Buying guide
The lower unit is shot. Now what?
There are four ways out of this, and the right one depends on the motor's age more than on the price tag. Here is what each option actually gets you, what happens to the old unit, and the one step after installation that decides whether the new one lasts.
Four ways to fix it
For most Johnson and Evinrude motors the choice narrows fast, because new lower units are no longer produced across much of the range.
Remanufactured
Usually the answer- You get
- Your unit's equivalent, torn down and built back to factory spec with new wear parts.
- Warranty
- Two-year limited warranty from OBR.
- Timing
- Off the shelf when one is available, with no rebuild wait.
- Catch
- A refundable core deposit until your old unit goes back to OBR.
New
If it exists- You get
- A unit that has never been in service.
- Warranty
- Two-year limited warranty from OBR.
- Timing
- Depends on what's still made. Big Foot units are one of the few new ones left.
- Catch
- Costs the most, and for older motors it simply isn't an option.
Used or salvage
Risky- You get
- Someone else's lower unit, with their history and their wear.
- Warranty
- Rarely any. The seal that failed on theirs is the same age as yours.
- Timing
- However long the hunt takes.
- Catch
- No way to know what's inside until it's on the boat.
Worth it only when nothing else fits.
Rebuild yours
Shop time- You get
- Your housing back, with whatever the teardown says it needs.
- Warranty
- Whatever your shop offers on the work.
- Timing
- The boat is down until the parts land and the work is done.
- Catch
- The bill isn't known until it's apart, and a cracked housing ends it.
What "remanufactured" means here
Not cleaned and painted. A core comes in, comes apart, and leaves as a unit built back to factory specification.
Teardown
The core is stripped to the bare housing. Nothing carries over on assumption.
Inspection
Housing, gears, shafts and bearing surfaces are checked. A cracked or damaged housing is rejected rather than patched.
New wear parts
Seals, bearings and the parts that wear go in new, with gears replaced where inspection calls for it.
Built to spec, then shelved
Reassembled to factory specification and stocked, so it ships when you need it instead of starting a rebuild queue.
Bombardier reman gearcases built in the USA
Your old unit is worth money
Your failed gearcase is the raw material for the next reman unit, which is why OBR pays to get it back. The core program is an incentive, not a condition of the sale.
Then: the first ten hours
OBR calls the first ten hours of operation critical, and names a skipped break-in as the leading cause of repeat failures. It is also the easiest way to lose the warranty on a unit you just paid for. Vary the speed, stay off full throttle, and check the gear oil after the first outing.
Tell us the model number
Off the transom bracket tag. OBR will tell you what fits, what is on the shelf, and what your core is worth. Shops can order it wholesale.