Is it worth my time?

[outboardboy3]

I have been offered to trade a 1960’s Sea King 9.9 for my older riding lawn mower. I hear Chrysler outboards are a pain, and don’t ever run right. Is it worth trying to fix, or should I just pass on it? Thanks

[brian]

Well, any outboard can be a pain if they were not taken care of and were put away incorrectly. I am working on a Gale made Goodyear that was abused in every way and will only run with many replacement parts. I also had an air cooled Eska that was cared for and run great with just a bit of tinkering. The question is what are your plans for the outboard? If you like to tinker and have no use for the riding lawnmower, then at worst it is a non-runner with many problems with time spent learning about your outboard. At best it is a learning experience with the end product being a running outboard. If you need a dependable outboard to use then there are plenty of outboards available thru dealers and classified ads. I personally have worked on Sea Kings built by Chrysler and didn’t have too much trouble getting them running. The biggest problem was the gearcase leaking gear oil and ruining the gears and bearing.

[bullie]

I have had good experiences with most of the Chryslers I have owned.

[fleetwin]

Well, the Chryslers are not as abundant like the OMCs, so replacement parts might be a bit tougher to find. They seem to run fine once properly serviced though. A lot depends on the condition of the engine along with the condition of your riding mower I guess. You might want to contact Ben Dittmar for better advice when it comes to these engines….

[squierka39]

I don’t know if this helps, but you can fit more outboards in the space of one riding mower.

[bullie]

quote SquierKA39:

I don’t know if this helps, but you can fit more outboards in the space of one riding mower.

Excellent point!

[frankr]

Generally speaking, I have found Chryslers to be decent motors. And for the most part, they are pretty simple motors. I say this, admitting I don’t have much if any experience with the 9.9.

Worst thing about Chryslers that I remember was drive shaft splines rusting and seizing in the crankshaft due to salt water. Don’t know if that was a problem with the 9.9 or not.

[Mumbles]

Chrysler bought out West Bend in the mid sixties so all they had to do was apply their name and shade of white paint to an already proven and well engineered product. If Chrysler wasn’t forced to sell off their outboard division, which by the way was the only Chrysler division making money at the time, they might still be around today. Instead, they morphed into the Force line which is why you go to a Merc dealer for Chrysler parts. Having owned a few, the Chrysler line are much underrated but still a fine motor.

I parted out a 9.9 (Elgin?) a few years ago and figured I hit paydirt when I measured the pistons. They are the same size as pistons used in the OMC 9.9/15 horse motors with one difference. The pin to align the rings is drilled and installed from the top of the piston which makes the rings end gap line up with one of the ports in an OMC motor. They are still wrapped up somewhere in a box waiting for a home.

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