motor hours

[stevel3]

Hi all, I have come accross a boat that I am interested in, it is an Alleycraft 4.
75 bow rider with a Yamaha F60 Four Stroke 2002 With 255hrs. It says that the motor has always been Log Book Serviced by a boat Mechanic Every 100hrs plus oil changed every 50hrs, plus Macs engine flush used after every use.
The boat looks to be in very good condition, my only concern is the amount of hours on the engine, am I being to picky / fussy about the hours of the engine. Plus while I am at it, are the Yammy 60hp four strokes a good engine, cheers Steve.

below is the link to it

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Allycraft-4-75-Bow-Rider-2002-/130474454864?pt=AU_Boats&hash=item1e60e22f50

[FishHunter]

255 hours is just run in.

[FNQCairns]

Yeah the hours makes it a bub, the age would be my biggest concern unless ran in freshwater all its life.

IMHO The problem with these 4 strokes is the cost to rebuild properly makes them effectively worthless 10 years from new from a risk/benefit point of view.

[stevel3]

thanks for the replies, I imagine it would have spent its life in the salt water being in Brisbane. So would I be better with a 2 stroke if its an older engine.

[FNQCairns]

thanks for the replies, I imagine it would have spent its life in the salt water being in Brisbane. So would I be better with a 2 stroke if its an older engine.


Golly I dunno, cost effectiveness over it's future lifetime I think so, still the modern 2 strokes DFIs are a barrel of cats too when they have some age esp the OPTIs.

The old 2 strokes are more cost effective future wise given the risk of total repair as a percentage of the total boats purchase (of which the outboard already holds it's share)........still each engine will be an individual as is the overall rig.

it's a luxury purchase most often made with the heart and not the mind so each to their own what they choose.

certainly one day I will own a 4 stroke but it will be new or very close to it.....I then get to use the majority of the engines portion of the rigs overall value before age takes it's toll and increases greatly the risk of it costing me near as much to fix as to buy new/near new again and I can then start the process over again with those initial lower risk first 10 odd years up my sleeve.

I believe you will like the 4 stroke more than the 2 strokes i know I do but no way would i pay to swap my old tech 2 stroke out for an equivalent 8-10-12 year old 4 stroke.

hope all that makes sense.

Oh yeah, yes the f60 has a reputation for being one of the best engines ever made.

[Jarrah Jack]

My four stroke, a Zuk 70hp 380 hours, is 12 years old and showing no signs of any deterioration. I'd take a four stroke any day. Thats subject to the normal checks that you would do on any engine.

I would be having a chat to the mechanic who did the servicing first then go from there.

[peterbo3]

It may be a tad underpowered as it has a fin fitted to the engine. Take it for a trial run with the number of people you normally fish with. If it is OK, get the engine checked by a Yammy dealer. The check may cost $200 but $200 is cheaper than $14000. If the owner does not want an engine check or trial then walk. Plenty of boats around.

[stevel3]

thanks for the replies, I definately dont want an under powered boat, I would much rather over powered if any. I am selling my Suzuki GSX1340 Hayabusa so am used to having plenty of power. My budget is around the 15k mark if anyone knows of a good all round fishing boat for 2 people, must be at least 4.5 metres. I am looking for either a side console or a runabout style boat

[Lachie1]

Best thing i can say is go and speak to the service manager or a reputable mechanic where you would be looking at getting it serviced and ask them their opinion. The hours are nothing to worry about thats for sure.

Personally i'd have no hesitations buying the motor with those hours or the maintenance you say its had - as long as the engine itself checked out alright to me. Personally the age wouldn't be a big issue to me either.

IMO alot of people get worried about having to rebuild outboards and the cost involved. What do people think is gonna happen? That it'll tick over 500 hrs and explode???

If it has been looked after and you look after it than it will more than likely give you many many years of trouble free boating. You pay for what you get and generally that is why 2nd hand boats with 2 stroke outboards are cheaper.

This topic always opens up a can of worms! lol

Regards,

Lachie

[Jarrah Jack]

Yep The boat is a bit underpowered. A mate has the same motor on a similiar sized boat and its disappointing. Thats 2up. 90 hp would be nice though.

