How many hrs on motor?

[95 skeeter]

May be a really dumb question, but is here a way to tell how many hrs are on an engine? The boat the engine is on doesnt have a readout.

 

[wynjim55]

I'd say you are out of luck if there is no gauge. Maybe if the previous owner kept a log book you could go off that, but that would require as much trust as relying on a gauge that can easily be disconnected. I'd say your best bet is to look at how well the outboard has been maintained. If there is lubricant smeared all over the powerhead chances are it's been looked after, if it's covered in corrosion/salt/etc chances are it hasn't. I'm asuming you are looking at buying a this outboard and don't know much if anything about its history.