Re-powered my GW226 with a Honda BF250

[Carlo2888]

Nice looking rig.
Just re-powered a 228G w/hard top.
Went from a 2000 200 HPDI to a 2018 (new) Etec 225.
2019 Etec motors over 150hp will be G2's and was luck to find one in the box at my usual dealer.
Have about 10 hours and looking for more.

 

[UCPA111]

I finally got tired of my original F250 making oil so I went ahead and turned it into a brand new 2019 BF250. Now I hope I can finally troll without changing the oil every 20 hr.

It's going to take a while to get used to that big silver thing back there.

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I also added a Bob's Machine Shop manual jack plate to set the engine back 5.5 inches so that the lower unit will no longer interfere with my side scan transducer. They do a really good job and even machined out a piece so that the mounted jack plate won't crush against the transom bang plate (which I also replaced with the new vinyl material).

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I haven't had it offshore yet but I put on 3.5 hr of break-in runs in the river and bay. The engine and jack plate added an additional 100+ lb to the transom load which dramatically changed the handling characteristics of the boat. It no longer bow steers at low speed and for some reason or other, it no longer lists to port when on plane. I used to need 30% port tab to keep it level. The extra weight buries the scuppers but water doesn't flow into the cockpit with 2 not too fat guys in the stern. However, I image that boots will be needed with a few of my fluffier friends are aboard.

It will be interesting to see how the boat handles head seas when I set up the anchor offshore. With the F250 it would veer from side to side making it very difficult to position the boat where I want.

Do any of you folks with 228s have problems with bow steer when off plane? I've been in a few of them but I can't recall if they had the same issue as the 226. SV2 hulls are very quirky. I have a love/hate relationship with mine.

Looks awesome!! I considered Honda (250) for my seafarer. It was a challenge to get someone local to provide me with a quotation and confidence. I believe Honda makes a very nice product.

I ended up repowering with a 300 Hp Mercury Verado I6. It was one of the last I6 models made in 300HP last year. I waited 4 months for it to show up. Thankful I got it. It's a super nice motor. Extremely quiet and smooth. I can run 50 mph with 5/8 fuel, 4guys, hardtop and all gear. Cruise 28-32 with 2.76 mpg. Then, I pull back and put the vessel view in Troll Mode and at 550 rpm I am at 1.8mph. Love it!

 

[leeccoll]

Really sweet motor!
Mine is a 2002 200hp, and the thing starts up and runs like new still with 480 hours.
Just keep changing your fluids and you'll likely never have anything to worry about after the warranty expires.

PS-Did you used to fish near Reno?

Lee

 

[Doc Stressor]

PS-Did you used to fish near Reno?

Sure did. Fished Pyramid at least 50 times per year. Also Stampede, Donner, Davis, Frenchman's, and Eagle. Once in a while, we'd go up to Tahoe. Also fished the Pacific out of Bodega, Monterey, and Fort Bragg.

 

[leeccoll]

Nice, I love to fish Donner, kept my boat in Truckee during spring/summer. I have the cannon tournament downriggers that have a dedicated transducer so I can keep 3' off bottom and it automatically raises and lowers downriggers. Used to get 5 macs there pretty fast right on the bottom.
Pyramid is hot as nails right now. Caught 50 by myself at hell's kitchen last week.
30 years ago I lived in San Francisco and kept my boat at Loch Lomand Marina in San Rafael for sturgies and stripers then fished outta Half-Moon Bay for kings at times.


Small world and tight lines Doc!

Lee

 

[Doc Stressor]

Just an update:

The Honda gets about the same mileage as the old 3.3 liter F250 but the boat tops out at only 42 mph instead of 44 mph turning the same modified 16" prop at 6000 rpm. I can get 3.3 mpg with a following sea at 4000 rpm. The boat seems happier running at 4500 rpm when conditions allow. I'm going to try a cupped 17" prop to see if I'll get less slip.

The 5.5" setback jack plate works great. It seems to have minimized my bow steer issue and the engine lower unit is clear of the long 3-in-1 side scanning transducer. I can see the port side view without interference.

Installing the new electronics took a lot longer than I thought. The Standard Horizon radio and Simrad Evo3 work fine as does the Honda digital gauge. But I still can't get the Furuno AP to work. On the initial shakedown trip, I forgot to turn on the power to the computer, which is powered independently from the NMEA backbone. The control unit turned on but couldn't find the computer. After I got back I remembered that I put in a switch that cuts out power to the computer for an emergency shut down. Duh! An old guy in the heat thing.

I went out again yesterday, turned on the power switch and the control unit found the computer, compass, and GPS just fine. But going through the setup procedure I found that the hydraulic pump wouldn't turn on. We are supposed to have rain for the next week or so. But after that, I need to start tearing apart my pretty wiring job to find out what's wrong. At least I can fish. But it would be nice to have that AP going for those 2 hr red snapper runs.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Right now, the problem with repowering with a Yamaha is availability. Unless you are a large dealer or do volume, you can't find F225-F250 motors. Only a few dealers around that have inventory. Also the exhaust fiasco and making oil issues have guys looking at other alternatives. Service when needed, is a factor that I look at.

Guess I'm in a minority, as I'll wait on availability at my dealer to repower with a Yamaha.

I have seen a number of threads on THT , aka hate grady.com , where suzukis made some oil and other brands too. I recently had my motor serviced and it's not making oil. I think when others , including you, suggested when I broke her in to drive like I stole it. Once I got past 4-6 hours I ran it hard.

Mercury is having delivery issues too and just as bad as Yamaha. I looked at Honda. Gave it a serious consideration because everything I have owned by them has been solid. I stayed home because I live in the woods in Western NC. There is Yamaha dealer in Greenville,about an hour 45. I would have to go to Atlanta for a Honda dealer. In the end I stayed with Yamaha ,but it appears I got my motor just in time before the production crunch hit.

Doc, the new Honda's are sharp looking. I saw a white one in Brevard County at a dealer two years ago, a white 250. It was a darn sexy motor. Funny, back in the day, say 1970s, when you saw a white motor it was a piece of crap Chrysler. Then in the 80s Evinrude and Johnson started factory white with their Ocean Pro motors. They made white cool. I would love to have a white motor. Maybe if I hold on to it long enough I can get it painted. Who knows.

It's been a while, how do you like the motor? Is it doing what you need?

 

[Doc Stressor]

I'm very happy with the engine. I started giving it pulses of full throttle during the second hour. I've been really good about varying the speed and letting the engine work for the first 7 hr. I'll keep that up until 10 hours on the clock.

I babied the Yamaha when I first got it. I spent a lot of time at 3700 rpm in order to get the best fuel burn numbers. It never saw a full hour over 5000 rpm when I traded it in. This time I'm doing the hard break-in thing.