Do I have Yamaha Corrosion? See 5 Photos...

[HMBJack]

Pulled my two Lower Units today and took these pictures looking up the leg.

These are Yamaha F250's Built in July 2005.
Model F250TXR and LF250TXR. 712 Hours.
Used on West Coast in colder waters from Santa Barbara to San Francisco.

Photo 084 = Starboard which looks okay to me.
Photo 094 = Port which looks a little less than okay to me.

For those of you who are experienced in this sort of thing, what do you think? Do these photos necessitate the repair job? I have had no symptoms of overheat at idle or oil loss to date.

Here are the 5 pictures (can zoom as you wish).

http://s797.photobucket.com/user/HMBJac ... t=3&page=1

Thanks,
Jack

 

[VeroWing]

I'm sure not seeing it, but I'm no expert on the subject. I know there are quite a few Yamy experts on thehulltruth forum. If you don't get good advice here, perhaps you can post your pics there.

 

[HMBJack]

Thanks. I posted my pictures on the hull truth and all who commented so far say I'm fine.

Still looking for more opinions from folks who are experienced with this corrosion issue.

 

[drbatts]

Hard to say from the pictures. The corrosion in my engines was higher up. Most of the seals between parts were eaten away. Not sure in your pictures but it does look like there is more "white stuff" along what looks a seal, but I cannot see clearly. Are they having any symptoms? I never got the overheats with my yamahas. One engine was bubbling around midsection and lower unit while running at the dock. The other engine I never saw any bubbling. In that engine most of the corrosion was higher up in the exhaust. Both engines did have an audible change while running. Sounded Like a car with a hole in the muffler. Friends thought I was crazy when I said that. But both mufflers had holes in them.

 

[HMBJack]

No symptoms at all. Just did a precautionary inspection. The side walls of the Oil Pan look very solid to me but I agree that white area at the upper seal (base of power head) doesn't look so good.

Still, in my opinion, these photos do not warrant pulling the boat and having the procedure performed.

I think I'll do an inspection like this once per year and keep my fingers crossed.
Next time I'll buy or borrow a boroscope (any idea where I can get one?).
Thanks, Jack

 

[VeroWing]

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-in ... 67979.html

 

[Gman25]

The only true way to know if you have a corrosion issue is to pull the powerhead and if your gonna go that far you really should replace the parts. If you wait and experience a failure it could cause more damage. When mine failed it destroyed both heads at $1500 each. Its a crappy thing to have to deal with but don't think a scope is going to tell the whole story.

 

[HMBJack]

Thanks Gman.

So, if these photos were of your engines, what would you do?

Pull the power heads? Really?

 

[Fishtales]

If it were me, I'd do nothing now. Monitor it as you say now that you have the equipment. If you see the corrosion get worse, you will have time to react.

 

[Gman25]

Thanks Gman.

So, if these photos were of your engines, what would you do?

Pull the power heads? Really?

Like I said..after what I went through I would probably pull the powerhead. When it happened to me I had the boat out the night before it happened.. She ran like a champ. put her away for the night and planned on going out the next day. Lowered the engines went to start and she struggled ..finally started and a heavy puff of black smoke appeared..turned out my oil pan rotted through allowing water to mix with the oil. Water got into the heads and warped the valves and failed a leakdown test. My friend with the 07 F200 was hrs away from failure according to his mech and there was no way of seeing it from the exhaust. They found that after pulling the powerhead. Another friend with 03 F225s is going to have the work done in the spring. My father is kicking around having his powerheads pulled on his F150's after hearing a few 150s are starting to show with this same issue...Also I decided to have the other engine done after the failure...Pulled the powerhead and replaced the parts...These are 05 F250's that were new in 06...had about 900 hrs when it happened.

I don't want to scare you but take all the info from peoples experience's with this nightmare, process it, and hope you make the right decision. It may be a... Pay Now.....or Pay MORE Later..Good Luck

 

[HMBJack]

Thanks GMan25. I'm accepting the fact that my engines will eventually need the repair.

