PDA

View Full Version : Outboard Motors and HOURS



troy
15-11-2005, 07:28 PM
How many hours on an outboard motor whether it is a 2 stroke or 4 stroke that you would consider to buy or not buy.
Is 300 or 400 hours to many or is it acceptable.
Troy

Spaniard_King
15-11-2005, 09:17 PM
Troy

I have herd of some four strokes clocking up many thousands of hours with good maintenance.

The 2 stroke seems to get tired around 1000 hours although the direct injected engines now have straight 2 stroke oil sumps (no fuel diluted lubrication) and therefore may last a lot longer

IMO it comes down to your needs,budget and expectations.

For eg. If I was looking I would want an engine under 500 hours and I would expect to keep any engine I had till at least 1000.

Garry

Pual
15-11-2005, 09:49 PM
G'day Troy,
You pose a very complexed question, and there is no easy answer.
From what I have learned during my boating experience its not how many hours but what kind of hours, on what boat, and whether it has been looked after and whether it has been serviced regularly and by who.

Some explanation to these reasons above is needed here.

A motor that has to few hours for its age may have laid dormant for some time allowing the corrosive nature of salt water to attack and infiltrate areas of the motor which would under normal regular use be flushed/washed during use. Mechanics and manuals recommend preparation to a a motor that is to be sitting idle for some time. Has the owner followed these recommendations even though he beleives he may only be leaving the motor idle for say 6 months that is ofcourse long enough for the fuel to go off which is an example of one way the motor can suffer damage on being reused. Get my meaning .

Has the motor been pushing a boat which is to big for it resulting in the motor not being able to reach its full rev range as this can be damaging on a motor. Or has it been flogged on a regular basis. Has it been on a shark cat. (I have no experience except for what I have read here but apparently shark cats are renound for sending a light spray around the motor resulting in further salt water exposure than normal to the powerhead). Is the prop the rght one for that motor, has this retarded the motor from freely revving.
Has the motor been regularly serviced. Like any motor they require regular professional attention. I only just found out the other day that the head gasket should be changed on a regular basis (?200hrs or 2-3 years) and that if I where to have a problem requiring the head to be removed I could be up for an inflated bill due to difficulties removing the head due to the nuts being seized.
Has the motor been regularly washed down and flushed after use in salt water (I might add here that some of these topics have been broached before and they are quite contentious issues with varying beliefs)

Another example of professional attention is where I was all ready to purchase a boat and motor package when I asked the owner when was the last time the gear box oil was changed. The reply was 'never' you don't need to change that he said. Upon inspection of the gearr box oil after much grunting and force to get the screw undone, the oil had changed from a honey color to a thick black sludge. Needless to say I did not take the chance on that rig.

Then the situation where a new motor blows after about 40 hours can happen, which happened to a mate of mine the other day. He's devastated, even though the motor is under warranty will he be able to trust that motor again. Nobody likes to be towed home.

What can you do? Well read as much as you can plus get professional help before buying a motor from whoever. Try and get the receipts for services as they are just as important as if you were buying a car, and try and find out about the history of the motor. Look at some of the sites that members have written here, as they are generally writing about experiences thay have had and there is valuable information to be learned from this.

Hope this helps. :)
Pual