Mercury parts......wow!

[fastasfox]

A few of you will remember that after blowing up my outboard at Easdale in 2024 and to replace it I picked up a fire damaged rib ( Humber if anyone wants it) with a 2005 75hp optimax on the back.
The rib was in Scotland so with the help of forum member Ken ( Beamishken) I decided that I didn't have much to loose.
The powerhead was brilliant on it, with great compression on all three cylinders and the bores looked perfect on camera. The only problem with it was the Swivel pin had become seized. It took me a while but I got it freed up.
The net result of sorting the above out, was that there were always going to be problems going forward and as it also had lot's of play at the bottom yolk.

Last year was a stinker, so didn't get around to working on the outboard, but having re-built my workshop at the backend, this is the time.

Some of you will know if you do your own work, that removing the powerhead to gain access to the middle section and saddle is a pretty big job.....but I'm okay with that.

I had done a bit of homework on parts and costs,but as I didn't know what exactly was required it was a stab in the dark.

Having got the powerhead off and then removed the swivel pin ( the tube that the outboard swings on giving left and right motion) it's has a steering arm cast onto it.

Basically all the components related to the swivel pin were absolutely shot.....a combination of poor maintenance...keeping the outboard trimmed down on the mooring, and poor design on mercury's part ( common failure).

I have a local marine shop near me on the River Trent, so armed with a healthy budget and a parts diagram I went to price the part's up.

My parts guy now has to to repair the hole i left in the floor as i dropped through it.

Now we are all used to high prices as soon as you mention the word boat....but we have all made our peace with that...but this is beyond that.....if you were talking about cars we would be in bugatti territory.

I expected high prices ....i had already looked so a steering arm/swivel pin coming in at £750 wasn't a massive shock ( I expected £450) but it's the smaller parts that I just can't get my head around.

The outboard is mounted on 4 rubber bushes....2 on the top...2 on the bottom. The bottom 2 were £250 for the pair
But the top 2 were £250.....each.....EACH!

Inside the swivel tube you have two plastic bushes with an horizontal slash in them....nothing fancy....regular plastic and pretty lightweight......£52.....EACH

Powerhead studs £30 each....you need 6.

I'm not a Rich man....but I ain't struggling either....but even if it was me that scooped that 181 million the other day on the lottery.....I still wouldn't have paid those prices.

I have sourced a secondhand swivel pin/steering arm £180 from America (half that was postage and import duty)

I have two upper mounts that were £42 each inc of postage again America.

and I have ordered two plastic bushes....£21 China.

I have delivery of the American bits and the steering arm is absolutely mint....fresh water use....as are the two top bushes.

The gasket and seals I ordered from Mercury as they are special sizes....but the bolts I will source from a UK manufacturer A4 stainless....I just need to measure them.

I know what Mercury are trying to do...and that is force the sale of a new outboard....but there has to be an outlet for used out outboards....we are not just going to throw them away.....are we?

What are your thoughts on these prices?

[Stewy]

I just shut my eyes now whenever I buy anything boat related.

These 2 mercury gearbox drain seals were £8.50 . 1p for scale.

[fastasfox]

I thought the penny was indicative of the cost to produce said washers.

[willk]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

What are your thoughts on these prices?

Indicative of a specialist product with a longish supply chain and lots of large markups and tax. Sometimes it's a greedy swizz linky £144 for a £35 part.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by willk

Indicative of a specialist product with a longish supply chain and lots of large markups and tax. Sometimes it's a greedy swizz linky £144 for a £35 part.

I get the specialist aspect....after all 0.5 percent of the world's population actually own a boat, but the bit I struggle with is the likes of those plastic bushes....it takes very little engineering or materials to make such a part..literally pennies....yet someone decided that we should be okay with paying £52 each for them.

It's now my mission to find parts of the same quality or better to replace the genuine stuff.

You've either got yo be Rich or Resourceful...and I ain't Rich.

[Fenlander]

Once you step outside more routine service parts spares costs are so unpredictable and even some service items are a shock... such as Stewy's seals. I usually apply the "what effect would a failure have" question before throwing my wallet open to a main dealer.

[Matt]

I used to buy some of my parts from mercruiserparts.com, loads off eBay (including from the US, often NOS items). And then a bit of straight up asking for a bit of a discount.

Obviously it’s only fair that your man makes some profit, but occasionally there’s enough markup between the Barrus trade and retail prices that they can help a bit.

I use https://ribsmarineparts.co.uk/ to give me a baseline on UK retail prices, and just as important, availability. It’s not worth you paying UK retail in something that’s coming from the US, just buy direct.

Not sure if it’s still the case, but it used to be that mercury marine would sell to marine power, who would sell to Barrus, who would sell to your chandlers who finally sell to you. And each takes their cut.

[beamishken]

Manufacturers of marine engines just take the pi$$ the car derived inboards are a prime example a 6lp (4.2 landcruiser engine) fuel filter is £120 a bosch filter for the same application is £12, oil filters are a similar story. Volvo d3 (xc90 engine) fuel return rail is £140 an xc90 one £28 many other crossover parts have the same story. Its almost criminal how these things are marked up

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by Matt

I used to buy some of my parts from mercruiserparts.com, loads off eBay (including from the US, often NOS items). And then a bit of straight up asking for a bit of a discount.

