zmk1962 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 Hey Raiders, I have observed that whenever someone asks about an outboard brand or repower advice it ends up being a very passionate free for all - not a surprise since we all love our sport, we are all passionate about the brands we use and after all the Raider spirit is one of sharing. Many people come to the FR site just for this type of advice and insight. I thought it would be incredibly valuable if between ourselves we started a topic just dedicated to Personal Experiences with Outboards. So no bar room talk, no gossip, no referring to someone else's motor, or what the pro's use -- in other words no opinions -- JUST YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR MOTOR (or motors you have owned in the past). ...and. please only post if you are prepared to engage in a PM discussion with a registered Fishraider who may want some more info. If folks want to debate some pro's con's then please branch off into another topic and keep this one clean and on TOPIC! Personally I think it would be very valuable to have this "fact based" catalog of experiences - and people whom you can contact to have a 1:1 chat. To keep the replies in this post structured, I thought we could just cut and paste the following list and provide an answer. I'll kick off with my experiences as soon as I post this - hope to see many more replies and that everyone thinks this is worthwhile.! ============================================= BRAND: HP (model): YEAR: BOAT DATA (length, weight): YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: FUEL: HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): OTHER COMMENTS: =============================================== Cheers Zoran 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted October 2, 2018 Author Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) Here Goes.... ============================================= BRAND: Tohatsu HP (model): 40HP Electric Start YEAR: Bought new. 1988 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 4.35m (16ft), 600kg Savage Fibreglass runabout YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 12mths, always copiously flushed after saltwater use. FUEL: Pre-mix Super (leaded) HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 6 years, hours unknown 300+ easy. TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Recreational fishing - estuary, rivers, headlands OTHER COMMENTS: Great motor. Never skipped a beat. If the battery was flat, pull start the motor and after 20min we had enough in the battery to use the electric start. Pushed the little Savage around like a rocket. Many trips across Jervis Bay and Hawkesbury system without a hiccup. =============================================== ============================================= BRAND: YAMAHA HP (model): 225 XL Carbie YEAR: 1990(s) BOAT DATA (length, weight): 6.35m, 1800kg YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: every 12-18mths FUEL: pre-mix 95 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 3years, hours unknown (came with boat, 2nd hand - motor was not well looked after - salt build up in cowl areas etc) TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Boating, recreational inshore fishing OTHER COMMENTS: Extremely powerful motor (and thirsty). Previous owner used it for pulling water skiers, wake boards. Found the motor to be very temperamental - rough idle below 2000rpm, notch the throttle a bit forward and the 2nd throat on the carbies opened and she spun up to 4-5000rpm and shot out of the hole like a rocket... great for pulling waterskiers, absolutely sh*t for docking next to a pontoon or anchoring on a mark ! Developed a crack in the exhaust manifold at the base of the power head. =============================================== ============================================= BRAND: Mercury HP (model): 200HP EFI XL Bluewater Series YEAR: 1999 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 6.35m, 1800kg YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 12-18mths, always copiously flushed after saltwater use. FUEL: 95 or 98, Oil injected post mix - Quicksilver Premium TCW3 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): Bought new. 21yrs, 291hrs. Going strong. TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): boating, recreational fishing, estuary, bay and offshore up to 40km (shelf) OTHER COMMENTS: Great motor. Powerful. About 1/3 better economy than the 225 Yammie it replaced. Can be loud when flat out and smoky on cold morning start - minimal smoke once warm. One failure in 19yrs (Nov 2017) - flywheel became loose and spun - threw timing out. Required a new flywheel. Perfect compression on all 6cyl when tested in late 2017. According to the mechanics she has quite a few more years in her yet. Performance: Merc 200HP EFI pushing the Haines 635L using the standard Vengence 3 blade s/s 19P prop : 3400rpm 40km/h 4300rpm, 55km/h 5000rpm 70km/h WOT is at 5800rpm I don't have a fuel flow gauge, but doing it the old way, based on my gps trip data and tank refill - I'm averaging 1.3L/km travelled. ============================================================================================ BRAND: Mariner HP (model): 15HP 4St Carbie (used as Aux and trolling motor) YEAR: 1998 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 6.35M, 1800kg YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: every 12-18mths, always copiously flushed after saltwater use. FUEL: 95 or 98 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 20yrs, 150+hrs (hard to tell its the Aux). Going strong. TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): As an Aux - used once in 19yrs to bring us home from 3km past Barrenjoey to Parsley boat ramp. Often used as trolling motor when out wide. OTHER COMMENTS: Good little kicker. Pretty quiet and pushes the heavy hull along at 10km/h - no wonder its used on yachts. Prone to getting a sticking carbie float if fuel is left in the carbie - which would result in flooding and difficulty in starting. No more issues once I figured to run the carbie dry when flushing. =============================================== Cheers Zoran Edited July 1, 2020 by zmk1962 updated 200HP performance with latest data 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 Excellent initiative Zoran and thanks for this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankS Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 This is a topic which by nature can't possibly stay between the rails and variants will come into just about every post. My experience for example is I have had that many different motors on that many different boats over a period of about 50 years from 4hp Johnson to 200hp Mercury and a couple of inboards to boot. The motor that comes to mind for most used would be a 1984 55hp Evenrude 2 stroke that was on a 475 Steber cuddy cab, I took that boat everywhere inshore rivers outside to the shelf and ran it for about 12 years, couldn't count the hours but it got used about 3 to 4 times a week 12 months a year sometimes more often than others, the only trouble I ever had with it was a solenoid for the starter motor, besides flushing it very rarely had any attention, probably about 3 impellas over the 12 years. The best motor I have ever had is a 90hp Evenrude Etec 2005 model, it was a new kid on the block and people tried to steer me away from it but I am so glad I bought it, best motor ever. Tohatsu 40hp 2 stroke on 16 ft Bass boat, mate still has it, has cost me a few $$$ over the years. I presently have about 6 motors from a 9hp Mercury to a 90hp Johnson ocean runner, mate still has the E Tec. My 4.3 Brooker project boat which is almost ready to put into the water has a 30hp Mercury 1998 2 stroke on the back. Could keep going but don't want to bore people any more than I already have. Frank 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 @frankS Don’t worry, we have a mod team to keep it civil. @zmk1962 great thread for people to read about their experiences with different motors. My boat is a Haines Hunter 470 breeze. It has a 75hp oil injected 2 stroke merc. I’ve used it a few times....lol ? Got the boat 6 months old in 2007 and have put almost 6000 hrs on it (if the meter is right) In that time I’ve never had one issue except for a sticky starter motor which was easily fixed with some lubricant. I’ve only ever fully serviced the boat 3 times but I change spark plugs when needed and that’s it. Reason: my father in law has been a motor mechanic his whole life. He told me early on that a 2 stroke motor is a lawn mower on steroids! He said, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Well I’m glad I listen as 11 years later she’s still kicking and top speed is still 35knots. It still starts first go and is the perfect motor for my boat size! Although I’d love a bigger boat (wouldn’t we all) I wouldn’t swap my pairing of both boat and motor for anything! Fuel wise: I only have 2 x 25l tanks which can be an issue if venturing out wide but my standard trip of around 25nm sees me back to the ramp with plenty to spare! I use the cheapest fuel I can find to save my hip pocket (more money for lures) However, after each trip I flush the motor and make sure it’s well lubricated, washed and topped with oil. It is also important to change your fuel filter regularly! Other than that, you need to make sure you get out and use the bloody thing! It’s not a driveway ornament!!! Cheers scratchie!!! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) Owned my first boat at 12 years old, now 53 and always owned and worked on boats. It wasn't untill I moved here and Yamaha brought out their first fourstroke that I had ever seen or experienced a 4 stroke ( 20+ years ago). This was a f 50 which ran extremely economically compared to anything I had ever owned before, the fact I no longer smelt oil burn was the biggest factor for both myself and my family. Even now after many years of boating I still get sick from the smell of 2 stroke fumes, this can be quite quick for me and I've even gotten sick from smelling other engines around me. I have bought boats that have had 2 strokes that I thought I could live with over the last 20 years but each time I've ended up replacing ( merc 90, Yam 115, Johnson 70, Yam 70, Yam 25). I had a suzuki 90 2014 model on my last boat that gave around 