I have a 1997 Mariner 15hp on my punt that died on me last October just as the hunting season began, it seemed to struggle coming up the river; I took it in to my mechanic friend who told me it was not worth fixing: Compression was down to 30 psi, leaking oil, the rings were worn out and the head gasket needed replacing. I made do with a good 9.8 Merc for the season, but it was not strong enough to tow another punt, so my son and I confined ourselves to one boat. I had hoped to do more exploring in the marsh but it was not to be. Fast forward to last week and I get a surprise call telling me that $400 later, new rings, new head gasket and plugs, compression is at 128psi and it is all fixed. I put it on the punt today and it fired up first effortless, buttery pull - it idles like it is new. I like getting new stuff, but I find it more satisfying getting old stuff to work better and last longer. For some reason I am unreasonably happy about getting this old motor up and running, even though duck season is many months away.