Obviously it’s only fair that your man makes some profit, but occasionally there’s enough markup between the Barrus trade and retail prices that they can help a bit.

I use https://ribsmarineparts.co.uk/ to give me a baseline on UK retail prices, and just as important, availability. It’s not worth you paying UK retail in something that’s coming from the US, just buy direct.

Not sure if it’s still the case, but it used to be that mercury marine would sell to marine power, who would sell to Barrus, who would sell to your chandlers who finally sell to you. And each takes their cut.

The price has nothing to do with the workshop I go to....he is as disgusted as me.....in fact he sent an email off to Barrus to ask why the prices were so high.

£52 for a plastic bush is beyond silly though.

Cheers bud.

[fastasfox]

Steering arm new and old replacement £180 USA.... New from mercury Barrus £750.

Plastic bush ×2 £21 China.....New Barrus £52 each.

Top rubber bushes × 2 good second hand £84 USA. Barrus £250 Each.

Powerhead studs ( yet to source) Barrus £30 each x6 £180.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by beamishken

Manufacturers of marine engines just take the pi$$ the car derived inboards are a prime example a 6lp (4.2 landcruiser engine) fuel filter is £120 a bosch filter for the same application is £12, oil filters are a similar story. Volvo d3 (xc90 engine) fuel return rail is £140 an xc90 one £28 many other crossover parts have the same story. Its almost criminal how these things are marked up

Excuse my ignorance, but can you just use said crossover part's on the marine engine ?

[fastasfox]

To separate the powerhead from the leg I trimmed the outboard into the horizontal position on the engine stand and un-did the nuts leaving them on at the end of the stud.

I then went round with a block of wood and a big nylon hammer tapping the adaptor plate until it started to separate.

When at the stage of daylight all the way round the gasket, I wheeled the stand over to my super heavy duty bench and rested the powerhead on the bench.....with a bit of a wiggle and a couple of taps on a wooden wedge in the joint the powerhead was removed.

The paintwork on the saddle is in pretty good nick , but I will re-paint the leg and gearbox.....it makes sense at this stage of undress.

After re- assembly i will give the outboard a major service.
And hopefully it will be good to go for a few a years.

I would love to have it all done for Rib Rendezvous but I'm not going to put myself under that pressure ( I only get weekends to work on it)

[lakelandterrier]

not just Mercury - the O2 sensor on my Suzuki DF140A is showing as faulty - just 200 hours since the orignal was replaced under warranty.

Suzuki Marine UK price for replacement part (18213-98J30) £306.99!

I need to find an alternative.

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

Excuse my ignorance, but can you just use said crossover part's on the marine engine ?

Yep absolutely the parts are identical, & lifted straight from the Toyota or volvo parts shelf occasionally yanmar parts come with Toyota lables on them. I save even more by buying genuine Toyota parts from a company in Dubai who often sell at 50-60% less than uk Toyota which is usually 50% or more less than yanmar prices.
Looks like your going to town with your engine, hope it goes well & you get out on the water this season

looks like easdale could be a bit chaotic this year organising & managing so many boats seems a daunting task for the organisers.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by lakelandterrier

not just Mercury - the O2 sensor on my Suzuki DF140A is showing as faulty - just 200 hours since the orignal was replaced under warranty.

Suzuki Marine UK price for replacement part (18213-98J30) £306.99!

I need to find an alternative.

Ebay using the part number you provided

[lakelandterrier]

Thanks, Fastasfox,

I've just been looking on eBay myself. Hard to justify the difference isn't it.

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by lakelandterrier

Thanks, Fastasfox,

I've just been looking on eBay myself. Hard to justify the difference isn't it.

Definitely

[beamishken]

Originally Posted by fastasfox

Definitely

There are loads of examples like this across almost all makes , I can understand the cost of small batch production of items exclusive to each engine but marking up generic items is verging on robbery. First thing I do when I need parts is look for a supply from the oe supplier or a quality copy part. Many parts aren't even manufactured by the engine builders who simply buy them in then mark them up at sometimes 10x the cost of the part from the manufacturers, it's outright ripping us off.

[LittleSumpin]

As a long time engineer of automotive seating parts here in the USA, I can confirm the MINIMUM mark up for what we sell our parts to the OEM VS. what the OEM dealer will sell the exact same parts to Joe public is 10X ( or more on average these days is 15X ).

[fastasfox]

Originally Posted by LittleSumpin

As a long time engineer of automotive seating parts here in the USA, I can confirm the MINIMUM mark up for what we sell our parts to the OEM VS. what the OEM dealer will sell the exact same parts to Joe public is 10X ( or more on average these days is 15X ).

It's wrong is it not.
If something is exquisitely engineered and as rare as hens teeth then I get it.. .but these companies are taking the pickle.....just because they can.