3km per litre cruising at 45 kmh, very punchy with a 17 pitch prop on a 505haines signature. I had no problems but I wouldn't expect to either as I only ran it to 450 hrs before selling it, the boat couldn't handle my needs. My little formula 15 performed the same economicaly to my zodiac 550 both with Yamaha f70's. Once again I never had issues or expect to with only 700hrs on my current one. I must say that my current f 70 is worked hard, with rpm mostly over 5000 and a constant working of in and out of gear. I opted for the Yam over their stronger gear linkages over some other brands, also the stainless prop is heavier on gear shifting. Having divers close to bomies means constantly working the engine, often backing into waves that cover the outboard. Water does get through the air vents on the cowling but easely washes off. Ive never had an engine fail in my life, however I did get water in my fuel which put my Honda into a limp home mode one night, tricky getting through the bar at around 3 knots with the kids onboard. Im very interested in trying one of the new merc 4 strokes in the future as they seem to produce good power with great economy, they are also popular among the abalone divers who tend to use their boats much like I do. In regards to getting sick from two stroke smell or diesel, this is a personal thing that both myself and kids seem to be sensitive to. My son still gets sick on the 10min drive to school ( we have to take him as the bus run ends very messy) I also get car sick if sitting in the back seats. Edited October 2, 2018 by JonD 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 C'mon guys cut and paste the format below for the input. If you wish to have discussion or further comment do it below the info section in OTHER COMMENTS ============================================= BRAND: HP (model): YEAR: BOAT DATA (length, weight): YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: FUEL: HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): OTHER COMMENTS: =============================================== 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berleyguts Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) BRAND: Evinrude ETEC HP (model): 60 YEAR: bought new Jan 2014 but a 2013 model BOAT DATA (length, weight): Stacer Outlaw side console 4.49m. Not sure of weight. About 10kg heavier than I’d like it to be when I’m in it! ? (Must get back to the gym!). Edit: and about 30kg lighter than I’d like it to be with fish in it! ? YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 1st service after 3 years, then after the 4th year (I was a few months late). FUEL: 2-stroke, self-mixing, 100:1. Was using 98 octane but have changed to 95 on advice of mechanic. Bit of a hassle here as the local servo (Shell) only sells 98 or 91, no 95 or E10 (not that I’d ever use E10!). A new Caltex (Woolworths) has just opened, so I will try that soon. HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): Was only about 150 hours at last service. I really need to fish more! TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Fishing, mostly offshore (and sometimes just whale watching) but also drifting the estuary with the Minn Kota and flicking lures and baits and working hoop nets for crabs. Some bass fishing and I must make a trip to Jindabyne one day! OTHER COMMENTS: Very happy with this motor. Starts first time every time. It’s great out of the hole and I don’t find it too noisy or smelly. At last service (4 years) an intermittent fault was detected on the computer that I didn’t notice, which was fixed under warranty and last week, what I thought was a flat battery, turned out to be a starter solenoid fault, which was also promptly fixed under warranty. This motor can be pull started (remove cowling and use starter rope provided) but I haven’t tried it yet. I would happily buy an ETEC again but I wouldn’t rule out a 4 stroke. However, I’d lean towards an ETEC because the dealer is 5 minutes down the road and I’m very happy with the service. They also sell and service Suzuki outboards so I might consider a Suzi. I think there are local Mercury and Honda repairers (maybe Yamaha) but I’m really happy with the service I get where I go right now. Edited October 2, 2018 by Berleyguts 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fab1 Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 BRAND:yamaha HP (model):30 hp cv YEAR:2011 BOAT DATA (length, weight):4.2 tinny.550KG ready to roll. YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL:self serviced when i remember.Just kidding i do plugs,gear oil,etc yearly.Costs a fortune.? FUEL:regular unleaded pre-mix HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor):Don't know,probably not a great deal as i don't get out as often as I'd like. TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc):Trying to catch Yowies fish.Key word,TRYING.Enjoying the water,surrounds and family. OTHER COMMENTS:Been a good little motor for my needs.A no frills a to b engine if you mainly head out to your fishing destination and anchor up or drift.