Average lifetime of an outboard motor
Doc
get out of a new outboard engine? Do 4 cycles have more longevity than 2
cycles?
Also I got this advice and I'm wondering if it might be true...often two
engines from the same manufacturer will share the same block; one engine
will be rated for 10 to 20 more HP than the other.
The advice was "go with the lower HP engine. Since both have the same block,
they also have the same torque. The higher HP engine will get you onto plane
faster, and burn more fuel, but won't behave any better than the lesser HP
engine, once that engine has its boat on plane. And the lesser HP engine
will have more longevity.
Bray Haven
>get out of a new outboard engine? Do 4 cycles have more longevity than 2
>cycles?
Back when I was a dealer in the 70's the normal life for a well maintained 2
stroke outboard in fresh water was about 1200 hrs. No idea what they are
getting now with the 4 strokes and newer motors. I run my motors from the 20's
& 30's regualrly. I think they would last longer than the later motors. Lots
of cast iron and everything was rebuildable.
>Also I got this advice and I'm wondering if it might be true...often two
>engines from the same manufacturer will share the same block; one engine
>will be rated for 10 to 20 more HP than the other.
>
>The advice was "go with the lower HP engine. Since both have the same block,
>they also have the same torque. The higher HP engine will get you onto plane
>faster, and burn more fuel, but won't behave any better than the lesser HP
>engine, once that engine has its boat on plane. And the lesser HP engine
>will have more longevity.
>
The differeing HP's from ther "same" block are (were) usually derived from
carbeuration and exhaust systems. I did find, as a dealer & mech for a number
of years, in the larger motors, the lower hp ones seemed to hold up better. No
control group. just a gut feeling :o). The v-4 85's seemed to hold up better
than the 115's etc. In the smaller ones, I didn't see any difference EG: the
9.9 vs the 15 OMC's of that era.
Greg Sefton
P.C.
"Doc" <do...@icare.net> skrev i en meddelelse
news:q9LH8.3421$UT.2...@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
Now please correct me if Im'e wrong, but I think that most small engines are
produced for a life span of round 1000 hours.
It's usealy not vear that ruin a small engine, but rather means of rust and
moisture or other problems that occour where the engine perform, but if you
calculate a medium of 80 hours use a year , and consider what you think about a
10 year old engine, the 1000 hours proberly are quite close.
P.C.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/skuespilhus/
Joseph Palazzolo
dealer (Honda) the last time I was in for service.
He answered my question by pointing to a Honda 115hp that he had just taken in
trade that had 7,500 hours on it. When I called Bullshit on him he stated that
the Everham Bait Company (San Deigo live bait supplier) swithches out their
Honda 130s at 10,000 hours.
I still have a hard time believing the above statements. 10,000 hours at 5
hours per day is 5.5 years (rounded). How long have the 130s been available?
JP
Lloyd Sumpter
Not sure about his story in particular, but I wouldn't be surprised at
the 10,000 hr figure in general.
There's lots of 20, 30, even 40 year old outboards out there that are
running just fine, often without an overhaul. Most folks I know that run
these engines don't bother counting hours, though - they just get in and
go.
Lloyd Sumpter
"Valkyrie" Campion 18
Barry Palmer
someone shovelling something, here? 10,000hours? that is a half million miles.
If so, I am afraid there is a lot of time being logged here when the motor is
not running.
An automotive engine may pull only about 25hp over the road for most of the
time (except for pulling trailers or hills or both), that's like 10%, while
the outboard is likely to be pulling 70-80% (but there is an infinite cooling
supply). Maybe the outboards get this far, with minor parts replacement, like
the block.
I would like to know about longevity in a salt water environment, as compared
to a fresh water environment. Salt water is the real test.
>Subject: Re: Average lifetime of an outboard motor
>From: Joseph Palazzolo pala...@worldnet.att.net
>Date: 5/25/02 10:52 AM Pacific Daylight Time
>Message-id: <3CEFCFA2...@worldnet.att.net>
Barry Palmer, for <A
HREF="http://members.aol.com/sevtec/sev/skmr.html">Sevtec</A>
Dazed and Confuzed
Barry Palmer wrote:
> Lessee, 7,500 hours, at 50mph, that is 375,000 miles in automotive terms. Is
> someone shovelling something, here? 10,000hours? that is a half million miles.
