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I just purchased a 17' Montauk. Boat was kept in a barn by the only other owner. He has not used it in years do to health problems. He claims he put it up and winterized it prior to not using if for the past 6 years. The boat is in great condition, after pressure washing it. I am in the middle of restoring it.
I am not sure about the motor though. It has a 1986 90 HP Evinrude on it. The owner repowered it in 1986 to go faster. (He claims to have less than 50 hours on it because he fell in poor health. I believe him for multiple reasons, one of which I have known him for years. I contacted the Evinrude specialist in this area and they have a 6-8 week wait for an appointment. I was thinking the carbs would need to be rebuilt and all the gas lines would need to be replaced.
I am not sure what other costs I could be looking at on the engine. I am assuming it will be around $2k.
Is this engine worth spending that type of money on? or should I repower it with a new 90 HP Suzuki? I am partial to Mercury as that is what I run on my current boat but truthfully I think Suzuki, Honda, Tohatsu, Yamaha and Mercury are all good. I would not buy a new Evinrude due to their going out of business. I do not have faith in the parts being easy to find down the road.
Any thoughts on the current motor or is it is better situation to simply swap it out? I do not want to spend the money on a new motor if the old one will run reliably. I do not mind it being less efficient or smokey. I just don't want an unreliable motor and I do not want to spend $2K to have to spend another $9K down the road.

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Yes those outboard are bullet proof and if it is in good condition then yes it would be worth the money keeping it running. They are also a good match for that boat. Is it VRO? If yes then disconnect and premix. Look at all new fuel line on the motor and the boat. Also it will need a new water pump and lower unit fluid. Also grease fittings, have carbs rebuilt and new fuel lines on the motor. The fuel lines need to be ethanol rated. New plugs too.

Things to check first, compression check. i would spray oil in the pistons before turning over. Also check lower unit seals, tilt and trim seals. before putting money in it.

The motor is not worth very much even if running and low hours and setting up a outboard is usually not very good for it. But it good be a strong motor for you.

With a re-power you could probably sell the old motor and get a 1500 - 2k for it. Maybe.
Archie

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Thanks Archie. It is the VRO. I definitely plan on disconnecting it and pre mixing.
I am working on the hull and wood at this point. I have the Mahogany off and treated. I am on my first round of varnish and plan on 6 more coats. I polished the boat with Collonite and used the 3M Finesse finishing polish after that. Weather permitting I will use a final Collonite wax on the boat today. I should be ready to hang the Mahogany on Sunday and that will complete the boat.
The engine will get tackled after that. I wake up one day and want to keep the motor. The next day I want to repower. I have not tried to turn it over yet as I want to pull the plugs and spray the heck out of it and let it sit for a few days prior to starting it. I will check the compression at that point.
I love the look of the old engine on it. I do not mind the loud factor of it either. I just want it to be reliable. I do not want to dump $2K into the engine and then have to constantly put more into it. I would rather bite the bullet and go new if that is the case. I know there is no crystal ball but...are the odds good that the engine is reliable once compression is checked and all the things you mentioned are taken care of.

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I have owned two a 1988 88hp Evinrude and 1990 100 GT Johnson and have always thought they are great engines. i still see them out on the water. They are one of the best motors OMC ever made. They sometimes have electrical problems from corrosion. I would check to see if the motors electric have any corrosion. And the VRO likes to burn the motor up.

They are tricky to start up. Need the remote choke working (push the key in while you turn over). And easy to flood while while trying to start. I would do the water pump before trying to start and extended running. Maybe use a small remote tank with premix. And run Seafoam heavy in the carbs. If you can get non ethonal even better.

That motor is also a beast on that boat. Plenty of power and tops out mid 40s.

Sounds like you found a gem. Congrats. I always dreamed of finding a barn find like that. All of my Whaler have been neglect Whaler rescue restorations.
Archie.

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If nice I would look into getting it running. I can do all that stuff myself so it is not a big deal. If you are handy at engines I would try it. 6yrs is not a long time, 34 would be. I would not bother with fuel lines just yet, do you have a 6gal tank or can borrow one?

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Personally, I would empty out all the fuel in the tank(s) and put new fuel lines on now. They are cheap.
That way you would be sure not to contaminate the fuel system and carbs with dirty fuel or bad fuel line debris.

And then start the engine and go from there.

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I do have a tank for that. I can probably do all that was mentioned myself. I’m like a monkey. You tube can show me how to do it. My problem is more diagnosing the problem and time.

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We are good at diagnosing here as well. Use a good tank or do as Joe said above. Take off the carbs(take pics of linkage, etc). Remove bowls and see how clean they are. Torch files and carb cleaner will clean all the jets and orafices. No need for kits or gaskets unless they break. Get it running and if happy, do the water pump and lower unit oil. You may want to check compression first and spray some lube in cyls first, not a lot as it can add compression.

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I would say before you do anything.........what is your noise tolerance? If I had the resources and felt it appropriate, I would go new and not waste a minute working on the other motor if I preferred a less noisy ride. I had a Johnson 1981 235 hp on my Revenge. All I had to do was fire it up with my wife present to get a green light for a repower. I believe the decibel ratings are far superior with the new motors.

