Longevity of the new 4 cycle outboards ?

[hirondeller]

Hi SMJ,


My new Suzuki came with a smaller 3 blade prop compared with my old high thrust Yamaha, the standard Suze prop seems like a small lightweight boat prop to me, but I have not noticed much difference on my boat, bear in mind, I own a lightweight 23 ft cat with narrow, easily driven amas.


If you buy a 9.9 EFI Suze I think you can easily match the Yamaha high thrust 'torque' by trying a different prop. To my knowledge, the current Yamaha 9.9 is still carbureted. That was enough to rule it out.

[smj]

Originally Posted by hirondeller

Hi SMJ,


My new Suzuki came with a smaller 3 blade prop compared with my old high thrust Yamaha, the standard Suze prop seems like a small lightweight boat prop to me, but I have not noticed much difference on my boat, bear in mind, I own a lightweight 23 ft cat with narrow, easily driven amas.


If you buy a 9.9 EFI Suze I think you can easily match the Yamaha high thrust 'torque' by trying a different prop. To my knowledge, the current Yamaha 9.9 is still carbureted. That was enough to rule it out.

Thanks for the info. We have twin Yamaha 9.9’s on our 40’ cat and like the idea of fuel injection. The new Yamaha 25hp high thrust, fuel injected light weight outboards sound great but unsure if they would fit. Also maybe a little overkill.

[rslifkin]

Tohatsu also makes a 9.9 with EFI and they offer 2 different pitch high thrust props for it as an option (the lower pitch of the 2 being included standard on their "sailpro" model).

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Tohatsu also makes a 9.9 with EFI and they offer 2 different pitch high thrust props for it as an option (the lower pitch of the 2 being included standard on their "sailpro" model).

How are the EFI 9.9's doing with the ethanol 10%?

Is it as good as our vehicles with fuel injection which do not have problems and you don't need to use any fuel treatment.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thomm225

How are the EFI 9.9's doing with the ethanol 10%?

Is it as good as our vehicles with fuel injection which do not have problems and you don't need to use any fuel treatment.

No personal experience, but I haven't seen anyone complain about it. Like anything else, as long as the rubber bits are alcohol compatible and the fuel is kept away from excessive air exposure, it should work fine.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by thomm225

How are the EFI 9.9's doing with the ethanol 10%?

Is it as good as our vehicles with fuel injection which do not have problems and you don't need to use any fuel treatment.

They work just like a Japanese car.

Start right up and never fail.

Buy everything fuel injected if you can. Way more reliable

[Bruce K]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Working on an outboard I have been known to drop a tool in the water. It surprised me as I do not drop tools.

I have to work on my tender o/b Suzi 15 4st, in davits over the water, lower leg removal etc. always hang an open umbrella from the transom under the O/B, have never dropped a tool, bolt or part since I started doing this. Seems to magically stop all things falling! I once dropped the umbrella in toe water, but was able to retrieve it.

[tuffr2]

I didn't have an umbrella and worse I never thought I would drop the tool. It was funny as the water was clear and for .25 seconds I thought about diving in at try to get it but it was sinking really fast. That .25 second hesitation it was too late.

Sent from my Moto Z3 Play using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[RexSnr]

I cannot give full experience but am a commercial user of 4 stroke outboards. I ran my last twin 4 stroke 115hp Mercs for 1300 hours faultlessly. Engines were flushed daily and gearbox and engine oils changed every 100 hrs religiously. Water pump impellers at 300 hrs.
I was planning a new larger boat and made a point of interviewing all outboard mechanics in our 80% tourism commercial boat town. ALL brands reported 4 strokes running between 5,000 and 6,000 hours and still going. Consensus was that no one yet knew the end use hours.
Note though that engines run daily and regularly serviced will always outlast ones used and parked up for near a year before further use.
For what its worth, discover the product called SaltX and hose down the engine after every use with this, also lightly under the canopy because most get salt spray over the block.

[RexSnr]

PS I should have made clear those Mercs still performed like new at 1300 hours, so were well on their way to very high hours. My prediction would have been 4,000 to 5,000 hours.

[smj]

Friend of mine use to build charter cats that were powered by twin out boards, usually Honda’s. They would trade them in when they got about 3,000-3,500 hours on them, not because they were giving them problems but because they still had a good resale value.

[Patina]

Down here in south Puget Sound, the oyster growers have gone to twin outboards pushing 60 ft. scows. These 250-300 hp motors get worked hard every day and seem to last.

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by thomm225

How are the EFI 9.9's doing with the ethanol 10%?



Is it as good as our vehicles with fuel injection which do not have problems and you don't need to use any fuel treatment.

Yes. My EFI 15 has been flawless for 3 years running E10 and ethanol free when I can find it. I don’t run it dry in winter and it starts right up in the spring

[tuffr2]

Sounds like I can get a long life out of a 4 cycle outboard. And does not seem like any HP rating is better or worse than any other. That is great news. I am thinking 150HP on the low end and 300HP on the high end of the HP rating.

I wanted a Cabin Cruiser boat but now thinking a nice cuddy cabin might be better. I am thinking a cabin cruiser boat might sit too high on the trailer. Low hanging tree branches on the way to boat ramps might not treat a cabin cruiser boat to well.

[kmacdonald]

I think they rust out long before they wear out.