Suzuki and E-Tec detail question

[stevej]

One of the things that has impressed me about my Yamaha Saltwater Series is the detail put into corrosion control. Five years of ocean fishing and not a single rusty bracket or bolt on the motor. All connectors and brackets are stainless.There are also zincs in the water passages between the head and barrels.

Do Suzuki and Evinrude go to this level for saltwater protection? I looked under the hood of a 130 Honda a few years ago and remember seeing rusty parts and have not had a chance to look at the others up close.

Thanks
stevej

[My IRA]

Steve,

Our boat is docked on "D-6" almost directly behind Shearwater and I can say without hesitation that any Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or Mercury would remain rust free after five years in your care. Your boat always shows as new.

So, don't worry about a repower choice, any selection will probably serve you and Shearwater well for the long run.

[SEA3PO]

I am still waiting to hear from someone who owns one of those ETEC motors on a 22.............Does it really get fabulous economy like they claim ?? or is that only at one speed ...... power ? I see the maintenance required is really low....
Last weekend I saw a Honda Vtec 90 on a 22.... sure ran nice...started easy...
Once I found out that the guys that did my Tune-up on my Yamaha 40's did not even adjust the carbs.....I did that myself...and they seem to idle much better...and hopefully will start better... After 300 hours of running the carbs really needed an adjustment.

Joel
SEA3PO

[jdahlfin]

i have a 90 2006, second season of use for me, i mainly have fished out of newport for tuna and halibut, i have put on a lot of miles, sometimes have beenn out at least forty miles, and with only about 45 gallons you watch your fuel consumption very close, the answer is a definately yes, i am so pleased, my c-dory is a 22 ft cruiser, not fast, but very safe and fuel economy for sure.

[marvin4239]

I've got a 2003 Mercury 50 HP 4 stroke on my Carolina Skiff. I haven't been impressed at all with it's corrosion resistance. I've had a lot of rust issues with it especially the area where the steering cable attaches. I wouldn't buy another Mercury.

[Papillon]

I helped my buddy on the "Duck" to do service on his 90 hp Suzuki last week before going to the 2nd Annual Gulf Coast Gathering and we found no rust but decided to follow the dealers recommendation and change out the zinc's as well.

We found that the old zinc's had taken a licken and needed to be replaced. I think that if you follow the book you can't go wrong. Saltwater Sucks on motors, but is so nice on fishey's.

[timflan]

Don't get me started on Suzukis and corrosion. Or, rather, on Johnson-branded Suzuki-manufactured engines and corrosion.

Seriously, I've got to make one final pitch to BRP to cover some portion of my recent repair...ANY portion. If they paid for the part, I'd gladly pay for the labor, for instance. Jacobsen's in Ballard was first rate, and I'd have no hesitation taking my boat back there.

As this story unfolds, I'll describe it on Navagear.com. The publisher has given me permission to "test" what he calls "the power of the internet". It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds.

Earlier thread: http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t=6075

[surfbird]

Hi,
I just purchased a 22 Cruiser with a 115 ETEC--the boat is being barged to Alaska as I type.
I was apprehensive about the motor, given the "no oil light in cold temp" issue expressed by a C-Brat running a 90 ETEC in Alaska.
I was told by an Evinrude rep. that this issue was resolved (with a EMM mapping update).
Given that the motor is relatively untested by C-Brats, who have overwhelmingly chosen Hondas as their motor of choice, I would be happy to post results from my experiences with the 115.
It would be helpful if some of you would provide a list of information I should collect to evaluate performance, operating and maintenance costs, and reliability.
Conceptually, the ETEC sounds fantastic - lighter, more fuel efficient, lower maintenance costs, and more power and torque than 4-strokes of comparable hp. Only time will tell, however, whether these claims are true. And, more importantly, time will tell us whether the ETEC is as bulletproof a design as 4-strokes. Considering I just spent 9 k on my ETEC. my fingers are crossed...
Jim

[Jazzmanic]

Corrosion? What corrosion? None found on my 2006 Suzuki...yet. I guess corrosion would have a bigger impact if we kept the boat in the water full-time. Any other Suzuki/Johnson owners who keep their boats in the water have any corrosion problems? This would be good info to have.

[bongo]

To address the question posted by SEA3PO, one thing that has been brought once more to my attention is the fact that mileage is not only an issue of motor efficiency but also of induced drag, that can be caused by many things. First would be a motor hung to low. And then I just noticed that part of my transducer is protruding beneath the bottom of the hull, and I am sure this is producing ID and giving me some poor figures on MPG; not even 3 sometimes.
During second WW, there was a Navy base in Taboga in Panama, where they trained PT boat crews. My family, with a house in the island and my father being American, became friend to many officers. One of them complained that his PT boat lagged far behind the other and he could not figure why; until one day on dry dock he notices a screw protruding beneath the hull. Screwed it inn and presto!
Now I am changing prop, lifting the engine one inch and am looking into the proper placement of the transducer. I don't think it needs to protrude beneath the hull line. Will get back to you on results.
John B