About those E-Tec motors

[delmuts]

Hope this puppy serves me well. I spent some of the kids' inheritance to buy it!!! Time will tell. It has enough hours on it, soo hopefully it's good.

[gregg52]

kinda all the talk on here is hear say

only remember actually one guy that actually posted

his power head went to hec and had troulbe with warrenty work

[Savage Brewer]

kinda all the talk on here is hear say

only remember actually one guy that actually posted

his power head went to hec and had troulbe with warrenty work

The motors I know of were all handled under warranty without issue, but it sure makes you wonder what the cost would have been outside of the warranty period.

I was out on the boat when the one motor died, so sorry thats not "hear say" heck I even towed the boat to the dealership to get fixed.

Has BRP been handling warranty work, definitely, they want to keep customers happy. I would not have any issues owning a ETEC under warranty.

But eventually that warranty expires, and I don't know if I would want to roll the dice on that.

Heck I've blown up a couple motors in the day, and both of them have been due to oil injection systems failing.

Any 2 stroke I had where oil had to be premixed, no problems and now the 4 Strokes I have had since then have been great.

It will be interesting to see what the opinion on direct injected 2 strokes is like in 5 to 10 years. I just get the feeling that their time is limited, the days of everyone complaining that 4 strokes are too heavy just isn't the case anymore.

Only time will tell.

[two cups]

I own a 2000 90hp Evinrude ficht, I bought it new in 2000. It has been in the shop once, a screw came loose in the linkage. Drop of lock tight and screwed it back in. For those who don't know this is the motor Evinrude came out with before the E-TEC. I am truly happy with it and I do fish a lot so it gets many miles on it. For those of you who do not like the E-TEC please do not buy one then. Rick

[delcecchi]

kinda all the talk on here is hear say

only remember actually one guy that actually posted

his power head went to hec and had troulbe with warrenty work

The Greenwood township issues are in the accounts of the Town Board meetings, which is a big step beyond hearsay. They have a serious problem with the pair of 300 HP etecs on the fire boat. I don't know what the problem is, but it is serious.

I know you are a big etec booster, but this is a real problem.

[JohnMickish]

From what I read, they are 250HP motors and it sounds like they lost one lower unit. FWIW, there was a recall on the lower units a few years ago to replace the high speed lightning gearcases with the more durable M2 gearcase that is used on the 300HP motors. I personally would be interested in knowing if they had this work done.

[CaptainMusky]

For those of you who do not like the E-TEC please do not buy one then. Rick

I can assure you I won't be buying one.

Fact is etec problems are not reserved to outboards. Ski zoo cannot keep them together in their sleds either. Isoflex bearings anyone?

[delcecchi]

From what I read, they are 250HP motors and it sounds like they lost one lower unit. FWIW, there was a recall on the lower units a few years ago to replace the high speed lightning gearcases with the more durable M2 gearcase that is used on the 300HP motors. I personally would be interested in knowing if they had this work done.

They had a pair of 250's. One had a lower unit go bad (five years old). After some wrangling and debate, they sold the 250's and got 2 300's. After a year or two they both have some sort of unspecified significant problem. I don't know why it isn't covered by warranty, but it seems not to be. This was all in the accounts posted above. I know it was a lot of stuff and it didn't say what the problem is.

[gregg52]

I think as i mention before when you get into those big motors

issues are way more common among all makes

not sure where this township is or what lake or lakes they are on maybe they should reconsider all that hp specially if they are haveing issues

as they say themselves once is more than enough in a rescue mission

good grief 300hp

the only guys needing that kind of hp are racers

Talk bout over kill

I remember back when I fishing tourenments

all the big manfucturs had support and were always fixing those big hp

motors

again all I can say is I have 150 and when I go to turn the key in april or may it will fire before I have the key turned all the way

and purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

oh and cap musky I didnt touch it the first 3 yrs

AND ALSO HAD A MXZ600 that also purrrrrrrrrrrred

[CaptainMusky]

Gregg, was that 600 an SDI or etec? SDI has been rock solid but the etec with the isoflex bearings in the crankshaft do not last long. 2000 miles and its in need of rebuild or trouble will happen.

