left it alone,only takes a few minutes to replace when needed anyways.

2.)2002 25hp 2stroke mercury with only 3hrs on it.All i have done to it was clean it up spotless,checked the compression which was perfect of course,changed the lower unit oil and plug gaskets to what i use in all my outboards,Royal purple lower unit oil,doesn't seem to need anything else.

Also i read about what i just found on the side of my 2002 mercs power head,it reads (MERCOSIL UPSIDE DOWN),They starting making that power head after 1993 which is what my one merc is and doesn't have the mercosil stamp on it but my 2002 has it and that is what peaked my interest on what it is,if you don't know what this means you should read all the posts,forums and articles on NIKASIL VS MERCOSIL power heads and you will learn so much if you have a merc 25hp from 1994 and up,or any outboard with this stamp i urge you to read about it because it could save your engine from having issues in the long run from all i have read.Nothing real bad it's just that the Mercosil power head is so sensitive that it needs extreme care and maintenance,the nikisal power head was made from 1993 back and is the engine of choice for most merc owners from what i have read,to fully understand check it out unless most of you know about this then that would be a good thing.

So here are some really good pics of both and please chime in what you think i should do as far as which one i should keep.


PLEASE IGNORE THESE PICS AND SCROLL DOWN FOR BETTER PICS,SORRY.SWEET ENGINE THE PICS FROM MY 1993 THAT I PERSONALLY LIKE BETTER BUT I WILL CONSIDER WHAT YOU GUYS THINK IS THE BETTER LOOKING ENGINE.THEY BOTH RUN LIKE RAPPED APES AND FLAWLESSLY SO NO ISSUES THERE.THE 25 HAS MORE POWER OUT OF THE HOLE AND RUNS ONLY LIKE 1.5MPH FASTER THEN THE 20.
 

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JUST IGNORE THESE,SORRY.
 

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I THINK I FOUND THE ISSUE,SORRY FOR POSTING TWICE BUT IT HELPS IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT,LOL.
 

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2002 MERC NOW,MY PICS WERE TO LARGE THAT IS WHY THEY WERE SIDEWAYS SO I HAD RESIZE.
 

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Wow, starting off I'm not nor ever was a Mercury OB guy, but enjoyed the Merc 4-cylinder 2-stroke 40hp while I had it. Then I just read up on the newer "Mercosil" powerhead and exhaust gasket issue, compounded by ethanol-blend fuels ... and I'm glad I sold the Merc and bought an OMC.

Thusly, I'd keep the older 20hp of those 2 choices ...
 
Sell the '02 as you'll get more for it...swap out the carb on the 20hp for the 25hp carb for $100 and still have a 25 & money in the bank...no brainer.
 
Wyatt said:
I personally think the OP just wanted to gloat about his 2 pristine motors lol.
I truly don't know what I want to do. This is by far the hardest choice I have ever had,honestly. I wanted to just find a super pristine 25hp merc and I had the 93 for months now,I ran across the ad for the 1448 alumacraft jon boat, magic tilt trailer and 25hp merc,all 02 and less than a few hrs of use. I just couldn't pass it up to try and make a few bucks as I had no intention of keeping any of it till I saw the boat in person. The boat was filthy and the motor was a bit dirty but I could see it had no use on it. I was going to pass on it till I offered him what I felt comfortable with. He wanted 3200 which was a great deal,the tiller was a little loose as the plastic washer fell out,no biggie,I figured the carb needed rebuild,new water pump,a insane cleaning,etc... I offered $2300 for all of it and he took it with a bit of resistance of course, I laid 23 $100 bills on the front deck for him and that's all it took,lol. The motor has perfect compression, runs like a rapped ape and is in pristine condition. The boat and trailer are near perfect to. Almost no one who knows boats would have passed on that deal. Now I have 2 cherry outboards and such a hard choice. I love the 93 but the 02 is like buying a new car,everything is so tight and isn't even broke in yet,crazy stuff. Now like I mentioned the power heads are 2 different animals,Mercosil vs Nikasil. From everything I have read so far and gathered the Nikasil power head has been tried and true. It seems to be the overwhelming coice by most merc guys,the bad is if one of the cylinders go the power head is basically scrap metal as with the Mercosil power head it can be re honed by a machine shop but it's extremely expensive.