There is logic in having it done sooner than later. Better to be on the safe side I guess.

Once the repair is done, I'd like to think I should go another 8 or 9 years without any corrosion related issues.
In July 2014, my engines will be 9 years old.

Thanks for your candid advice. I do appreciate it!

 

[drbatts]

I agree with gman. Plus if you do fix them it will also give you piece of mind. Another thing to consider is If you're planning on selling the boat in the near future. This is a known problem which will probably come up at time of sale. Buyer will want it fixed or a credit.

 

[Fishtales]

Here is what you need to do....
http://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-for ... epair.html

 

[HMBJack]

Thanks but I think I'm not going to tear my model 2006 F250 apart - at least not yet.

That motor in the link to THT was a Model year 2002 with holes in the muffler. Mine does not.

Appreciate all of the inputs!

 

[Fishtales]

Hi
I would monitor it and if it gets worse (not real bad like the photos) then proactively do it. I'd guess you have a 2-3 years left assuming the rate of corrosion does not pick up.
You'll prob have to do it at some point and I think a lot more of us with F225 or F250s will be doing the same.
One thing.. Could you detail the inspection process if you do it again? It would be great to have a step by step on that for everyone on the board (if not too much trouble)....

 

[HMBJack]

Re:
"Could you detail the inspection process if you do it again? It would be great to have a step by step on that for everyone on the board (if not too much trouble)...."

Five simple steps:

- Remove Lower Unit
- Place camera flush against leg of engine pointing up
- Take a few pictures with flash on
- Install lower unit
- Post pictures on national website and get opinions

I will monitor the condition of my "legs" annually by comparing photos.
Thanks,

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Is that corrosion into the material or mineral deposits on the surface? I cant tell from the photos. If it is corrosion and you can afford to do it, then get it all fixed with new parts. Seems like others said, when you go to sell it, you will have record of the fix and a peace of mind for the new buyer which often fetches a better price too.

This issue of the F250 is concerning me even though my motor is a late model 07 and she spends 50% of the time in freshwater too.

 

[BobP]

Have any of the more senior members read the class action case against Yamaha, specific to the V6 Fs ?
Only read on the F150 was the balance shaft failures.

It's been some time but what's the status with class action ? Still active? Basis looked good to me.

 

[Fishtales]

Some links below regarding the CAL...

http://www.wnd.com/markets/news/read/24 ... on_lawyers

http://www.classaction.org/yamaha-outboard-motors.html

 

[BobP]

Try also google; tag it "Yamaha class action lawsuit". First 6 hits or so. Don't bother with the THT hits.

Even for members who have already paid on repaired wrecked F V6 motors, suggest contacting the firms involved. Can it hurt ? Any year, and for even the parts replacement prior to catastrophic motor failure any year. Keep the so called "defective parts", if not past then for anyone in the future I advise you clearly instruct written in the repair order signed "return of any parts replaced to owner", few are replaced and years even later than in the class action. You paid for the original parts which are not subject to rebuilding/remanufacturing for use again. I call the parts nickel and dime parts.

Lastly, the warranty verbiage explicitly stating "corrosion is excluded" is nonsensical considering the specific circumstances of the class action basis -read the google hits first. Its all there and no way an owner is ever responsible nor could do anything even to inspect the area - is that part of owners FV6 manual maintenance to use boroscopes or take photos ? On what page? Or remove powerhead to see if ok?

What page(s) is this on ?

Nor usage in hours. Further nonsense is flushing with FW or at all. HaHa.

The teardown term is being misapplied. The "powerhead" is above the cowl and gets separated and lifted off motor midsection. Said parts are replaced, period. Keep the receipts and original parts. End of story, the motor is permanently fixed to act like any other V6 back to when V6s showed up in old grady catalogs mounted to Gradys, any brand motor as was the order of the day until late 90s when single source deal was cut.

I was figuring 45 or so years. How about it? And never had any FW flushing for us lifer North Atlantic (i.e SW) users.

Except the class action is (all) about $$.


Good luck.