2001 sportster le engine rebuild

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Muckstuffer

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I’m interested in purchasing the above mentioned boat. The engine was rebuilt in June 2017, but has not been in the water since due to owners medical condition(that’s his story anyway). The owner has paperwork to support the rebuild. He’s offered to run the engine for me prior to purchasing the boat. Is this a bad idea for a motor that hasn’t been broken in? Are there warning signs I should look for? Would a compression test be better? Thanks for any input.
 
Well, I don't really see why it would be worse than having it broken in. I would try to get a water test, as boats can sometimes behave very differently in the water (like not even start). Did he winterize it properly (fog the engine?). That's always a good idea when you put up a boat for the winter. If he's got the papers, then you have more of a guarantee than most other boats you buy out there. It can be running now, but that's no guarantee that it'll run tomorrow. Never know how many hours or abuse on it. What does he want for it? Did he rebuild it, or some shop? Is the shop reputable? I've bought jet skis from shops who installed rebuilt engines only to have them blow up on break-in because the guys have 0 idea on how to work on seadoos (I wish I was kidding).
 
He’s asking $6500 boat and claims it’s in pristine condition. I’m going to check it out tonight. Price seems a little high.
 
If I were to sell my Challenger, I wouldn't take less than 8. But it does have a 4tec now... (same boat as what you're looking at).
 
If I were to sell my Challenger, I wouldn't take less than 8. But it does have a 4tec now... (same boat as what you're looking at).
The boat is in heated storage and I live in northern Ontario so a water test is not an option. He started the boat for about 10 seconds with no water just to show proof of life. I did a compression test on the cold engine afterward. I got 120 on the pump side and 110 on the other. This seemed pretty low for a rebuilt engine. I’m not sure what effect being cold, and the rebuild not being broken in might have on those readings. They’re low enough to make me wary of the engine in the boat.
 
Yea, it does sound a bit low but these could change after the engine runs for a bit. While ideally, the pressure should be the same, 10psi is still under the 10% threshold required by the repair manual. Again, this could equilibrate after you run it under load some.
It's still out of season, and the rebuild has not been proven so it is a bit of a gamble. Maybe try offering him $5k if the rest of the boat is in good shape (seats, gauges, shape of hull, etc). I think $6.8K IS a bit high for this boat. Worst case, you'll need a new motor for ~$1k.
 
The owner seems pretty firm on his price, but he was pretty surprised at the low compression numbers. The invoice for his rebuild was $2100 Canadian. Could I really get a new motor for $1000?
 
Sure, SBT sells them for around that price. I think there are other rebuilders like SES that will sell you an engine around for $1k USD. There is some debate on whether the 951 should have 130 or 150 psi. Also the state of the battery can have an effect on these readings. Did the starter turn over quickly, or did it struggle at all?
Was the engine rebuilt by-hand by somebody, or did they order a remanufactured motor from a company? What's the expertise of the person doing the rebuild and what all was changed during the rebuild? Also, did they ever fix the original issue that caused the need for a rebuild? It's not uncommon for people to rebuild a motor only to have it fail again because the original problem was not fixed. Also, there are corners that should never be cut, like just changing a piston and putting it into a damaged cylinder that needs to be bored. You typically avoid such possibilities when you deal with reputable rebuilders.
Also, does the seller have a record for how many hours are on the boat?
 
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