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We are contemplating purchasing a 2000 23 Conquest with twin 135 mercury opti max engines with 400 hours. Is 400 hours on these engines a good or bad risk to take. The owner works for a marine dealer and has done all the maintenance there.
400 hours over 13/14 seasons isn't excessive at all. If you think in terms of buying a car and running it 400 hours at 60 MPH that's only 24000 miles.
But then low hours aren't necessarily an indication of low risk. The questions are: Does the owner have maintenance records indicating what has been done to the motors, when and by whom? Has the boat been sitting unused for an extended period of time? What is the overall general appearance of the boat/motors; clean and well maintained or rid hard and put up wet?
If you know people with boats, ask around for the name of mechanic proficient in Mercury Outboards. They can compression test the cylinders, check over the motor, and put them on a diagnostic scanner to check if there are any electrical/computer issues that might raise a red flag. If the owner is confident in their offer, they should be more than happy to let you have the motor checked out.
I have a 1999 135 Optimax with 350 hours on it and it's been a great motor for me.
