Re: ‘62 5.5 evinrude

[Don]

Yes, Ralph should have intervened before things got out of hand….
It is tough when folks bring in older engines….Most of today’s techs don’t have much experience with older engines, so they can not diagnose or repair them efficiently. Many boatyards just turn away older engines, saying they are not worth the bother….I often interpret this as really saying "we don’t know what we are doing when it comes to older engines, so we will just pronounce them "junk"….
I usually offered to look at the older engines, but also realized that folks were not willing to spend much….Back in the day, I asked if they were willing to spend $200 (quite a bit back then), this let them know the engine could not be "overhauled" for $39.95….Needless to say, customers were thrilled if the problem was simply repaired for $50. But, on the other hand, we all know that one problem usually leads to another during repairs, and repair bills can get out of hand real quickly.
In the end, I was never afraid to admit that I did not have the needed experience with a particular engine, and was happy to recommend another shop that I felt was better suited for the job….