[stevel3]

yeah being under powered is my biggest concern with any boat I have been looking at. The only boat I have seen with a 90hp is a 95 model Express centre console with an 04 model 90 Yamaha on it. Anyone know of these boats, I havent been able to find out any info on the online.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290519321599&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:AU:1123

[Chimo]

Hi stevel13

Hornet Rider (on here) has one I think with a 70 HP which is a good size for the Express so a 90HP 2 stroke would go like the clappers and be nice and economical at lower revs. PM HR for his views

They are a good seaworthy boat that ride very well and are close to as soft as a fibre-glass hull.

We used one (not the centre console tho) as a fisheries patrol boat and a mate also had one that we use to drop and retrieve cray pots from off the SA coast in seas up to 6 m.

Good bit of gear if the motor checks out.

Cheers
Chimo

[Scalem]

What is "under powered" in your interpretation? Something that takes more than 5 seconds to reach planing speed with 4 hefty front rowers and a weekends worth of gear? Or do you give a motor longer to reach planing speed, which is what exactly, according to what you are happy with?? 35kph? 40kph? 45kph? Or are you a WOT/ flat stick man?

I think power to weight ratio and peoples exapectations is all opinion driven, you just need to be happy with this particular boats' configuration and the performance it gives you. There is no doubt in my mind a 60hp Yammy will get you on the plane very comfortably, and being on the water I have never come across a set of traffic lights some throttle jockey wants to beat me to the finnish line. What I do know is that both the alleycraft brand and the 60hp boat is near identical to a rig one of my uncles bought a few years ago. The post sales attention he got from the dealer was worse than poor, it was pathetic, and amoungst other things, performance he got from the 60hp engine was very dissappointing on this hull...... Until it was set up properly ( after a pointed discussion with the MD of the dealership who personally did a water test after adjustments were made) Now it sings like a bird, runs very economically and does everything he wants it to do.

The hours are not many, just be aware what needs to be one on the next service and don't be caught out by unexpected costs. Somewhere along the way for instance the timing belt will need changing, which will be routine, but necessary. I think of 4 stroke Yammies as marinized car engines ( which they are essentially) so if I had done that many hours in my car I would know that does not equate to many kilometers if you look at it this way -100kph x 255 = 25,500 kilometers. So if you had that many K's on the clock of a car, would you shy away from buying it? Sure it will have depreciated from its new, showroom floor value, but how much is a new one in comparison?

Get your own opinion put together by taking it for a run on the water and have a mechanic look at it - might be the right rig for you.

Scalem

[stevel3]

thanks for the reply Scalem, the power is more cruising running speed than getting off the line. Being able to get to and from where I fish in a reasonable time rather than taking hours. I know this is a very hard thing to get advise on as you say all boats are different. My biggest concern is getting a boat that has the right layout with enough power. The Express boat with the 90 would have enough power but it is a 16 year old hull, the rear section worries me a bit as it looks like the motor is mounted directly to the rear. I used to have a smaller tinnie like that and when it gets a bit choppy the water comes in the back.
I appreciate everyones input on this, Steve.

Hi Chimo, the owner tells me that the engine was rebuilt and only has about 15 hours on it.

[Chimo]

They have a good well on them and we never got water in the transom or over the sides, very bouyant hull. Any CC will cop spray in the wrong wave / wind combination but people say that's part of their charm!

Its clipped together so no welds therefore no stress points or splitting hull along the keel as in a couple of other Al brands. Have a look at it and get the motor checked by a mechanic and talk to HRider.

Cheers
Chimo

[Giffo65]

I have a 2007 Yammy 4 stroke 60hp with about 2200 hours,I bought it second hand from a commercial fisho.It runs like a dream, and the Yammy dealer in Bundy that did my service said it runs like a new one and has a couple thousand hours left in it yet.As for the boat you are looking at is under powered,My boat is a 4.5m Polycraft CC and is heavier than a tinnie of same size,the power is fine.

[rooboy98]

G'day,

I have a 2000 model Allycraft with a 2000 model 40HP Honda. If you have definite proof of service history and the motor has good compression, I wouldn't be too concerned with those hours at all.

My little Honda has well over a 1,000 hours on her now and still purrs like a kitten. I just changed out the timing belt at the 10 year mark just to be safe but on inspection of the original belt afterwards it looked fine. I wouldn't hesitate to sell it to family or friends if the need ever arose, thats a sign of how much confidence I still have in my motor.