> If so, I am afraid there is a lot of time being logged here when the motor is
> not running.
the above sounds corect.
>
>
> An automotive engine may pull only about 25hp over the road for most of the
> time (except for pulling trailers or hills or both), that's like 10%, while
> the outboard is likely to be pulling 70-80% (but there is an infinite cooling
> supply). Maybe the outboards get this far, with minor parts replacement, like
> the block.
THere is an infinite cooling supply in a water cooled automotive engine as well, it
is called "air".
>
>
> I would like to know about longevity in a salt water environment, as compared
> to a fresh water environment. Salt water is the real test.
>
> >Subject: Re: Average lifetime of an outboard motor
> >From: Joseph Palazzolo pala...@worldnet.att.net
> >Date: 5/25/02 10:52 AM Pacific Daylight Time
> >Message-id: <3CEFCFA2...@worldnet.att.net>
> >
> >After reading many posts regarding the lifespan of outboard moters I asked my
> >dealer (Honda) the last time I was in for service.
> >
> >He answered my question by pointing to a Honda 115hp that he had just taken
> >in
> >trade that had 7,500 hours on it. When I called Bullshit on him he stated
> >that
> >the Everham Bait Company (San Deigo live bait supplier) swithches out their
> >Honda 130s at 10,000 hours.
> >
> >I still have a hard time believing the above statements. 10,000 hours at 5
> >hours per day is 5.5 years (rounded). How long have the 130s been available?
> >
> >JP
> >
>
> Barry Palmer, for <A
> HREF="http://members.aol.com/sevtec/sev/skmr.html">Sevtec</A>
--
ever notice that laziness and poverty are often roommates?
William R. Watt
tractors which produced their power with lower rpm's lasted longer but
were not as fuel efficient. There might be a tradeoff between fuel
efficiency and engine life in outboard motors, in which case a person
would have to decide which was the better value based on his usage. Fuel
effiency in boat motors based on displacment speed has been discussed in
this newsgroup before. The straegy might be to pick the appropirate power
range and go for the biggest engine block.
"Doc" (do...@icare.net) writes:
> Also I got this advice and I'm wondering if it might be true...often two
> engines from the same manufacturer will share the same block; one engine
> will be rated for 10 to 20 more HP than the other.
>
> The advice was "go with the lower HP engine. Since both have the same block,
> they also have the same torque. The higher HP engine will get you onto plane
> faster, and burn more fuel, but won't behave any better than the lesser HP
> engine, once that engine has its boat on plane. And the lesser HP engine
> will have more longevity.
>
>
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Capital FreeNet www.ncf.ca Ottawa's free community network
website: www.ncf.ca/~ag384 "Tank, take me in."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William R. Watt
pre-war Evinrude Fisherman to use while he was prospecting. An uncle used
it to do carpentry jobs around the lake. When I was 10 it was given to me.
I could barely pull the starting rope. It stayed at the old homestead and
everybody used it. In the late 1960's I took it apart and put it back
together again. It still ran fine although I noticed a lot of hairline
cracks in the exhaust pipe. Other people in the extended family used it
after that but I never went back to the old place and lost track of it.
Old outboards could last quite a long time and have a lot of hours on them
Bray Haven
>the block.
>
>I would like to know about longevity in a salt water environment, as compared
>to a fresh water environment.
I would be very leery of the 10,000 hr honda. (dealer claim) A little like
asking a barber if you need a haircut :o).
These engines we hear about that have been passed from Gramps down through the
family: if you really calculate the use, you find that they don't have all that
many hrs on them in most cases. I ran a 39 Elto 8.5 last week on a fishing
trip that I just found & tuned up. Runs great but I don't think it has many
hrs on it.