[BobT]

I know three E-Tec owners. 20Hp 60HP and 90HP they are extremely happy with their purchases. The 90 and 60 guys fish English River system in Canada and run a lot of miles and love the fuel economy they now get. The 4 stroke options were so heavy it was like having another deep cycle battery in the back of the boat. Was the massive oil consumption on big HP motors? Something sounds fishy to me.

This has been my experience. I too run the English River from Hudson on Lost Lake up into the Lac Seul. I'm running a 90hp E-tec and I can tell you that my fuel economy matches those with the 4-stroke Yamaha engines that I go up there with. I will admit the Yamis are quieter at idle but at cruising speed we can hold a normal conversation in my boat but when riding with the other guys I know we can't do that.

The break-in oil usage on mine was for just a few hours and after that it reprogrammed itself to a 100:1 fuel:oil ratio and so today I use 1 gallon of oil to 100 gallons of fuel. Very economical and there is no exhaust give-away that it is a 2-stroke.

Hole shot is a definite advantage with my E-tec over any 4-stroke I've come up against, hands down.

Performance has been absolutely flawless in the three years I've owned my E-tec. I couldn't be happier.

Winterizing? Takes about 1-1/2 minutes to fog my engine for the winter and I don't need any tools to get 'er done.

I have not yet met another E-tec owner that is not happy with his decision. I have to admit that all of those that I know use 90hp so my experience with the bigger motors is zilch.

[delcecchi]

I think as i mention before when you get into those big motors

issues are way more common among all makes

not sure where this township is or what lake or lakes they are on maybe they should reconsider all that hp specially if they are haveing issues

as they say themselves once is more than enough in a rescue mission

good grief 300hp

the only guys needing that kind of hp are racers

Talk bout over kill

I remember back when I fishing tourenments

all the big manfucturs had support and were always fixing those big hp

motors

again all I can say is I have 150 and when I go to turn the key in april or may it will fire before I have the key turned all the way

and purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

oh and cap musky I didnt touch it the first 3 yrs

AND ALSO HAD A MXZ600 that also purrrrrrrrrrrred

Lake Vermilion, and it is a pretty good sized boat. Fire and rescue applications, probably pushing 30 feet.

Turns out it is B-1 2006 Metalcraft marine Fire Boat, 30 ft, twin 250hp,1250 GPM (now 300 hp motors). The GPM is for the separately powered water pump.

[mwal]

I got my first E-tec a 115 in 2006 and sold that boat in 2012. Only changed lower unit, plugs and did the impeller as preventative maintenance. I bought my current boat in 2012 with a 2012 115 E-tec and it also has been great. I have 2 friends that bought E-tecs 90's the first year they came out and they have only done plugs lower unit oil and impellers. So at least in the mid range units they seem ok. I have owned and blown Merc's and and Johnson's in the past due to the early oil blending systems of the late 80's.

Mwal

[JohnMickish]

Got it Dell, I thought they where still arguing on whether or not to upgrade to the 300's. There is always more to the story and it would be interesting to know it all here but that will probably never happen.

There sure does seem to be a lot of Etec haters though. Not really sure why??? I know several guys that run 250HO's and yes, there has been the occasional warranty issue, but then again there have been warranty issues with my friends with the big Yamaha Off Shore's and also with the Verado's and Opti's as well. I'd say no more than any other motor. I will say that around the upper Midwest, there are a HECK of a lot of Etecs running around, if they where all junk I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be selling many.

Suzuki's seem to have the opinion of not breaking but I'm going to hold my judgment on that until there are as many Zuki's around as there are anything else.

[CaptainMusky]

Suzuki has always had a reputation for durability even dating back 20 years or more with the old two strokes. Trouble is they have a terrible dealer network in that there just aren't many. Evinrude, mercury and Yamaha are everywhere.