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I actually enjoy to sound of a good two stroke in water and feel that the quietness of the 4 stroke a disappointment. In the water that outboard is not that loud. I would more concerned with the gas consumption.

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My buddy put a new Suzuki 4 stroke on his mid 80's Montauk last year and could not be happier. Sips fuel. I am not familiar with your particular outboard but my 1981 235hp Johnson was nicknamed 2 "thirsty" 5. Wide open somewhat efficient but trawling for salmon.....loud, noisy, smells, and I could see the fuel gauge move as we fished. Brutal fuel consumption. I have seen various posts about new engine cost vs fuel cost using an older motor. Until you drop about $100 +- a trip and need to refuel every other trip.......you think twice about engine costs. I do know your boat is much more efficient than my 22' Revenge.

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My first stab at it came with mixed results but good news. After cleaning the motor, I removed the plugs and sprayed the cylinders. Ditto for the carbs. The plugs looked good. I turned the ignition a few times without the battery hooked up. The next day, I attempted to start her. She would fire up but not actually run for more than 5-7 seconds. The best news is the compression is perfect across the board. The storm was starting to hit so I had to call it a day.

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I guess I won’t know until I hear it. I have a 2010 2 stroke Mercury on my Key West CC and love it. I don’t notice a noise difference between that motor and my buddies 4 strokes. Never been in for a repair and no starting issues.
If it’s as loud as you say, my wife would make me repower it.
I’m 50 and have fond memories of the gas smell from my old 15 hp Evinrude we had on a row boat. I have always loved that smell.

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The old cross flow OMCs are pretty noisy and sound like they are going to chunk a rod at low rpms. You will burn about 6gph at cruise and around 9 WOT. Is she pumping water? If you run it and pump the ball, will it continue to run? I personally would do the carbs no matter how good it runs for peace of mind. You might have a CDI/powerpack going south. Once it warms up it overheats and quits....common problem as well.

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Rethinking things.
I am really conflicted on this one. I want to rebuild the carbs and get this running myself. However, I really don’t have the time between work and family.
I love the idea of keeping the motor. I don’t love the idea of an unreliable motor though. I hate wasting money. It would suck to put $2k into it and then have to drop another$9k into a new Mercury or Suzuki. I’d rather pay the money upfront. Should I roll the dice and pay to have it repaired or just go new?

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Carb cleaning and a waterpump is maybe 2 hours work. Should not be more than $300.

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I have same boat and the exact same year motor. Mine has about 200 hours on it. I trust it about as far as I can throw it. Never venturing further than the bow motor can go to get me back to the trailer. Just waiting for it to blow up so the accountant in the family lets go of the purse strings enough to repower.

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There is never an easy answer if no money tree is available. I have my motor suspended in air on a lift and can't decide if I want to keep it or start plucking the tree dry.

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Carbs have been rebuilt, new plugs, fuel lines, new choke valve, new water pump, exhaust seals and lower unit oil changed....motor is running great.
Weather permitting , i’ll Put the wood back on tomorrow and I can test her out. I feel like a little kid I’m so excited for this 1st venture on the water.
This has been a fun project.

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High, low, high, and Llllooooowww is how I feel today.
Motor ran in the driveway. Couldn’t start it at the dock. I noticed fuel pouring from the tank adaptor. The ring was broken. Off to Walmart to get a new one. Installed it in the driveway again. Back to the ramp. It starts right up and runs for 2-3 minutes. I back off the boat beautifully and it dies again. After paddling to the dock, I let it sit for a minute. It starts up again and runs until I put it in gear. Argh.
The good news is I got 3 compliments at the dock on the beauty of the mahogany and condition of the boat.
I may have to give in to my wife and put a new Suzuki or Mercury on it. She is not one for patience with a motor that is not reliable.
I wish I could figure ou t what the problem is first. I know it’s not getting enough fuel but my skill set is stretched a this point.

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Try squeezing the ball while it is running and see if it continues to run. If so it is your fuel pump which is cheap, especially if you buy the non VRO pump.

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I tried this and got the same end result. My wife pulled the plug though. The boat is primarily for our 13 year old. She has no faith in the old motor and probably my ability to fix it without pouring money into it.
Thus, I sold it for $800 and bought a new Suzuki 90 hp. Apparently they are back ordered but the dealer expects it to be short lived. I was torn between that and a new Mercury. The Mercury was considerably more and back ordered as well.the 6 year warranty is also nice.

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Gator -

I have helped 4 members repower this season with a D90A.

Mount it so there are two empty holes above the top engine bolts. Do NOT let them install it all the way down.

Install a Suzuki 14x18 stainless prop.

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Will do. What is the reasoning though?
As for the prop, already done.
Thanks for the advice and info, it has made this project fun.

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The engine's anti-ventilation plate should be at or just below the surface of the water. This is the most efficient height for performance and low drag.

Typically that is at 2-3 holes up on a Boston Whaler hull.

Most dealers are overly cautious or used to doing their way which is all the way down or possibly 1 hole up. The recommendation is given to assist owners to know what is appropriate so they can make sure the engine is installed properly.

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That is good to know. I will make sure to talk to the mechanic on a Monday.
Thanks