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1992 90 hp Nissan

madhammer

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"Hello, (be warned) th

"Hello, (be warned) this is going to be a long post, but I need advice.

I have '92 Nissan 90 hp outboard on a '92 Skeeter Fish and Ski. I'm the second owner but this has been a great rig for me and my family. I use it for both fishing and pulling the kids on a tube.

The motor ran fine most of the summer, but when I used it last, one cylinder was not firing. I had hoped it was a bad spark plug wire or something.

The authorized Nissan shop in town said it was the third cylinder that was not firing but that a compression check and "leak down" test were fine. The found water in the cylinder. They suspected bad headgasket. They replaced the gasket and tested the motor and it was fine. Since it was in the shop, I had them replace the water pump. When testing the water pump, the third cylinder shut down again.

They said the then looked at the other end of the cylinder and found a crack past the rings - which is why the compression test did not find it.

So here I am, I've put a lot of money in it with a ruined powerhead. Buying a new boat or motor is out of the question financially.

They checked with the Nissan distributor in TX and found a new "Long Block" in stock for $3,500. They would drop it in, hook up the electonics and go. Final cost about $4,200 in labor. They are also looking for a rebuilt powerhead that would require moving the carbs and electronic over the winter. Final cost may not be that different with labor.

Also looking into used motors as an option. They have a Merc built Force that they took off anoter boat. Also looking for others.

I love this boat. But I'm wondering if I should just put the rig on Craiglist and seeing what I can get. My wife is in school, so there is no hope of buying a similar boat for awhile.

The lower unit is only 4 years old.

My questions? Comments onthe process my repair shop used?

Would buying a new or rebuild Powerhead just lead to other problems?

Is it dumb to sink $4k into an old (but very functional) rig?

Anything else I should think of?

Thanks"
 
"There is no such thing as lon

"There is no such thing as long block in this brand. There is a short block which runs $3145.00. Labor should be around $500.00 for the installation of the new one, plus whatever the labor was up to that point. It doesn't sound like the shop did anything inproperly and proceding with the repair would give you a working engine. It is, however, dumb to put $4000.00 into an engine that would only be worth $1500.00 as soon as you drive it home. You would be better off looking for a used engine less than ten years old for the same $1500.00 price tag or going with a new engine in the $6500.00 range."
 
"Guru,

I'm starting to


"Guru,

I'm starting to come to the same conclusion, however, I wasn't so certain I could find a used engine in the $1,500 range. If I'm looking for a 10 year old motor, do you have brand recommendations? There are next to no other Nissans in the area. I live in WI. The boat was originally purchased in TX.

I appreciate your comments."
 
hey paul i d check to make su

hey paul i d check to make sure they are right i have 50d2 they said the block was cracked turned out to be the worng head gasket it was an early d2 which used a paper gasket instead of metel gasket
 
"Paul,

No bad brands out th


"Paul,

No bad brands out there, but going Japanese is never a mistake. Engine pricing is geographic sensitive so engines may be higher in your area. You can also look at something a little older if it is a freshwater and clean engine. I would urge you to go new, in any brand, and get the piece of mind of knowing you will not have any repair bills for years."
 
"Guru,

For some reason I am


"Guru,

For some reason I am having trouble getting my posts on today.

Anyhow, I wish a new motor were an option. But, can I pick your brain about something else?

After reading BJ's post above, I contacted my mechanic about making sure he actually ordered the correct replacement headgasket. He is doing that. But, I asked him if he actually saw the crack in cylinder number 3. He said he did not, but cannot think of anything else. That makes me a bit nervous. Is it possible it could be a warped head that is not sealing correctly? How would you know?

If in fact the Nissan is dead, they offered me 5 used motors/new powerhead options. I think we are going with a 1997 Johnson V-4 115 h.p. They need to rebuild it over the winter (they are super busy right now due to winterization) and this gives them work in winter months. They will rebuild it and mount it for $3,400 including what I already owe them. And I get a 1 year warranty. Not ideal, but of the 5 options, it made the most sense and allows us to keep having a decent boat."
 
"In our area the Johnson would

"In our area the Johnson would be worth anywhere from $1750.00 up to $2250.00. If they need to rebuild it after 10 years that should not be looked at as a plus. In terms of it's worth, it's obviously overpriced. But a one year warranty is worth something, so call it the high side of fair since you owe them for the work on the Nissan too. The only way to make sure about the crack is to tear it down and see it. It doesn't happen often, but it can happen....Usually if an engine has overheated. A warped head can occur for the same overheat reason. Easy enough to determine though. Lay the head on a sheet of glass with sandpaper on it. Drag the head across the sandpaper. Depending on the clean markes left on the head you can see if its warped."
 
"Guru,

Then engine has not


"Guru,

Then engine has not overheated in the years 5 years I've owned it. The motor ran through August. Last time I used it, the third cylinder failed and they found water. My mechanic's theory is that the headgasket failed last year, water got into the cylinder, which froze over the winter (I store it in an unheated garage), which cracked the cylinder. I could almost buy that, except that the engine ran well until 3 weeks ago.

About the price on the Johnson. They actually have the lower unit from one motor and the head from another and are rebuilding into one. I called a few other shops in town and they both said they would be charging me more for something similar. I don't feel like my guys are trying to rip me off, I'm more worried about their being thorough.

Thanks"
 
""My mechanic's theory

""My mechanic's theory is that the headgasket failed last year, water got into the cylinder, which froze over the winter (I store it in an unheated garage), which cracked the cylinder."

Possible, but not very possible. If the block crack is behind the piston it would be almost impossible for the water to get there from the head area. If its in front of a piston the crack would be visible. Engine prices vary widely and your local area may command higher prices for engines. Regardless, the Johnson 115 was not a bad engine and I'm sure you will be happy with it."
 
"OK. Last post (I see you

"OK. Last post (I see you are busy).

I think the Johnson is going to be a good motor, but something in the back of my mind tells me that maybe the cylinder in my Nissan is not cracked. Without an obvious overheating incident, your comment about a block crack behind the piston, and the fact that my motor ran fine all summer tells me something is not adding up. I'm worried they may have missed something.

The old head gasket was broken. When the new one was installed, it ran fine in testing. Then they put on the new water pump, the same cylinder filled with water again. Does that add up to cracked block to you???

Thanks"
 
Check exhaust gaskets on side

Check exhaust gaskets on side of motor. I have seen these blow and cause water to enter cylinder. it would only cost couple of bucks and you can do it your self
 
like i said blocks dont just c

like i said blocks dont just crack i would think maybe wrong head gasket or a bad gasket somewhere else in the cooling system like i said before i have an early 50d2 that is supposed to use the paper gasket instead of the newer metel one the other dealer the guy took it to put the metel one on a it leaked really bad
 
"It's possible, but, a cra

"It's possible, but, a cracked block is extremely rare. Basically any gasket that seals any area of that engine cylinder from the cooling system would be suspect. If you brought your engine into us we would look at the probable causes in this order:

Head gasket
Cylinder head cover gasket
Block(from the visible section)
Cylinder head
Exhaust plate
Exhaust plate gaskets
Block(tear down to inspect)

Keep in mind that as rare as a cracked block is it can happen. Faith in your dealer is important. If you don't trust them then take it somewhere else for a second opinion. You can call Tohatsu at 972-323-6003 if you want to get their opinion as well."
 
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