Cheers,
Roo.

[captain rednut]

ive never seen an outboard worn out from too many hours, its always lack of maintenance that kills them.
cheers cr

[stevel3]

thanks Chimo, I rang the bloke this afternoon, he is a fire brigade officer and has been flat out with the flood damage, sounded like a good bloke. He bought it off a bloke named Trevor at Victoria Point, apparantly Trevor runs a business there fixing and servicing outboard engines. I am going to go have a look at it on Monday afternoon, will keep you posted, cheers Steve.

again thanks everyone for the replies it is much appreciated, I haven't had a boat for about 12 years so I am out of touch.

[mmmouse]

ally craft have built boats in the past with the hull bottomsides having the same pressings in them as the hull topsides....not deep, strong strakes like most other well known boat builders.

i don't know the particular model ur talking about but just check out the hull bottomsides....if it has the same pressings as the sides of the boat beware that usage in rough conditions can bend the hull concave in between the ribs which will lead to cracking down the track.

if it's got big deep strakes then happy days!!

[Seahorse]

hi steve
i got 489 stacer, 75 hp merc, 220 hrs. had since new 2006.

boat has really got heaps extras.

will send u a pm

greg

[haggis]

hi steve ive got a 2008 allycraft 460 runabout with a 2008 yammie 60 4st all though it doesnt have that many hours on it .the boat goes great even with four of us on it with all the fishing gear , my boat measures 4.73 meters
cheers jimmy

[stevel3]

thanks again everyone, I went and had a look at 2 boats today, first up was the 07 4.65 Horizon sunrunner with a 60hp fetol 2 stroke. It was a nice boat with only 76 hours, he wants $16.5k for it. The other one was the 95 model centre console Express with an 04 90 yamaha 2 stroke on it. Had the wife with me as she will be coming out with me most times, probably not a good idea to show her the newer boat first as she didn't want a bar of the other.
I know I have asked about the Yammie 60 four stroke, but what is the Yammie 60 2 stroke like, it is an 07 with 76 hours, and what does fetol stand for, cheers Steve. ps sorry for all the questions but better to find out first rather than later.

[stevel3]

hi steve
i got 489 stacer, 75 hp merc, 220 hrs. had since new 2006.

boat has really got heaps extras.

will send u a pm

greg

thanks Greg pm sent back

[Tickleish]

Hey Steve,

The 3 cyl Yamaha's are a great engine and been around for ages. Very reliable, smooth as a 2stk will get & economical.

I love Mercs but have owned a few of those yammy's and would not hesitate getting another.

[themerlin]

I found the engine hour thing very confusing, surely they can come up with some better especially with modern engines, recording the number of hours as each RPM range would be a start.

[business class]

thanks again everyone, I went and had a look at 2 boats today, first up was the 07 4.65 Horizon sunrunner with a 60hp fetol 2 stroke. It was a nice boat with only 76 hours, he wants $16.5k for it. The other one was the 95 model centre console Express with an 04 90 yamaha 2 stroke on it. Had the wife with me as she will be coming out with me most times, probably not a good idea to show her the newer boat first as she didn't want a bar of the other.
I know I have asked about the Yammie 60 four stroke, but what is the Yammie 60 2 stroke like, it is an 07 with 76 hours, and what does fetol stand for, cheers Steve. ps sorry for all the questions but better to find out first rather than later.

If you can get a 4 stroke rather then a 2 stroke into your budget then go that way as you wont be dissapointed. As for hours i wouldnt worry about 280 at all, as thats like brand new;D .

Cheers,
Matty

[Jarrah Jack]

I found the engine hour thing very confusing, surely they can come up with some better especially with modern engines, recording the number of hours as each RPM range would be a start.

They do or at least the zuk does so I guess the others do as well. You have to get a computer printout from the mechanic.
The smaller zuks don't have them so it depends on the model as well.

[Giffo65]

My Yammy 60 4st does that as well,the mechanic gave me a printout of the rev range history in hours.Most of which were at idle.

Cheers
Giffo

[stevel3]

definately a hard decision on which way to go (2 or 4 stroke), I think for me it will come down to the boat, size of motor and price.