Hours on an engine

[Eerman]

Another rookie question...How many hours are a lot when looking at a used motor. Motor about 1 1/2 years old with 140 hours...too many?? average??

[Chalk]

I would say close to average, leaning to used more than average.....Just depends on what type of fishing was done with it...If you trolled/fished near shore with it say 5 hours a trip, you would only need to go 28 times in 1.5 years....For wevans and tincan that would be low

[Eerman]

I thought it sounded about right. I think I would rather have a little used rather than sat in the yard for a year. I think I'm going to go check out a boat this weekend (See any opinions post this weekend). If it looks good, you guys may actually see my on the water. While testing out the boat appropriately, we may do a little tarpon fishing Fri. night and some trout Sat. morning. I'm kind of excited. Keep your fingers crossed.

[tin can]

After extensive research, I have determined the average boat owner puts 50 hours or less on an outboard motor per year. Even an offshore rig usuallh does less than 100 miles in a trip. If the boat cruises at 25 mph, that would be 4 hours of run time. (Trolling is the exception. I've spent days trolling where I put 8 hours on the motor. ) The average boat owner will use the boat once a month. We have several people on this forum that use their boat more frequently. If a boat is used once a week, it would be possible to put 200 hours on the motor in a year. Sounds like the owner of the motor you're looking at is a twice a month user. Not a low hours motor., but not extremely high. A little food for thought.......both Pete and Marvin, at Sunshine Boats, tell me the average life expectancy of a well maintained outboard is about 1500 hours. If the motor has been maintained, and you continue regular maintenance, stere's still a lot of life in hte motor.

All that said, Wevans and I aren't your average boat owners. But, my nearly new, low hours, 1978 Evinrude is still runnin fine.

[Chalk]

But, my nearly new, low hours, 1978 Evinrude is still runnin fine.

He ain't lying....It runs as hard as he fishes and they look the same ..Rode hard

[tin can]

Chalk, I'll have you know I'm in as good a shape as that old motor. Why, I feel as good as I look.

[Chalk]

You feel as good as it looks

Greasy, smok'n a little early in the morning, sometimes hard to keep running and little slow getting the unit up

Yep, you said it.....

[wevans]

Why, I feel as good as I look.

That's why we worry bout ya TC
I've had my new boat just over 2 years now and have almost 350 hours on the motor I feel that the worst thing in the world for a motor is to sit idle for more than a week at most "well 2 weeks anyhow" 140 hours is aint even broke in good yet

[tin can]

Wevans is correct. The worst thing you can do to an outboard is let it sit up. I would buy a 1.5 year old outboard with 140 hours before I would buy a 5 year old outboard with 50 hours.

Chalk, I feel as good as I look. I feel much better than the motor looks.

[Chalk]

[Eerman]

You guys keep talkin' and I'm going to start writing checks. Like I said, planning on a test run this weekend. Talked to the guy a little while ago. He's basically got a 35 foot offshore rig and is also a captain on another boat so he's not getting much use of this boat. I'm thinking I might be happy to help him with that problem.

[tin can]

After my earlier post on motor hours I went back and looked at my records. In 2002 I bought 26 gallons of outboard motor oil. I premix my gas and oil in both boats. I cruise at 30 mph in the Key West, and around 50 mph in the Champion. I used the Key West 2 trips to 1 over the Champion in 2002. So, I did my math using an average speed of 35 mph.

26 gallons of oil = 1300 gallons of gas. I average 4 mpg in both boats. That's 5200 miles. That divided by 35 mph is 148.5 hours. In 2002 I fished at least one day every week of the entire year. Several weeks I went twice. A few weeks I went 3 times. There were several trips that were mostly trolling. The actual time for 2002 is probably between 175 and 200 hours.

Go figure.

Eerman, what kind of motor is it, and what was it used for, IE, fishing, runabout, skiing.....?

[Eerman]

TC,
It's a Yammie 4 stroke 115HP. I think used mostly for fishing. I think there was some skiing and such but that was limited. The guys intention was to use it as an inshore charter boat; but, ended up captaining someone else's boat.

[ALMAR]

IT IS NOT THE AMOUNT OF HOURS PUT ON AN OUTBOARD, IT IS HOW THE HOURS WERE PUT ON THE ENGINE. I HAVE A 1949 33 H.P. JOHNSON THAT MUST HAVE 5-6000 HOURS ON IT, IT STILL RUNS GREAT, NEVER LET ME DOWN THE FIRST TIME. I ALSO HAVE A 1978 RUDE 75 HP THAT I KNOW HAS AT LEAST 3-4,000 HOURS ON IT AND HAS NEVER SPUTTERED THE FIRST TIME. I ALWAYS RUN MY MOTORS IN FRESH WATER WHEN I GO INTO SALT WITH THEM, GENERALLY DOWN AT THE FRESH WATER PONDS DOWN AT ST MARKS LIGHTHOUSE . I USUSALLY RUN THE MOTORS NOT OVER 3,500 TO 4,000 RPM, I CHECK THE OIL IN THE FOOT SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR AND SO FAR THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY WATER IN THE FOOT ASSEMBLIES. I HAVE CHANGED THE IMPELLER ON THE 33 HP TWO TIMES IN 55 YRS, THE IMPELLER HAS BEEN CHANGED IN THE 75 ONLY ONE TIME. KEEP THEM CLEAN AND WASH DOWN EACH TIME YOU USE THEM AND THEY WILL LAST FOREVER, DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE YAMMIES.
THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA
PA