As to salt water life, we always figured a saltwater engine was good for 1/3
to 1/2 the life of a fresh water one. THat was 4-600 hrs. As a Johnsonm
dealer near Cypress Gardens back in the 70's I used to get some of their show
engines. ( 10-12 each year) The averaged 3.5 hrs a day 365 a year, and at the
end of the year, were absolutely worn out. They had a Johnson mechanic and
shop on site so they were given first class maintenance. Honda may have
discovered some new secret metals that last ten times as long but I think
someone is pulling someone's leg here. They might be using those cubed up
lincolns melted down on those smelting ships (with dead Italians in the trunks)
:o).
Could be they just replace all the parts every year too. Like Grampa's old
axe. It's over a hundred years old and working great still. Course, it's had
six new handles and 3 new heads but it works great for 100 yrs old :o).
Greg Sefton
Joseph Palazzolo
considered to be a very knowledgable guy.
I have placed a call to the San Diego bait company to see what they have to say and
if I get a response I will post it.
Joe Palazzolo
Done Deal
snodde...@mts.net
Watt) wrote:
I wonder if there are outboards with cast Iron cylinder sleeves.... do
these sleeves improve the lifetime of the motor?
Gosh I love to prolong a discussion.... especially this one.... such a
learning experience ;-o
"K"
Evan Gatehouse & Diane Selkirk
Reports from the owners group suggest life > 2000 hours is typical.
--
Evan Gatehouse
Drew Dalgleish
shifts of workers, good maintenance and probably run at low power
settings. I think poor storage and lack of use can cause as many or
more problems as long hours with an outboard.
Drew Dalgleish
Mark Eckerberg
>Lessee, 7,500 hours, at 50mph, that is 375,000 miles in automotive terms. Is
>someone shovelling something, here? 10,000hours? that is a half million miles.
> If so, I am afraid there is a lot of time being logged here when the motor is
>not running.
>
>An automotive engine may pull only about 25hp over the road for most of the
>time (except for pulling trailers or hills or both), that's like 10%, while
>the outboard is likely to be pulling 70-80% (but there is an infinite cooling
>supply). Maybe the outboards get this far, with minor parts replacement, like
>the block.
>
Marine engines have it better in some respects. They tend to run at a
steady speed, no stop and go and reving though multiple gears maybe 50
times a day. That is unless you are into motorsports like water
sking. There is usually a steady load, unless you run often in heavy
seas. Marine engines don't normally take in dirt and dust, although
air filters should take care of that.
Mark Eckerberg
another and tried different brands.
All large two strokes in salt water.
He gave me this:
Johnson/
Evinrude don't even think about it
Mercury 1500 to 1800 hours
Yamaha 2100 hours
Suzuki 3000 hours and easy to rebuild (his motor of choice)
Four strokes should last longer.
I've been told Mercury is a performance motor for pleasure and racing
boats. Their market cares about power to weight ratio and not much
else. There are tradeoffs in engineering motors and performance
engines (high power / (weight or displacement) ) never last as long
in any vehicle.
Mark Eckerberg
>running just fine, often without an overhaul. Most folks I know that run
>these engines don't bother counting hours, though - they just get in and
>go.
>
fine.
Fresh water and a three month season.
Bray Haven
>
>Johnson/
>Evinrude don't even think about it
>Mercury 1500 to 1800 hours
>Yamaha 2100 hours
>Suzuki 3000 hours
That's interesting and just goes to show how opinions differ. When I was a
johnson dealer (after working for some Merc dealers), no one would think of
using a Merc in salt. And you couldn't give a Suzi away :o). Johnrudes were
the choice for the gulf.
Greg Sefton
Mark Eckerberg
How long ago was that? The last ten years or so has been bad for
Johnrudes. They lost allot of market share to the Japanese motors. I
don't see many of them along the gulf coast of Florida anymore.
Yamahas dominate the market here. I don't see many Suzukis and I was
surprized to hear him say they were best. I do see allot of Mercurys
but people will buy them just because they are fast and cheap.
Bray Haven
the Jap motors gained (rightfully so) in the past 15 yrs. I think Honda &
Yamaha are probably the best made motors I've seen (made recently). I don't
run much made after WWII except and occasional Martin or Speeditwin or Champion
:o).
James Johnson
Starts on second pull, maybe third pull for the first start of a season. My
Honda is fairly new, a 1983. ;-) YMMV
JJ