Need information on E tecs and other modern 2 strokes

[RTNEPTUNE]

As I stated in another post , I am the happy new owner of a one owner 1990 226 seafarer in very nice condition . I am re-powering the vessel .
I was considering a Yam F225 . But now looking at the G1 e-tec 250 or 225 . I don't know much about the etec so any info would help . I have been doing
some searches comparing 2 strokes and the etec seems to be the number one contender . I've looked at the Yam HPDI and the reliability is all over the board .
I haven't seen many people having problems with the etec . So , my main concerns are as followed .

1. Life span how many hours are average on the etec.
2. Smoke and smell , I have 45 minutes of idle time through canals until I get to open water .
3. Plug fouling because of all my idle time will plug fouling be an issue .
4. What should I look for when examining a G1 E tec . Are there any common problems ?

Thank you .

 

[artodea]

Modern 2-strokes are quite improved over the traditional carbureted two stroke. The etec engine is a direct injection (of fuel) with targeted oil delivery. There is no smoke, no smell, and no need to perform an oil change. They can idle all day without loading up. A properly set-up engine (i.e., not overpropped, and indexed plugs) will not foul the plugs merely due to low/idle speeds. I've owned a couple of etecs over the past 6-7 years and have an hour-long no-wake zone to deal with and never had an issue.

Longevity is no different than any other outboard - as long as they are maintained, flushed at least occasionally (just like any other outboard) you should expect thousands of hours of use.
If you are looking at a used one, you will want to check compression, and look at the engine history report (which requires a dealer - or a bootleg copy of the diagnostics software and cable). As with any outboard, you want to be sure the engine was not over-propped, which you can verify by looking at the engine history. The forum at http://www.etecownersgroup.com/ is an excellent resource for questions specific to the etec.

 

[Finest Kind]

As I stated in another post , I am the happy new owner of a one owner 1990 226 seafarer in very nice condition . I am re-powering the vessel .
I was considering a Yam F225 . But now looking at the G1 e-tec 250 or 225 . I don't know much about the etec so any info would help . I have been doing
some searches comparing 2 strokes and the etec seems to be the number one contender . I've looked at the Yam HPDI and the reliability is all over the board .
I haven't seen many people having problems with the etec . So , my main concerns are as followed .

1. Life span how many hours are average on the etec.
2. Smoke and smell , I have 45 minutes of idle time through canals until I get to open water .
3. Plug fouling because of all my idle time will plug fouling be an issue .
4. What should I look for when examining a G1 E tec . Are there any common problems ?

Thank you .

Why are you looking at G-1's?
I've owned both and can confirm that the E-tec G-2's are vastly superior to the G-1's (which are very good motors).

See the features here:
http://www.chooseyouretec.com/en-us/

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I would say if your budget allows go for the Gen 2 ETEC. I know zero about motors but I have a little knowledge on selling stuff. Down the road you may want a new boat and while g1 etec is likely going to be new , hanging the G2 model may help with resell value especially if the motor proves to be a workhorse and if Evinrude releases a G 3 in the next 5-10 years.

I almost went Evinrude but it is harder to find a dealer near me. There is an Evinrude guy in Bryson City but in my interaction with them I simply do not trust them with my boat. So, I stayed with Yamaha. Good luck.

 

[RTNEPTUNE]

As I stated in another post , I am the happy new owner of a one owner 1990 226 seafarer in very nice condition . I am re-powering the vessel .
I was considering a Yam F225 . But now looking at the G1 e-tec 250 or 225 . I don't know much about the etec so any info would help . I have been doing
some searches comparing 2 strokes and the etec seems to be the number one contender . I've looked at the Yam HPDI and the reliability is all over the board .
I haven't seen many people having problems with the etec . So , my main concerns are as followed .

1. Life span how many hours are average on the etec.
2. Smoke and smell , I have 45 minutes of idle time through canals until I get to open water .
3. Plug fouling because of all my idle time will plug fouling be an issue .
4. What should I look for when examining a G1 E tec . Are there any common problems ?

Thank you .

Why are you looking at G-1's?
I've owned both and can confirm that the E-tec G-2's are vastly superior to the G-1's (which are very good motors).

It's all about the budget , I just don't have that kind of funds and won't finance . I would do G2's if I could .

See the features here:
http://www.chooseyouretec.com/en-us/

 

[RTNEPTUNE]

Modern 2-strokes are quite improved over the traditional carbureted two stroke. The etec engine is a direct injection (of fuel) with targeted oil delivery. There is no smoke, no smell, and no need to perform an oil change. They can idle all day without loading up. A properly set-up engine (i.e., not overpropped, and indexed plugs) will not foul the plugs merely due to low/idle speeds. I've owned a couple of etecs over the past 6-7 years and have an hour-long no-wake zone to deal with and never had an issue.

Longevity is no different than any other outboard - as long as they are maintained, flushed at least occasionally (just like any other outboard) you should expect thousands of hours of use.
If you are looking at a used one, you will want to check compression, and look at the engine history report (which requires a dealer - or a bootleg copy of the diagnostics software and cable). As with any outboard, you want to be sure the engine was not over-propped, which you can verify by looking at the engine history. The forum at http://www.etecownersgroup.com/ is an excellent resource for questions specific to the etec.

Thanks , Great information !!

 

[everwhom]

I think you're right to be going with a 2-stroke as your boat was designed for the weight of a 1990 2-stroke. A 22 ft boat will be very sensitive to weight distribution and the additional weight of a 4-stroke will probably adversely affect the ride & handling (though I believe there are some newer lighter weight 4-strokes which may be worth investigating). For that reason I went with a G1 Etec when I repowered my 1996 20' whaler 2 years ago. I also have Yamaha F250 (4.2L) 4-strokes on my Grady.

I can confirm that the Etec is as quiet as my 4-strokes and there's virtually no oil smell, especially when using XD-100 oil. VERY VERY rarely you get a slight whiff of oil, but it's really nothing.

So far I have nothing but great things to say about my Etec G1! I love my Yammies too though!

 

[Finest Kind]

.........
It's all about the budget , I just don't have that kind of funds and won't finance . I would do G2's if I could .

If you are going USED, then it's going to be hard to find a good G-1 with low hours out there...why would anyone replace a trouble-free low hour motor?

If you are going NEW then as you can see here, there really is not a huge difference in price between the G-1's and the G-2's, especially when you factor in the built-in power steering, and the built-in electronic fly by wire throttle and gear shift controls that come with the G-2's.

http://www.boats.net/outboard_motor/Evi ... parts.html

NOTE: All the prices on that website are HIGH compared to what you will actually pay after shopping around and negotiating.

Also note: If you can go with a 200 HP instead of the 225, and if your existing steering system is in good shape, you can get the 200 HP TRAC model like I have, which does not have the built in power steering and are around 5K or so less in price.