Engine Hours...IMO's welcomed

[Jason2tpa]

I'm helping my good buddy shop for a used boat. He's wanting a boat with a low hour yam 4 stroke. And me being a 2 stroke guy, I have no idea how many hours on a 4 stroke is too many hours for the investment he's willing to make.

So here's a few factors to consider before laying down your opinion. Before buying the boat, I'll have my father's yamaha marine mechanic do a once over on the motor, no matter how many hours on the engine. Let's assume everything checks out, the engine is in good shape and performs great under load. His budget is not to exceed 40k. And the length and hull design boat he's buying will have a 150hp-250hp engine.

With the above factors, how many engine hours are too many? For example...we find a boat he wants but the engine has 800 hours. Even if the engine checks out to be in great shape, is that too many hours for the investment he's making?

[ausnoelm]

The simple fact is...there is no real answer, plenty of motors have gone to God at 100 hours, plenty are still running at 3,000 hours, lots are rusted to bits at 100 hours, but 15 years old in salt water with no maintenance, you're buying second hand, it's a lottery, do your best inspection, buy and hope!

[oldmako69]

Funny, I always figured God was an inboard diesel kinda gal.

[99yam40]

people seldom git rid of really good rigs, unless they are up or down sizing

I mean why would you decide to get rid of a boat unless it is costing you too much in repairs

[pstephens46]

Prices usually better in fall/winter around here. Don't know about FL.

Some of the military around here are flush with housing allowances and buy toys. They think they need a boat. Many of them get frustrated by wind and current and are embarrassed by their efforts. Husbands and wives screaming at each other trying to anchor at the beach. Makes for good entertainment

Or they get transferred. Better to get rid of a boat before it rots. Most wait longer than they should and have to deal down on price due to boat looking/running like crap.

[RayBersch]

I am of the camp that believes its not the number of hours but the use and care of the motor that makes the most difference. For salt water use I would shy away from an older motor, but what exactly is an older motor? Again, depends on use. I would also caution about paying too much attention to the motor and over looking hull condition. Motors can be changed rather easily, its just money. Cracked hull or soft transom could lead to the junk yard.

Two stroke/four stroke, high wing/low wing, Ford/Chevy - better to pay attention to the details. Quite a number of years ago I bought a 3 year old pontoon boat with just 10 hours on the Suzuki 4 stroke. Everything was pristine - never did I realize that the 20 gallons of fuel in the tank was the ORIGINAL 20 gallons of fuel and on my first two outings I was pumping pure alcohol though the fuel system. A costly mistake. So, its head up and keep some powder dry for unexpected repairs.

[rodbolt17]

aww man do I have a bad report on Yamaha 3.3 F250.
guy ran it 10 years, 4423 hours.
water pump failed.
lower unit has never been off.
driveshaft is stuck in the crank.

he is all pissed off and is going to repower with a zuki.

never had a timing belt or thermostats or pressure control valve either.

he said yamaha's suck.

[pstephens46]

aww man do I have a bad report on Yamaha 3.3 F250.
guy ran it 10 years, 4423 hours.
water pump failed.
lower unit has never been off.
driveshaft is stuck in the crank.

he is all pissed off and is going to repower with a zuki.

never had a timing belt or thermostats or pressure control valve either.

he said yamaha's suck.

Clearly an idiot. Was his name Solo?

[rodbolt17]

no a local crabber.
dog it till it is dead.
whine about it.
commercial guys are the worst and they should know better.

the money you save on NOT doing maint comes back to bite you.

it is also the reason I am going to give this stuff up about October.
I am done.

[99yam40]

Rod, hope you still hang around here after Oct.
place will not be the same if you disapear

[panasonic]

Hope you have a nice retirement...catch many fish.

[ausnoelm]

Might have some time for a holiday down here in Aus....

[rodbolt17]

I don't fish much.
gonna sell my seapro.
I have gotten to hate boats.
been doing this boat thing over 27 yrs now.
got spoiled fishing on lake Guri.
not much exites me here .

got another 3.3 F250 with about 289 hours.
corroded a hole through the block.
ten years no maint and that can happen.
my guess is a mineral bridge built up by the T stst and cause the corrosion.
that is why the maint schedule says hours OR calander.

[robert graham]

I for one put a premium value on your knowledge, experience and sense of humor....hope you'll consider hanging out on the forums for a while longer....

[boscoe99]

One can have the best damn job in the world but after 25, 30, 35 years it can get stale. It happened to me. What was fun for 30 plus years suddenly became a drag.

You being an ex Navy man can join the invasion of Venezuela. Once Madura has been replaced with a US puppet you can retire to Lake Guri.

Me, I am working on Costa Rica.