1998 Johnson150 Ficht

[slotlimit]

I'm currently looking at a new (to me) boat with this motor. I have been a Johnson/Evinrude man since the green box. But I have read on here a number of times to stay away from these engines and times where people like them. I just would like to know what to look for. Are they like the old Ford Ranger 2.9....you get a good one that last forever or you get one and Fix Or Repair Daily? Thanks in advance for any and all thoughts.

[Valv]

1998 to 2000 were the "dark" years for FICHT V6 motors. They had many, many problems. Most of them blew up, OMC was going under and Bombardier did not warranty anything newer than 2001 consequently many people got left stranded with huge repair bills.

If motor is still running today it should be ok, all the updates should have been there which included new heads, ecm, etc.

Unless price is extremely cheap, I would just stay away from it, practically you are just buying the boat, motor should be free.

[marine_man]

I'd also stay away from it for the reasons Valv mentioned above.

marine_man

[slotlimit]

Thanks very much. The boat is a 1998 Warrior and according to the add the motor has 100 hours on it. I haven't called on it yet to see if the updates have been made. Do these motors have an hour meter?

[Valv]

They get the hours from reading the ECM, you have to have a delaer check it, but if ECM has been replaced due to problems....you don't know how many hours it has exactly.

[overdalimit]

I have a 2000 175 FICHT. I have had no real problems with the engine but I agree with the rest of the guys 1998 was a bad year for OMC. Most of these motors made it to 75 - 100 hrs before problems started. The newer motors had redesigned the heads and moved the location of the oil injectors. The motor is worth around a grand as far as I am concerned.

[slotlimit]

Thanks for the response. It's just so hard for me to believe. My dad had the used old green johnson on a 12ft aluminum boat until I was about 10. Then he got a used 16ft mirrocraft with a 60 evinrude for about 10 years. Now for the last 10 years I have a 90 horse johnson and never had 1 single problem with any of them. How did they go so wrong?

[Valv]

They were ahead of their time, Fichts are high pressure fuel injection (like the HPDI or Optimax) OMC was pioneering the market. The V4s didn't have any problem, just the larger V6.

Also the carburated motors weren't a problem at all.

[slotlimit]

Not that I need a V6, but with a used boat usually you don't get to pick the motor. If the boat happens to have a V6 what did they over come the problems when the motor was new from the factory? When the motor came with all the updates already installed?

[iffwalleyes]

I don't know that they ever really over came the problem. I wouldn't buy one at all. Lots of other good outboards out there in those ages. Just remember there is always another boat. I would be leary though these are not a motor that you want to have blow up because the are NOT cheap to fix. They have much different technology that the motors your family has previously had. Some of those motors you could dump a cup of sand in the gas tanks and they would still run solid bulletproof motors .