(Not recomended for trolling as it will foul plugs). Costs peanuts to own service,maintain with the bonus of being very quiet,fuel efficient sitting idle in garage for long periods of time.Fuel seams to last me ages.? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoingFishing Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 (edited) BRAND: EVINRUDE ETEC HP (model): 75 G1 AND THEN 150 HO G2 YEAR: 2013 AND THEN 2017 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 75 ETEC - 4.6M - 150HP 6.2M YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: YEARLY FUEL: 91 OCTANE - SEE COMMENTS SECTION HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 350 Hours on G1 - 120 hrs on G2 TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Fishing only - mostly offshore OTHER COMMENTS: Have only had one visit for warranty repair in 6 years when my motor tilt/trim fuse blew on the G1 - 15 min fix and on my way Yearly service otherwise very good fuel economy and power very happy with outboard overall performance 150 G2 Fuel Consumption on my 6.2m Yellowfin 1200rpm/ 6 knots / 4.5 litres hr 3500rpm/ 22 knots/ 18 litres/hr 4500rpm/30 knots / 27 litres/hr WOT/ 39 knots / 43 litres hr NOTE TO ALL ETEC OWNERS When I bought my first etec, I used 98 octane, because you know you love your boat and want it to be running the best. When I took the motor in for its first service the mechanic took one look at the outboard and said to me "you didn't read the manual did you"...I sheepishly replied with......I read most of it. LONG STORY SHORT - DO NOT operate your etec on anything above 91 octane fuel. They are designed to meet specific carbon emissions ratings and therefore do not burn high octane fuels, in the states they run them on 86 octane fuel. If you do use high octane fuel, you will have black soot build up around the back of the boat......that's all your unburnt fuel ($$$). Feel free to contact BRP for verification. PS. Do not run ethanol based fuels either Edited October 3, 2018 by GoingFishing 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big Neil Posted October 2, 2018 Share Posted October 2, 2018 ============================================= BRAND: Yamaha HP (model): 15HP YEAR: 2009 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 3.45m, heavy (with me in it and the battery for the electric) YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: as needed FUEL: unleaded / marine two-stroke 100:1 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): Not many TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Fishing OTHER COMMENTS: Have replaced impellers regularly as the water in the river is often shallow and full of muddy sand. The motor is subjected to rough treatment whilst in use but never fails. Starts easily most times. I have a 15 HP Yamaha two-stroke (manual start) on the back of my 12 ft Allycraft tinny. Got the boat 2nd hand and it is used in fresh water most of the time...occasional dip in the salt where it always gets a good flush after every use. Wouldn't have done a lot of hours as I tend to zoom around the river and dams then fish in one spot for hours. I have hit many submerged stumps while travelling at speed and the motor still continues to function well. I only use unleaded petrol with 100:1 ratio marine two-stroke oil. Have changed the prop for one which is a little bit slower but has more grunt. I try to use fairly fresh fuel in it although it often remains unused for long periods. Haven't serviced it often although I tend to replace impellers regularly. Probably a result of using the boat in shallow water and sucking up dirty water. All up a good motor and I would recommend it for the same application. Cheers, bn Thanks for the suggestion to use this format Donna. I learned something today...how to remember that I already knew how to "cut and paste". BIG LOL from bn 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishop Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 ============================================= BRAND: Mercury HP (model): 90HP 4 Stroke YEAR: 2006 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 5.60m, fibreglass half cab (dry weight 675kgs according to carribean) YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: Yearly FUEL: 95.....cos its between the cheapest and the most expensive lol HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): Ive had it for 18 months, put 100 hours on it. TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Boating and fishing OTHER COMMENTS: Bought it when it was 10 years old with only 270 hours on it. When it hit 300 hours I did the impeller like the manual suggested. Mechanic said it hadnt been done in 10 years, he had a hard time getting the leg off. Impeller looked in pretty good condition, gear oil was black as night. 