Is rebuild worth it

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Joined
Jul 11, 2020
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Location
Austin, TX
Mercury 200 XR6
2001 year model
Motor was bogging down real bad and wouldn’t get on plane, stuck below 2000rpm even at wot.
Shop said compression test was in spec but leak down test revealed 80% loss on #6 cylinder. They want to sell me a new Mercury 175 for $18,000. or offered a rebuild for $8,000.
I found a second shop that offered the rebuild for around $4,000.
Is it worth the $4,000. and is that consistent with an average cost.
Any input is welcome.
 
The rebuild would be ok- if you can be sure that you are getting it done through a reliable engine shop. That is criticaL.
Personally, I wouldn't consider an $8,000 rebuild- I don't know what the rebuild SHOULD cost but you can check costs through a few reliable shops to find out.
Good luck with the project!
 
Thanks Larry,
Still shopping it around to see what others say. I did have a tuneup done while it was in the shop and it is running pretty good with no bog down now. Mechanic says that it is probably just a ring and could see no scoring on cylinder. Fishing is so good right now that I really don’t want to put it back in shop. Appreciate the feedback as always.
 
Mercury 200 XR6
2001 year model
Motor was bogging down real bad and wouldn’t get on plane, stuck below 2000rpm even at wot.
Shop said compression test was in spec but leak down test revealed 80% loss on #6 cylinder. They want to sell me a new Mercury 175 for $18,000. or offered a rebuild for $8,000.
I found a second shop that offered the rebuild for around $4,000.
Is it worth the $4,000. and is that consistent with an average cost.
Any input is welcome.
My recommendation is to find a competent mechanic who is willing to isolate and simply fix what's wrong, don't be bowled over by pushy sales tactics. Like Pat said, I'm certain if you are persistent that you can find someone willing to fix it for less. Even if once begun, they discover some other issue and considering the overall condition of the motor, they might recommend something different but make sure they show you and prove the recommendation they are making first!
 
I had my 2001 Mercury 115HP rebuilt for around $4,000. East Texas Outboard Rebuild in Tool Tx. They guarantee for two years. You can have your motor shipped to them. Motor runs very good and used about six hours total this spring.
 
Thanks gentlemen,
It really is just the one cylinder and other than that the motor appears to be in great condition. I will contact one of the more reputable mechanics and see if I can get new rings in just the bad cylinder. Until then it’s back to fishing out of my old procraft.
 
Looking for some advice on what to do with this motor. I am currently running a 2012 Mercury 4 Stoke on a z18. Motor has 220 hours and was maintained regularly. Running at around 5700 rpms I noticed a loud banging from the upper engine. Powered down immediately and got towed to a nearby ramp. Compression is fine but my oil was very thin and my mechanic believes its a bearing issue, possibly damaging the entire powerhead? Has anybody been in a similar situation?
Thanks gentlemen,
It really is just the one cylinder and other than that the motor appears to be in great condition. I will contact one of the more reputable mechanics and see if I can get new rings in just the bad cylinder. Until then it’s back to fishing out of my old procraft.

Did they remove the cylinder head and take a look?
 
Thanks gentlemen,
It really is just the one cylinder and other than that the motor appears to be in great condition. I will contact one of the more reputable mechanics and see if I can get new rings in just the bad cylinder. Until then it’s back to fishing out of my old procraft.
Good to have a backup vessel! :cool:
 
Always best to take thy time, slow and steady wins the race!;)
My rig has taken since 2015 to get er' to a stable, reliable go to vessel. Took one year off and lost the EMM to attrition, unfortunately due to improper charging and low battery voltage:mad:. Unbeknownst to me, the battery on board was in a poor state with one dead cell, causing a failure in the onboard circuitry, leading to eventual EMM replacement after thoroughly renewing every possible external electronic gadget such as diodes, interrupt switches, temperature sensors, crankshaft sensors, stator, rebuilding the starter, etc. prior to the eventual EMM replacement🤔. Now she screams and flies, starts in freezing weather or hot and runs smooth as silk:).

Hang in there, stay the course, you're on the right track!
 
They did not take anything apart to look. Just the old peep camera through the spark plug hole. Mechanic said he didn’t see any scoring and is assuming the leak down is the rings. It is possible that it’s some sort of valve leak.
 
I would not do anything till the head is removed and a good look inside. Leak down test are good for the 4 stroke motors and as for the 2 stroke if the piston is not in the correct position a bad diagnose. with the XR6 weather it be a EFI or Carb if there is no scored cylinder could be a o ring at the head gasket. Just saying
 
The 2.5L Mercury motors are some of the best ever made (especially the 2.5L “Bridgeport” motors). There is a wealth of knowledge on the site Scream & Fly. I would take this opportunity to do some performance upgrades.
In terms of cost, you get what you pay for. I would be shocked if you need an entire rebuild. It’s common practice to re-sleeve a single cylinder +.015” for something like this.
 
Just wanted to update everyone on the outcome for my motor, also wanted to say thanks for all the very valuable feedback. After finally having the thing torn down the number 6 cylinder was wrecked. The other five were okay but this boat is my retirement boat and I needed to be sure. I decided to buy a new factory head and replace the whole thing. Had carbs rebuilt, and all new pumps and diaphragms where needed. Boat now runs like new. Not sure how fast it goes cause I get nervous around 60mph on the gps.
Thanks again to all you guys who helped out, much appreciated, maybe I’ll see some of you out on the water sometime, going up to Lake Fork for the Big Bass Splash next month.
 
Glad it worked out for you. As long as the work was done correctly, you should be good to go for many, many years.
 

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