I'm completely fine riding around with a motor few others have. Just because everyone else has one doesn't mean they are right.

[fish_eat_sleep]

Who needs a huge Suzuki network when they go forever! Unless you hit a rock or something but thats the only reason they stop moving. In that case you order a part and wait in sadness that you cannot be with your love (suzuki) for the Fed Ex truck to arrive.

[gregg52]

. Just because everyone else has one doesn't mean they are right.

Doesnt make it wrong either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[slammer]

I went from a 99 150 EFI Merc that weighed #505 to a new 150 4/stk Merc that weighs #455. Manufacturers have really cut the weight on the newer four strokes. I have heard of a couple big HP e-tecs gone bad but no smaller ones. Bombardier is a world class company and builds many high tech products namely jet aircraft. I would bet they have things in the works that will be pretty amazing, that is if they continue to build outboards. There have been rumors that they will stop outboard production because of low market share.

[CaptainMusky]

Doesnt make it wrong either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nope, it sure doesn't. But when I'm going to drop $15000 on an outboard I am surely going to fully research it before said purchase.

Having said that, the etec wasn't for me. If I was getting a smaller motor (under 115) I would have strongly considered it. Going in to my purchase I had it down to two...etec and Suzuki.

Being a lifelong snowmobiler I have always said they will take my two stroke out of my cold dead fingers. Well, times have changed.

The vast majority of etec motors won't have problems but they are more prone to issues than the others.

[CaptainMusky]

Who needs a huge Suzuki network when they go forever! Unless you hit a rock or something but thats the only reason they stop moving. In that case you order a part and wait in sadness that you cannot be with your love (suzuki) for the Fed Ex truck to arrive.

that's a good point. I could care less if there is one dealer or a million. Some people seem to think that if 70 out of 100 boats have 1 of 3 different motors on them, those are the ones to get.

[Alagnak]

Sort of related sort of not- I love how when you are in any other part of the country where boats are popular most people have never heard of Lund or Alumacraft- but here man o man they must be the only people that make boats. LOL

[delcecchi]

Come to the west end of lake Vermilion. Suzukis all over the place (the closest dealer sold suzuki and evinrude for a long time. Now has Yamaha. )

I have a Suzuki, my buddy two cabins to the west has a Suzuki, my buddy two cabins east has a Suzuki. Can't hardly throw a perch on the lake without hitting a suzuki. Almost no etecs. Fair number of Mercs. Tourists with Yamahas. (Yamaha franchise is pretty new). Misc old stuff.

[Savage Brewer]

Sort of related sort of not- I love how when you are in any other part of the country where boats are popular most people have never heard of Lund or Alumacraft- but here man o man they must be the only people that make boats. LOL

Very true, worldwide Suzuki has a huge market share and dealer network. They just didn't target North America till more recently.

Go to Australia or New Zealand and you will not see a single BRP or Johnson. And if you see a Mercury it will probably be on a race boat.

Suzuki and Yamaha pretty much dominate the international market, throw in some Tohatsu in there for smaller engines.

Suzuki is expanding its footprint in North America, in fact every year I see more and more of them on the water.

Alot of Evinrude (which really doesnt exist anymore since OMC went bankrupt in 2000) fans in this area as Evinrude was a Wisconsin company. Johnson was based out of Indiana I think, and Mercury was from Illinois.

So with them being somewhat local you will find a loyal fanbase.

[JohnMickish]

Oh I'm not saying they are bad, I haven't heard a bad thing about them. If I where going to order a new boat that is one motor that would be on the list to consider. I'm just saying that if 1 out of 1000 motors for any manufacturer is bad, and you have 999 of one make and 100,000 of another, guess which one you are going to hear about?

[gregg52]

Ive never been one to follow others

I had a boat for 20yrs that few others had might have been the only made

I just have confidence in myself and do AS I please

to each his

I cant say Ive heard anything bad about suzukies

but I dont remember seeing many big hp ones either

Lots of 100 and under and I guess I shouldnt says lots