Service Manuals

[MrGiggles]

Found the old service manual thread and it appears the dropbox links are no longer working. Took a while to find it, I could've sworn it used to be pinned but I may be wrong. I'm needing the manual for a 98 50hp Evinrude.

Anyone have an updated page with good links? I thought about PMing Jim but it appears he doesn't visit much anymore.

 

[lightflyer1]

I bought one off eBay for my 25hp Merc for $30, the other day.

 

[airshot]

I bought one off eBay for my 25hp Merc for $30, the other day.

That is where I got my 40 hp Merc manual, guess I was lucky, only 15 bucks !! However, you need to watch close as the old manuals go quickly !! The seller said his was only posted 15 minutes before I bought it...

 

[lightflyer1]

There were several or so for sale. There. All were about the same price so I just picked the one that looked the least used.

 

[airshot]

Everything has and is going up in price, I don't think it will end anytime soon ! Manuals are only getting more scarce !

 

[MrGiggles]

I did end up buying one. Kinda sucks that the webpage doesn't work anymore, there was a bunch of free manuals on there.

 

[LaqueRatt]

So what's the story on the free manuals going poof? This isn't the first I've heard about these ghost manuals.
.
Found manuals online for most of my other motors, but not for the Merc 75. Got one off ebay a couple weeks ago for $20. Covers all the inline 4s and 6s, tower or power versions. In big demand maybe? Jumped on it right away when it came up. Only other one looked like somebody wiped their butt on it and I sure wasn't paying $30 for that!

 

[MrGiggles]

The thread used to be pinned in the motors section. I suspect that since @Jim (the previous owner of the site I believe) hasn't visited the forum in a year, the dropbox account hasn't been maintained either.

It was a great asset on the site when it was working.

OutBoard Service Repair manuals

UPDATED February 2018 - Help yourself! :LOL2: No need to PM me, just go to this link below and get what manual(s) you need. https://www.tinboats.net/manuals/ *********************************************************************************************************************** They are in...

www.tinboats.net

 

[LaqueRatt]

Surely somebody here can get a hold of Jim? That sounds like a great asset that shouldn't be lost. I have a few manuals that I'd be happy to add to the collection. Or how about this, we start over?

 

[lightflyer1]

May have been taken down due to copyright issues. Some forums don't allow posting of copyright material.

 

[LaqueRatt]

After a certain amount of time goes doesn't printed material become public domain? If so, maybe some of the older manuals are free to share.

 

[lightflyer1]

After a certain amount of time goes doesn't printed material become public domain? If so, maybe some of the older manuals are free to share.

Could be I don't know. Other forums I watch have taken down or not allowed copyrighted material. Several car sites I watch also have people asking for free manuals, some with success and some not. I usually just buy one used with anything like this I need. Never had to pay much for any of them though.

 

[LDUBS]

After a certain amount of time goes doesn't printed material become public domain? If so, maybe some of the older manuals are free to share.

Good point! I think the time line for something to get into public domain is pretty long. Doubtful any of the copyrighted service manuals are there yet. I wonder if there is a difference too if the item is a work product of a business as opposed to say literature. I'm no expert on this, so all speculation on my part.

 

[mirrocraft16]

What ever happened to boatinfo.no? They had just about every outboard manual posted there for years then it suddenly comes up as a dead site. It and two others with free info ceased to exist only recently. The exact link to the site was http://boatinfo.no/lib/library.html but I see its dead now. It was there for at least 10 years or so. There was also one based out of the Netherland that did mostly just OMC motors but that's gone now too. Both were still active in 2020, but I hadn't checked either one until just recently.
Its not just outboard manual sites that went away, nearly every last free shop manual site has gone away in the last three years. Something had to change that put them offline, there's no way its just some coincidence that they all shut down at the same time.

 

[LaqueRatt]

I'm guessing the sites that charge for manuals may have bought the domain names in order to shut them down. Funny thing is, it seems most any motor built fairly recently, like in the last 20 years has those manuals available for free download at the manufacturer's sites.

 

[airshot]

I'm guessing the sites that charge for manuals may have bought the domain names in order to shut them down. Funny thing is, it seems most any motor built fairly recently, like in the last 20 years has those manuals available for free download at the manufacturer's sites.

Yep...gov't requirements, items no longer come with instruction or manuals even though they are required by law. Much cheaper to have you download than to print something that most folks don't read and throw away. Was not the case in the old days, before computors and home printers, but people were still throwing that stuff away so hard to find nowadays. Recently bought a new TV, only instructions were a post card with startup instrutions. All user instructions and troubleshooting information needed to be downloaded at mfgr website !! Wife bought some home knicknak items that required some assembly....just a small card telling you where to download the needed instructions !! But....being a typical man...I don't need no freakin instructions....no matter how long it takes !!!!!!

 

[LDUBS]

I just ask the kids. If it is too complicated, I ask the grandkids. Haha.

 

[LDUBS]

I'm guessing the sites that charge for manuals may have bought the domain names in order to shut them down. Funny thing is, it seems most any motor built fairly recently, like in the last 20 years has those manuals available for free download at the manufacturer's sites.

Or, they just put them up for sale hoping people won't notice they can get them for free. I recall reading a story about someone on eBay selling booklets full of coupons for a few bucks. You know, like get $400 worth of savings for only $19.95. Thing is the coupon books were free! Haha.

 

[mirrocraft16]

Or, they just put them up for sale hoping people won't notice they can get them for free. I recall reading a story about someone on eBay selling booklets full of coupons for a few bucks. You know, like get $400 worth of savings for only $19.95. Thing is the coupon books were free! Haha.

That rates right up there with those who sell items that Harbor Freight gives away for free.

 

[FalsePleasure]

The internet has gone to ****. It's no longer the information freeway that made the internet the great place that everybody needed. Now it's just a annoying piece of dangerous spy technology that's highly regulated and all about putting money into the pockets of the 1%ers.