20 hours later, noticed milky gear oil on a routine check, which turned out to be a lower end seal which cost $300 ish to fix. My guess is that he may have damaged the seal bashing the leg to get it off. Cant really prove it. Hes a nice bloke I let him get away with it. Other than that it hasn't skipped a beat since I owned it. Starts first time every time. Fuel consumption is decent I suppose, its under powered but I can do a whole days boating with 4 people and travel 50kms for 50L which I think its good bang for your buck. Happy with the Merc. =============================================== 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffb5.8 Posted October 3, 2018 Share Posted October 3, 2018 (edited) BRAND: Evinrude HP (model): 115hp V4 YEAR: 2016 BOAT DATA (length, weight): Stacer 539 Bow rider 5.39mtr Alloy YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 12mths FUEL: 95 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 80hrs in 2yrs TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Boating, Tubing and Fishing, lots of Dolphin watching and whale watching with the family. Great on fuel, Had a few issues since new and have now changed dealers, so hopefully they will be sorted after todays service. Biggest issue is having the right Tech to work on the engine, once you get that they are great, has plenty of power and I can do 3 days of cruising and tubing with a family of 5 on board and have about 20ltrs left (90ltr Tank) Legal to carry 7 but with 6 med to big adults it rips onto the plane and still does 60km at 5800rpm, pretty quiet on idle to med revs after that its at full song which its not ear splitting but not as quiet as my mates Suzuki 4 stroke, but not as noisy like a old 2 stroke either. Issues All my issues stem from a poor diagnosis & oil injection problem, Plugs and Injectors cleaned at 15hrs for Misfire 15hrs - 70hrs multiple temp sensor alarms, oil purge alarms, low oil alarms Changed dealer 70hrs and oil sensor cleaned, oil system primed or winterised and codes wiped, pebble found in cooling port to EMM, thermostat stuck open so engine wasn't reaching temp, No.4 spark plug wasn't indexed. So after that warranty & repair exercise the boat has been running fine, Dropped it in for its yearly minor service (More for Peace of Mind). Would I buy another Probably not, but . i'll answer this question again in 12mths. P.s If you do check its mainly the V4 (90HO - 115 - 115Ho) which has issues, the 3cyl version 15hp - 90hp have some of the best reputations going along with the G2 models. OTHER COMMENTS: Edited February 2, 2020 by jeffb5.8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antonywardle Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 BRAND: Evinrude HP (model): 90HP ETEC E90DSLISF (Three cylinder 1.3 litre) YEAR: 2009 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 4.98 Approx 800KG Mid 80's FG YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 3 years or 300 hours FUEL: 91 or 94 XD100 Two stroke Oil (Sounds like I'll be only using 91 based on above comments) HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): It has 900 hours on it, I guess i had around 600 when I got it TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Fishing, occasional boating OTHER COMMENTS: Has been a good engine for me. It uses around 25 litres when I head out to the flathead grounds. I don't find the burden of adding the ETEC oil too much. It occasionally won't run faster than an idle, so the fix it to turn it off and then restart it and it it fine for the rest of the day. At WOT i'm doing around 60km/hr and 5500 RPM. It has a four blade stainless prop. I don't notice the two stroke aroma very much. Its pretty quiet too. Flushed after every use. Happy with the dealer that I use in Cowan. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunc333 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 (edited) yalta 16foot,mercury 60hp efi 4stroke bigfoot 2006 .I bought it as a sunken engine and rebuilt from crankshaft up .huey did ok of parts i had to buy and he sold me the manual (hard copy) for $40 best investment i ever made that one.i finished rebuild 2008 and i service once a year and touch wood it hasnt missed a beat since .great on fuel,quiet and can push hard with the big gearbox when needed . fuel i use is 95 ron ,as all 91 around here has 10% ethonal which you do not put in a outboard if you want trouble free motoring.the merc is like part of my family as i know every nut and bolt on it and i learnt a lot from the rebuild.my personal opinion is all new engines are good quality if setup right from the start ie rigging. fuel system ,propping, and most of all a bit of tlc goes along way with a saltwater dipped outboard.regards dunc333.sorry mrs swordie i dont know how to cut and paste maybe in my next life lol. Edited October 4, 2018 by dunc333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrxhoon1 Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 BRAND: Mercury HP (model): 250 Optimax YEAR:2012 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 6.8 mtrs +pod YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 12 months , grease every 3 months, flush , wash and spray every use FUEL: 91 oct HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): bought new in 2012, 550 hours TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Offshore fishing up to 60 k offshore OTHER COMMENTS: Excellent motor plenty of down low power , a bit loud at high RPM, much louder than 4 st at idle, about the same fuel use as a 4 stroke, actually less fuel at trolling speeds . 