Powerhead on Mercury 125 hp/to rebuild or not to rebuild? Help! Please?

[rickyo]

I removed my powerhead today. When I removed the bottom carb, I saw that the reeds and part of the reed block had gotten sucked into the crankcase. Upon further inspection, I saw that one of the bolts on the rod cap had worked itself loose resulting in it hitting and scraping up the reed block and causing 3 nickle sized holes in the crankcase cover. My questions are.....Should I have the whole powerhead overhauled? OR Should I just replace the reed block and rod cap? The cylinders appear to be untouched. I was going to take it to a mechanic now that he can see everything and get an opinion, but I wanted to pick the brains here first. Thank you in advance for your help.

Rick

[rickyo]

Oh, I forgot. One other thing I would do is get a new cranckase cover. That would solve the hole (s) issue.

[sschefer]

Tough question. It would be best to freshen up the whole motor as long as you have it apart anyway. You do have an opportunity in this decision. Do you like the motor? Is the mid and lower unit in great shape? Does your boat like the motor? If your thumbs up with that then go ahead and rebuild it. If not, you can probably find something else with a little more potential for about the same price as the rebuild is going to cost.

If you're not a hands on guy and you want total reliability then have a look at the E-Tecs, Yami 150, or the Optimax's. You'd be suprised how close the cost is going to be when you get all done. 2500.00 - 3000.00 for a rebuild - Down payment on a E-Tec 115HO 2500.00 - 3000.00.

I just want you to look at the big picture because we often get caught up in sentimentality and our prowess when we talk about rebuiliding an engine. Often it's not the most logical choice.

Does that make sense or am I just rambling senselessly again.

Steve

[ChrisCarsonMarine]

Don't use reliability and optimax,etec,or Hpdi in the same sentence.

[sschefer]

Humm, I thought I had them in the correct order, best to worst. Whoops, that Yami should be the 4 stroke 150.

[rickyo]

Thanks Steve. That all makes perfect sense. My powerhead is in transit now to the rebuild facility. They charge a flat rate for the basic overhaul. I just pray that things like the rods, sleeves and crank are o.k. One more question please; how do I prevent this from happening again? I believe I have ruled out "lack of lubrication", however, could I just disconnect the oil pump and add my own oil? Also, I believe the cause of the catastrophy was vibration over time that allowed the screw on the rod end cap to back out! Not sure HOW I would have prevented that.