The Details In An Outboard Engine Survey
The photos below were from an outboard engine survey I performed on triple Mercury Verado L6 outboard engines. This post is to show why these kind of specialty surveys can not be rushed or conducted by a surveyor with no technical outboard engine training. There were several problems with these outboard engines even though they appeared to run correctly. One of the outboard engines was well on its way to failure while another powerhead had electrical issues that existed even after warranty service.
A proper outboard engine survey on triple engines takes hours to properly perform. Then from the findings a good tech must determine if those findings are major or minor findings. Modern day vessels (even used vessels) that have triple outboard engines costs well into six figures. Some closer to a million dollars. The newer V8 and V10 outboard engines start at about $30,000.00 per engine and go upward to $45,000.00 per engine. It is not enough to do a sea trial, static diagnostics, and compression testing. That is not an outboard engine survey. There is a lot more that needs to be inspected and tested so the customer will know the true condition of the outboard engines so he or she can make an informed decision.
Capt. John Banister, AMS®
Suenos Azules Marine Surveying and Consulting
4521 PGA Boulevard, Suite 461
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418
SAMS® Accredited Marine Surveyor
ABYC® Standards Accredited
ABYC® Gasoline Engines Technician Certified
Yamaha Certified Outboard Marine Technician
Mercury Certified Outboard Engine Technician
Mercury Certified V12 Outboard Engine Technician
Honda Certified Outboard Engine Technician
USPAP® Certificate on Appraisal Standards
ITC® Certified Level III Master Thermographer
USCG Licensed Master Captain
Member SAMS®, ABYC®, IAMI®, & NFPA®
(561) 255-4139