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryFisher Posted October 11, 2018 Share Posted October 11, 2018 BRAND: Yamaha HP (model): F115LB YEAR: 2017 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 5.8, 1080kg YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: Yearly FUEL: 91 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 160 TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): fishing offshore mostly OTHER COMMENTS: No issues so far, except factory prop not the best my boat. Fuel consumption: 4500 rpm/ 20 knots/ 18L/h 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebel Posted October 12, 2018 Share Posted October 12, 2018 Hi All, Started with a Hammond ski boat as a teenager. Bought a Carribean Crestcutter with a 115 Johnson in 1978. Great boat & engine never had a problem. Moved on to a 5.2 metre Hinton with 115 Johnson.. Next came a 4.5 Hinton with an 80hp Johnson. Had a break for a couple of years then bought another 4.5 Hinton with a 70hp Evinrude all great boats and engines.Never had a problem with any of them. made sure the servicing was done. Most of the motors did 250 hours. All were half cabins. Now have a 4.5 tinny with 60hp fourstroke, different boat altogether to the others. Just a tip on misfiring. One of the motors had a misfire. I changed the plugs, still there. I added some Nulon fuel injector cleaner, no more misfire. I have a fourstroke lawn mower, developed a misfire three years ago added some Nulon, no misfire. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffb5.8 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 (edited) On 10/3/2018 at 4:19 PM, jeffb5.8 said: BRAND: Evinrude HP (model): 115hp V4 YEAR: 2016 BOAT DATA (length, weight): Stacer 539 Bow rider 5.39mtr Alloy YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 12mths FUEL: 95 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 80hrs in 2yrs TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Boating, Tubing and Fishing, lots of Dolphin watching and whale watching with the family. Great on fuel, Had a few issues since new and have now changed dealers, so hopefully they will be sorted after todays service. Biggest issue is having the right Tech to work on the engine, once you get that they are great, has plenty of power and I can do 3 days of cruising and tubing with a family of 5 on board and have about 20ltrs left (90ltr Tank) Legal to carry 7 but with 6 med to big adults it rips onto the plane and still does 60km at 5800rpm, pretty quiet on idle to med revs after that its at full song which its not ear splitting but not as quiet as my mates Suzuki 4 stroke, but not like a old 2 stroke either. Issues All my issues stem from a poor diagnosis & oil injection problem, Plugs and Injectors cleaned at 15hrs for Misfire 15hrs - 70hrs multiple temp sensor alarms, oil purge alarms, low oil alarms Changed dealer 70hrs and oil sensor cleaned, oil system primed or winterised and codes wiped, pebble found in cooling port to EMM, thermostat stuck open so engine wasn't reaching temp, No.4 spark plug wasn't indexed. So after that warranty & repair exercise the boat has been running fine, Dropped it in for its yearly minor service (More for Peace of Mind). Would I buy another Probably not, but . i'll answer this question again in 12mths. P.s If you do check its mainly the V4 (90HO - 115 - 115Ho) which has issues, the 3cyl version 15hp - 90hp have some of the best reputations going along with the G2 models. OTHER COMMENTS: Here is my 12mth Update: Outboard now has 126hrs on it and I am very happy to report not one issue in the last 46hrs of running, its way better on fuel, use so much less oil, still has plenty of power and starts first go, So much so I am now not scared to venture outside the harbour and do a bit more fishing outside the heads. Edited February 2, 2020 by jeffb5.8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 BRAND: Mercury HP (model): 150HP ProXS XL 3L 4stroke YEAR: 2020 BOAT DATA (length, weight): 6.35m, 1972kg YOUR SERVICE INTERVAL: 1st service 20hrs, then annually or at 100hrs after that. Lifetime warranty on valve train. FUEL: Unleaded 95 or 98 HOW LONG HAVE YOU USED THE OUTBOARD (hours on motor): 3.3hrs - just repowered - will update this post over time as I gain experience with the motor. TYPICAL BOATING USE (boating, skiing, fishing etc): Offshore fishing OTHER COMMENTS: Almost silent at idle ... but throatie at 5000rpm. Full write up on motor and initial performance data is in the referenced post below: =============================================== 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrxhoon1 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Zoran , Your new engine is tuned for 91 octane, by all means use 95 or 98 it is not going to do any harm but you won't get any benefits using 95/98 octane. Of course you would know not to use ethanol even though she is made to use that crap. Ethanol is corrosive, attracts moisture, separates if left for any time unused and melts rubber hoses . It has less energy per volume so you will use more. I wouldn't use it in anything, not even my mower. SPECIFICATIONS - 150 HP / kW 150 / 110 Engine type 8-valve single overhead cam (SOHC) Inline 4 Displacement (CID/CC) 183 Displacement (L) 3.0 Full throttle RPM 5200-6000 Air