TOPIC: is it worth my trouble?

HI guys,

Cronic knucklehead here who can't seem to pass a rotten boat.

I found a bayliner fishing boat 17ft under a tarp in a bad part of town & offered the guy $500.

To my shock & dismay he accepted my offer!

Clear title to the boat & trailer (no title needed for the engine in Illinois).

Oh yes - the engine.... Now I pick it all up tonight - so I dont yet have much information (I didn't even ask the year)but this is what I know.

85hp force engine - he says the lower unit is good - the engine however is disassembled & hanging in his garage. Pistons out etc. box of parts (God help me).

He says all it needs is rings & re-assembly - I wasn't born yesterday but figure if the lower unit is good - i might find a power head somewhere cheap.

That said - what if all it needs is new rings? How hard is it to bolt this pile back together & will it be worth it when I'm done?

Keep in mind - I will only accept a reliable engine - I have a small tiller outboard I can use on the boat this year - as long as I'm in no hurry to get anywhere.

How about a pic?

These are simple engines. If you have reassembled even a lawnmower, with the manual its entirely doable. Provided it only needs reassembling. If it seized (likely) and that is the reason it was torn down, more checking is needed. The bores need a good looking over and the piston clearance checked. If its been bored it should have oversize pistons along with the new (also oversize) rings. I am suspicious, since rarely does an engine, any engine, just need tearing down just to replace the rings.