'94 190dc champion w/ '89 evinrude 150xp. The motor is just about plum wore out, the boat is paid for and in great Shape but rated for a 200hp motor. I'm trying to decide on A) get the motor rebuilt and perhaps adding some extra pep to it or, B) just finding a gently used 200hp motor and saying the he'll with it. I'm thinking the rebuild avenue myself due to cost and the fact that it just don't make any sense to me to hang a motor worth more the boat off the back. I'm open to any & all opinions, not quite sure what to do here. I appreciate it gents, thanks!

If the motor is not damaged I would just re ring it, put new bearings and gaskets and go. This would be the most cost effective and would allow time to save for a new one and or a clean used one. Re-manufactured power heads are availble with warranty . If you would like a price quote give me a call.

Motor is always worth a lot more than the boat. On a new one you buy the motor and they give you the boat, almost.

Call the guys at Texas Machine works and see what they can do for you. They might be able to throw a 200 block on it for you and give you some $$$ for your trade in. Or they can probably mod your existing one to 200hp too. Then you could kill 2 birds with one stone! Get the motor refreshed and add 50 extra HP and you won't have to re-rig anything or have to mess with titles!!! It's a win win!!!

Yeah you got that right! Just for fun I was pricing new mercs.... not for this poor boy!

Cool, didn't know they'd do that. I'll give them a call about it. As always thanks again TBS!

Thank ya sir, appreciate it.

Highly disagree with re-ringing an old motor. Plain and simple, without going into mechanical details, IT JUST AIN'T GONNA WORK. Money wasted, time wasted, poor choist. IMHO.

What is your suggestion? I was gonna call TMW and see about the 200hp power head, or even get mine reworked. What's your opinion?

hmmmmmmm. wont work. hmmmmmmmm i guess everyone just throws away a old eng. i dont follow the logic,

I will install a fresh 1996 Mariner EFI on your boat with warranty w/title for 3995.00. Cylinders were refinished .015over by Texas Marine.

What I mean is....if you just rering the old pistons, without doing a cylinder bore and piston replacement you will be waisting your effort and money. You say the engine is wore out. If it is wore out, that means that the cylinders are egg shaped and the piston oiling skirts are wore off. So if you install new rings that are perfectly round and sharp edged, they will litterly sand the cylinder walls out and make the engine have too much blow by. The blow by will basically put the postion of the piston in the wrong place when the reeds open or close. That results in a motor that won't idle and won't get top rpm. I am however 100% behind a complete rebuild and an upgrade to 200 carbs. The bore/stroke/rods/crank/pistons/block are the same in the 150 as they are in the 200. So a little shopping around, and the modification from a 150 to a 200 is possible without reaking havoc on the rest of the components.

It's a given that when you re-ring one that you clean up the bores and make sure that they are round and check piston ring clearance. Please don't read between the lines and make assumptions. We have re-ringed dozens of motors and when the motor is apart a complete inspection is done.Anyone who does this for a living would know this. I agree that just a tear down and rings would not be acceptable.

Also, Mercury has a program called Pacemaker. These are new engines and have been used for photo shoots/testing/demo and come as new with full warranty and are substainally less than new.

Mercury list them on their dealer web site ever Tues.

Good Luck.

It appears as if his opinion is to not do what Gary Pender said. Which I agree with. Texas Machine works is a MACHINE SHOP they will check everything and make it right. They can do ANYTHING your outboard might require. They are not just mechanics!!! Here is Ronnie welding up a hole in a block for my Brother from Saturday night.


And after he cleans up the weld you will NEVER be able to tell it had a hole in the block and it will run GOOD AS NEW!!!

This is what TMW brings to the table and why they are the best!!!

Been there done that. We have had our share of damaged blocks however, we farm it out to a fellow named Jim Ruck in Fondalac, Wis. Where is Texasmachineworks located? Another machine shop option is a great benifit and reduces cost of shipping. always looking to save $ for customers.

Alrighty then fellas, not trying to start a pissin match here, LOL! I do appreciate everyones input on the subject though. Gonna call TMW today and see what they say and try to get a ballpark estimate, then go from there. A fresh 200hp motor under $4,000 is awful tempting though......I'll keep y'all informed. My guess is the overhaul maybe the cheaper & easier route, we shall see....

Ok, just got off the phone with TMW. He said in worst case scenario, complete re-build plus bumping it up to a 200, $2,500 - $3,100....but needs to run a diagnostics and a good once over for a more accurate estimate. What say you?

What cha waitin on, Id be on my way. Everything Ive seen about um here has been better than great people.

Gonna take it out there next week to have them look it over and give me an estimate. That fresh motor sure has my eye though, think I'll wait and see what comes of the estimate before I commit to either.

We know Jim Ruck very well, and I've used him since '82 (every racer that runs a Merc knows him, lol) until I learned to weld and rework my own race motors. TMW (Texas Machine Works) was formely Tribble Machine Works and doing Marine Machining for 30+ years. Dwayne worked for Tribble for most of those years and bought the business. TMW is located in Grand Prairie, centrally located in the Metroplex.

Ronnie
Texas Machine Works
972-602-4500

yep. Ruck is well known.

i had TMW do some work on my Drag Block. very good guys!
you'll be satisfied with the work they do for your omc.

Hey Steve, yeah ronnie and I talked about your motor a little. He told me how he choked it back so you'd stay in his wake, can you believe that guy!

well... Ronnie didnt "choke" anything back on my mota..LOL
he did however do a very good job on straightening the cylinders, and weighing the rods/pistons,etc.
the block work (honing) was done good also. he saved me a bunch of money.
i run a "nic" block and just don't have the money to buy a new one.
after we put in all the new high performance parts, my lil 2.5 drag mota is a BEAST!!! without having a bunch of money in it.
the next mota i get will be a 300 drag that will make over 400hp ALL MOTOR!!!!!!!!!!

not NO NITROUS SNORTING 2.5 ltr like ronnies.

Taking bets now!!! Race date pending......I don't Know anything about weighing pistons and straightening cylinders but i'll be happy just to get the ole gal back on the water and fish in the well again. see ya soon Ronnie, I'll be in touch. Pm sent Steve, thanks!