4-strokes --- Carbies or EFI?

[Tony_N]

Carbies are basic, straighforward, and OK to get wet
EFI is more efficient on fuel, but flighty, and a disaster if you get it wet.

BUT which is the smart buy in 2006?

Tony

(tossing up between the 40 Suzi and the 40 Honda - tiller steer electronic start/power trim/tilt - for a poly 4.1M)

Tony

[Spaniard_King]

Tony,

I am pro Honda but ::)

EFI is always the better buy ;) These days you can dunk an outboard and the electrics would not be effected bar of course starters and alternator/generators

EFI is far more reliable, easier starting and they run a hell of a lot smoother.

Garry

[gavsgonefishing]

I just had my two 50 4st serviced ( carbied) asked the same question, the mechanic didn't hesitate, he said the carbied were the go for ease of maintenance etc

[Spaniard_King]

When you buy one allow for a racor filter/water sperator. The cost a bit but they will save you in the long run

Garry

[Spaniard_King]

I just had my two 50 4st serviced ( carbied) asked the same question, the mechanic didn't hesitate, he said the carbied were the go for ease of maintenance etc

Gav,

What do you recon would be cheaper to clean 4 carbies or 4 fuel injectors, Ask ya mechanic next time you are in.

Injectors $25 each
Carbies ????

Garry

[Tony_N]

When you buy one allow for a racor filter/water sperator. The cost a bit but they will save you in the long run

Garry

Garry

When I sent my specs out for a quote - the guy I am going to buy the boat from reckoned that since the boat doesn't have an under floor tank, a fuel filter was unnecessary and he left it off the quote.

Whaddayareckon?

Tony

[Spaniard_King]

Tony,

Clean fuel is everything ::). Dirty fuel has got to be the biggest killer of performance in todays fuel efficient engines.

If you don't have a fuel filter it's going to cost you sooner or later, a bit like buying insurance really.

Garry

[25_ponies]

Tony, I've got the 60HP 4st EFI Suzi, it's a great outboard. Starts first time every time, idles perfectly and every time I fill up I can't believe how little fuel it's used.

As Garry said, I wouldn't worry about the water exposure - if you have a look inside you will see everything that is sensitive is fairly well protected.

As for the maintenance, I guess mechanics will have different opinions depending if they are old school and like adjusting things with screwdrivers, or new school and like adjusting things with a PC.

[hphero]

Go the EFI.

I did a bit of research on this before i got my engine. To get water out of the carbies is a bigger task than getting it out of an EFI engine. With carbies there are gasket kits, re-balance the carbeis, labour in pulling carbies off and on, etc,etc.

With an EFI, mainly Suzuki, the fuel water separtor will get most of it, but if some did get through then all you have to do is pull the bottom drain plug out of the injector rail and water drains out. The Injectors on the Suzuki can be cleaned by any mechanic with a machine to clean fuel injectors and Suzuki injectors are a serviceable item which means that you can buy the parts (nipondenzo) from any shop, repco, etc,etc. Very cheap

Went through this process when chossing a V6. Helped sway the sale Suzuki's way.

Hope this helps

cheers

[Smithy]

Go the EFI every time so long as you have a good Racor filter with a glass bulb feeding it. Had a 100 Yamaha 4 stroke that was carbied. Ran sweet but did start to get a deposit on the idle jet that made her lumpy at idle. Was cleaned by stripping down - no parts just labour at $x/hr. Was just starting to do the same thing when I sold it I think. That is the point Gary is gettting at I reckon - the labour dollars involved with carbies. As another example a mate has a 5.2 Kevlacat with twin 60 Yamaha carby models. Every time you go to start it it needs starting a second time on both motors. Talk about frustrating. All the equivalent EFIed 60 Mercs I have used fire up with what seems like half a turn of the key pretty much. Why not go EFI to avoid any slight problem?

[fishingrod]

the guy I am going to buy the boat from reckoned that since the boat doesn't have an under floor tank, a fuel filter was unnecessary and he left it off the quote.

Whaddayareckon?

Tony


Ive managed to fill up my outboards internal fuel filter with water when running on red portable tanks. I thought i was being careful by not hosing them or leaving them out to get wet. Maybe it was condensation or water from the petrol station.

A filter is cheap insurance.

[Tony_N]

Well.....

Thats a pretty overwhelming plus for the EFI. Thanks very much everyone. The motors are around $7000 - so its really important to me to get it right.

The only other niggle I have is that somebody advised me that Suzi has a bad rep for availability of parts at short notice and that they are bad mud runners. ie if you happen to dig them into the mud its a nightmare to clean them out when you are on the water (have to remove the lower engine cowling to get to the cooling pipes which come out of the motor in little u-bends with plastic tubing of some kind). I asked about this on another post and nobody else seemed to think it was a problem. Anybody heard this one?? So many stories out there about all the motors.

Many thanks again to people with real experience taking the time to advise.

Tony

[2iar]

Hi Tony,

EFI for sure. I wouldn't worry too much about it getting wet - is that really likely to happen?

Send a PM to bushbeachboy - he had the issue you speak of with mud, but said it was easy enough to fix (even on the water) if you know what to do.

Good luck,
Mike

[gavsgonefishing]

Garry, your right there,had to o/h the carbies on both motors cost about 370.

[mackmauler]

hey tony, ud know i had a honda 40, it was a key start, i dont even know if they were carby or what but it racked up a heap of hrs without any overhauls and started first go warm or cold most of the time, the yammie efi ive got now is pretty much the same.

[PeterT]

I had a 60 4stroke yammie carb. It started running like a pig. When it was serviced the mech found that the inlet seat was damed and said that it is from the float bouncing up and dpwn while the boat is being towed with an empting float bowl. Sounded feasable. Cost me a significant wad to have remedied.

I now have a suzi 115 FI. I notice that it starts 1st turn of the key every time without priming the bulb.

Other things I like is that the suzi 115 4 is quieter than my yammie 60 4, and that is saying something. Seems comparable in fuel comsumption.

I was warned that the 115 suzi was not as powerful as the 115 yammie, but I have no lack of power on the suzi. In a 5m plate bottom GS Extreme, 4 blokes, 100 litres of fuel, 50 litres of water, 80 litre esky and all the gear, it is out of the hole like shot.

Other little things like the plug for flushing the engine without muffs is a good idea. Maybe the latest yammie has the same stuff and is comparable, but I spoke to several 'dyed in the wool' yammie owners who had converted to suzuki and swore they wouldn't go back. Now I'm one of em. Best comparison was from a bloke who has two 6m plate boats for his barra charter biz. One with 115 yammie, the other 115 suzi. He swore by the suzi over the yammie.

I think the service is cheaper on suzi too, though I'm told that parts are dearer.

Never thought I would have a black motor on a boat I owned. :o

pete