induction Performance-Tuned Scroll Intake Manifold Fuel induction system Computer Controlled Multi-Port Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) Recommended fuel Unleaded Regular 87 Octane Minimum (R+M/2) or 90 RON 10% Ethanol Maximum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zmk1962 Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Hey Jerry, Thanks for posting that. Agree 10000% re ethanol in fuel comments. I discussed the 87 with my dealer/mechanic (I trust them as they have proven they know their stuff - they also race Mercs under full stress conditions -eg took out the bridge to bridge last year) .. can't mention name but they snuck a colour coded sticker on the new motor which is visible in the photo in the other post. When I saw it I said that entitles me to a discount at the next service and he said actually the contract fine print says there is a charge if its not there at the service - hahaha. Anyway, he actually recommends I use 95 or even 98 to top up the tank as I am unlikely to use the full tank on every trip. The residual fuel will lose RON sitting in the tank, so topping up with 95/98 will keep it somewhere between 91-95. Pretty much what I have been saying for years in other posts. The owners manual says use 87 if you are in US or Canada, and min 91 outside these countries and 95 is acceptable. Since I can't find 91 around where I live, I will continue to use 95. My mech also said buy from reputable outlets - as apparently an outlet only has to declare there is ethanol in the fuel if its more than 6% !!!!!! So there's outlets topping up the RON with ethanol and staying below the 6%. Merc manual. Cheers Zoran Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishop Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 Thats a good point I wonder what your range is now with the new motor and 240Litres!! I had a 120 + 40 litre tanks in my little carribean and a 90hp 4 stroke and it goes 2+km/litre. I couldnt think of a time I would be doing a 320km round trip!! Like you said I found the fuel just sat in the tank for long periods so I would occasionally top up with 95. Ive since removed the 40L tank and turned it into a kill bin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrxhoon1 Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 4 hours ago, zmk1962 said: The owners manual says use 87 if you are in US or Canada, and min 91 outside these countries and 95 is acceptable. Since I can't find 91 around where I live, I will continue to use 95. Zoran, It is a good idea to use higher octane fuel if you leave it for long periods as it degrades over time . I was suggesting the fact that your engine is tuned to run perfect on 91 RON , no benefit in using 98 other than the fact if left for long periods it will take much longer to drop bellow 91 and if it did your computer will retard timing so the engine will not blow up due to knocking/pinging. It will have a knock sensor just like your car has. Of course she will not perform as well because of the retardation of timing. Most cars and marine engines sold in AU are tuned to run on 91 RON because that is our standard fuel. Of course high performance engines are tuned to run on 98. In Europe the standard petrol is 95 RON, all cars there are tuned to run on that . If you can't buy 91 without ethanol you don't have an option but to use 95. Yep don't buy fuel from from no name servos, they sometimes mix it with other none taxable crap to save a few $$$, some of them got caught a few years ago using solvents that didn't have tax. Buy from majors and keep the receipt so you have a come back if there is a problem . In Australia, like most of the world, we use RON ( research octane number ), in USA they use a mix of RON and MON ( motor octane number). They add the 2 and divide by 2 to get their octane rating. Their 87 is equivalent to our 91 to be more accurate it is 90.5 RON. As far as torque goes everything being equal ( but never is) a 2 stroke will have more due to the fact that it fires every time the piston comes up, 4 stroke will fire every second so it is like having a double capacity. You can change the torque on the shaft by gearing, you can for instance have several times more torque in first gear at the shafts than in top gear. You can achieve the same with outboards. The other way to do it, you can reduce the pitch of the prop to create more torque or increase the pitch to reduce it. It acts similar to what the ratio of the final drive in your car. Of course you can't compare old tech engines with the latest and due to the fact that it is harder to meet emissions on a 2 stroke, 4 stroke development has overtaken 2 strokes. 2 stroke outboards are now officially dead with the demise of E-tec. The only 2 strokes remaining are huge marine engines powering big ships, I wonder how long before they go too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smobaby Posted July 2, 2020 Share Posted July 2, 2020 The big ships will be 2 stroke diesel basically running on crude oil. It all about producing torque at the required rev range Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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