My other option is sell the boat,motor and trailer and my 93 merc and buy the new 25hp 4stroke suzuki efi which is I mean one freaken sweet engine,then I can,be done with all of it,lol. The 25hp suzuki is a 3 cylinder engine and purrs like a kitty but has insane power and only weighs a mere 136lbs which is unreal for a 25hp 4stroke, lighter than the 25hp etc and way less money with a 6yr warranty. Second choice is the 20hp efi Suzuki,but way difference in power compared to the 25 suzuki. I also look at the gas savings for the suzuki 4stroke. My buddy has a 20hp Tohatsu and uses like 3/4 less gas than I do,it's nuts. If I went the suzuki route then I am done with outboards and it will be my permanent outboard for many yrs,same if I go with the merc. I'm looking at all pros and cons between the 2 mercs and compared to the suzuki so I have allot of thinking to do as I'm getting this all ready for fall fishing in fl. By the way this engine will be going on a new 1648 flat bottom jon boat if that helps. This is were I'm at now,dazed and confused, lol. I really need input on this one because I may lose my mind, lol,sorry so long.
 
Forgot to mention, it's not about money for me on what's the better deal between all the outboards I'm talking about,I want Strictly opinions on longevity of the outboard as well as pros and cons of the 2 mercs and the suzuki s compared to each other. I have ran 3 out of the 4 outboards and they all run great. The 25hp suzuki is the only one I haven't and from YouTube videos it seems to be an unbelievable outboard for the money. I have 4 outboards in my head circling around like a merry go round,I guess it's a good problem to have though. Just a few months ago I couldn't find any mercs worth getting, now I have 2 pristine motors and also kicking around the the idea of the 20 or 25hp suzuki, lol. I need to do every pro and con on all 4 and then just go with it.
 
My opinion only:

Keep the '93, shine up the other package and NOW is the time to sell it, honestly, "like new." You have all the manuals and a credible back-history to explain its pristine condition.

From what you said, you need not put the 25 carb on the '93 for a small 1.5 mph gain.

Others know much better than I, but I think your "proven" 93 may well be more reliable than the new Suzy.

Best wishes, and a great dilemma to be in.

=D>
 
Since selling both and getting a brand new 4-stroke is an option, I'd probably go with that. 2 strokes are easier to work on and easier rebuild, but that is a great warranty on the 4 stroke and you sound like the type who would really take care of it. No smoke, way better fuel economy, better idling, plus the low noise are all pretty good trade offs.
 
wmk0002 said:
Since selling both and getting a brand new 4-stroke is an option, I'd probably go with that. 2 strokes are easier to work on and easier rebuild, but that is a great warranty on the 4 stroke and you sound like the type who would really take care of it. No smoke, way better fuel economy, better idling, plus the low noise are all pretty good trade offs.
I'm slowly leaning that way but these 2 mercs are so cherry and I have been wanting one for yrs but never had the money to buy brand new till now. I love the merc for its simplicity of working on it,a person with limited skills can basically do all the regular easy work on it like,water pump, carb stuff,thermostat, etc.. On the other hand that suzuki is just unreal technology, 6yrs of warranty is just a bonus. It has to I would believe be way better on gas,it has its advantages, that is for sure. The issue is I paid only $1000 for the 93 and I put around $300 of parts on it so I know everything on that motor except the power head is brand new. The 02 merc if u break it down I paid less,2300 For the whole package so I figure the boat and trailer is worth at its lowest,say $1300-$1500,so I paid around $1k or under for the 02 merc that is why this is so hard. Now I know what I can sell them for,more than double of what I paid,I had people offer over $2k for the motor alone but I want to sell the whole package as one. If I sell the 02 merc which I absolutely do not want to then I will make it worth my while and ask near $2800 whether it's worth it or not is up to the person. If I was only looking for this particular outboard and wouldn't settle for nothing else but this outboard I would pay the money,this is me talking now and what I would do. If I could move on and no biggie than around $2k is what I would pay. The whole package will bring more money so that is why I don't want to separate it. This boat screams over 30+mph and the engine runs like a sewing machine till u hit the throttle, then the beast in her comes out,lol. I can get a new 20hp suzuki for around $2400 and a 25hp for around $3k give or take a bit but I know every second of use is what I did to it or put on it. Both mercs are powerhouses that is for sure. Tough decision here.
 
