Old boat and motor

[halibutcheeks]

I just inherited an old sears craftsman 14 ' aluminum boat and a mercury ?9.8 h.p. motor. They have been in storage for about 10 years. Any suggestions on where to start to get the boat and motor in good working condition. Check the boat for leaks, etc.?
Thanks
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[tomc]

the boat is an easy one,just what you said check for leaks.best way is to fill the boat with water let sit for a little while,then start looking for any drips.
the motor,well that can be alittle more difficult,sitting for 10 years is a very long time.the first thing is see if it turns over.next you could try fresh gas and see if it starts.it a double edge sword for a motor sitting that long ,with or without gas,if it didnt have gas,all the o-rings and gaskets could be dried out,and full of corrosion.if it has gas,its very stale and water and varnish has developed.my best advise is to have the carb rebuilt,and have the impeler replaced.then it should be good as new
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[allingeneral]

Definitely, before even trying to do anything, just see if the old motor will roll over. You may be able to do that with a rope wrapped around the fly wheel on top of the motor.

If it rolls over, pull the carb and give it a good tear-down and cleaning. You may need to soak it in carbeuretor cleaner to get some of the varnish out of it. I would replace all of the fuel lines since they're probably rotted. Pull the spark plug(s) and see how they look. Might as well replace them too. Now would be a good time to ground the spark plug to the block and roll the motor over to see if there's any spark. Put the carb back together and reinstall it. Check the fuel tank...make sure that you clean it out well...put some fresh gas in it and see if it fires.

hmm...also check the lower unit...replace the impeller and fill with new gear lube.

I can hear it running already!
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