Just recently put boat in shop with lower unit issues.  The shop is telling me that I need to replace unit.  I've got 2 choices: replace internal parts with generic parts, 1 yr warranty or replace the whole unit with new original one same warranty.  The difference is about $1000.  This is a 2000yr model 200hp johnson. Just not sure which way to go. Will the generic parts perform same as original?

 

 

Which gear case, Lightning or standard.  If it's the standard, I would just buy a good used one.  If it's the Lightning,  Lightings are hard to come by used and not sure the used would be much better than what you have, they are not a very strong gear case and unless you are running well into the 70's I would change a Lightning out for the standard.  I would think you should be able to buy a good, standard LU for less than $1,500, sometime even half that much. Just make sure it's a fresh water unit, do even mess with a saltwater unit.  Any V-6 LU later than 1993 will work.

 

Check out Scream and Fly, there should be several people on there with LU's for sale.  The guy that goes by Racer (Al Stoker), is a dealer and usually has a good source of used parts and is a very good, honest person to deal with, may not be the cheapest but you can depend on what he tells you.