I had a 2001 on my boat. (mine was not a tiller setup tho) had linkage problems, and the cables stuck WAY out of the front of the motor due to the placement of the linkage attachements. Well I sold the 2001 and bought a 1992 that is low hours in great condition. Much happier with the linkage and cable placement on this motor. Might be the prop but it gets up on plane faster and runs better than the 2001 ever did.

I personally think the newer motors aren't built as well. Way more plastic and light duty parts. My 1992 will flat run circles around my 2001. Having experience with both, that's my 2 cents.
 
I have had without doubt sold near 10 of these in the past say 8yrs or so but none in near pristine as these that is why i never kept one.I'm so picky when it comes to condition/someone who thinks their motor is perfect to me may look just ok.These motors are near flawless.Iv'e had real close but not like these and i have never seen one with higher compression then around 125 give or take a few lbs.I have seen over 100 of them on youtube that the average compression taken was only 110-125 and that is on low or high hr outboards.I may have to call merc on this one because both these mercs flat out get it and the 02 has dead even 115lbs on both and the 93 has 120lbs dead even on both.

The 93 imo is almost as powerful as the 02,maybe,i mean maybe a hair less torque but the difference in speed is like a mph to 1.5mph,that's it.If i put a 25hp carb on the 93 i can just tell it will smoke the 02.The 93 has so much power it's not funny.It should not be able to get over 1000lbs going at near 29mph at least imo,i could be wrong but i have never had or seen a 20hp perform like this with just the standard 13 pitch prop.The thing to me is longevity as i'm not worried about a mph or that as of now anyways.I'm slowly leaning towards the 93 for now or getting the 25hp 4stroke suzuki.It just seems like mercury had a perfect thing going with the original power head and then changed it for the worse if you research it.Not that the mercsoil is junk it's just more prone to issues if not taken special care of and most don't take care of their outboards like they should.This motor has made it over 20yrs so that is saying something even know it has very light hrs it still runs like a rapped ape.I also like the design of the older merc better. Either is so easy to work on and simple to maintain.I also use full synthetic oil in my pre mix which i'm sure helps lubricate somewhat.

I fell in love with that 93 when i first saw it,it is so clean,it's like new.I also cleaned both of them up to as they had some dirt and grime on them.The 02 hadn't been fired up for 14yrs before i went and picked the boat up.He had some old gas,about a yr old and it fired up in 2 pulls as i looked in shock.The man has never touched this outboard.The on engine fuel filter has like a half inch of gunk in it but thank God the filter did it's job and kept all that crap out,you would think the carb was all gummed up,etc...,Nope,i took it to the lake and let her rip and it didn't even hesitate a bit.Ran it for over an hr and the system is clean and ready to go now.I ran double oil through it and a can of seafoam and it ran as smooth as silk.the main reason to keep the 25 is i have 25hp there already and no carb needed,but i love that 20hp look and the paint is flawless except the cowling needs a touch up in the fall.The rubber seal around the cowling is near perfect as you never see that as they are always ripped.I love to have that new suzuki 20 or 25 but it's near $2500 for one and $3k for the other and both of these were near $1k,that is a huge difference,lol.Plus i have 6 gallons of full synthetic oil i paid for so i'm good for yrs.

I am going to sit down,put all 4 engines on a piece of paper and i have to just do pros and cons,then flip a coin. Sometimes i wish i didn't find 2 in this type of shape and my decision would be much easier. Finding 2 mercs in this condition is like hitting the lottery,just doesn't happen more than once that is why i'm weighing my decision very carefully.I can find 25hp 2stroke yamaha's all day in mint condition but try to find a merc and forget it. i had a chance to get a brand new 25hp sea pro merc yrs ago which is the 25hp tohatsu/nissan model but i never had enough money and just a couple yrs ago the guy stopped getting them in from Canada and i wanted one so bad and lost out. Imo i think the 25hp mercs are the most powerful in their class and near bulletproof that i have ever seen.When i read the mercsoil vs nikasil articles and posts all over the net i was in shock what i had read because i have never heard of bad luck with these mercs.I just don't understand why merc would take a great power head that is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt and alter it to try and make it better if it was bulletproof from the get go,that just makes no sense.Can't get much better than bulletproof.
 
dahut said:
So what was the question, again?

Sent from my LGL31L using Tapatalk
No real question here,just need help deciding on what to do.
 

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