Update on my F250... it is seized!!!

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Guys: I heard some very bad news today from the Yammaha service center. The motor is seized! :shock: The spark plugs have rust on the tips and the rings are rusted. I am completely in shock. I did everything right, I filled the tank up over the winter, used that Stabil stuff, she is kept under cover. The 10 micron filter shows no sign of fuel seperation what so ever and the mechanic said the filter on the front where I thought showed water has no water in it all. The oil is clear, no milky color.

My gut says yammaha will find out why and I will somehow have negelected it. I hope I am completely wrong, but it looks like my motor with a mere 160 hours on it is dead! :cry: I am upset to say the least and will find out more next week when Yammaha sends one of their technicians to examine it.

What bugs me, and I guess I am second guessing myself here is I had a F150 and put over 600 hours on that motor without a lick of problems. I am doing eveything maintenance wise to the 250 I did with the 150. This is a hard pill to swallow.

 

[richie rich]

Bob, sorry to hear about the motor....maybe you just had a bad block and she gave out and it will be under warranty...at 160hrs, it is a baby....hope the mechanic finds fault with the factory. Do you have all your service records?

 

[capt chris]

Bob,
I'm really sorry to hear about you're motor. You sure didn't need that with all you have going on. Keep us posted as to the resolution with Yamaha. Mine is a 2008 F250 as well, so you know I'm interested.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Yah, I have all my service records. I did the Grady dealer suggested 20 hour service, I did a full service at 90 hours and a miniservice with 10 micron change at about 140. Here is something I recall, the motor's water in the fuel sensor went off while sea trialing the boat back in March. The Grady dealer, Lockwood Marine now out of business, replaced the sensor saying it was defective. At no time since I took delivery has this warning ever gone off. Maybe we really did have water in the fuel and the sensor is faulty? I would rather the block be defective for sure.

The service technician told me he found a similar problem in a yammy 2 stroke and reported to Yammaha and they just sent a new powerhead no questions asked. The motor is a 2008, but put into service in April 09, so barely a year in warranty terms and less than average use per year. I hope above all hope here that Yammaha steps up to the plate. We will see Monday/Tuesday....

 

[rbutterworth]

If the motor is under warranty, I would be surprised if Yamaha doesn't replace it for you....if the filters were clean, and the tech already checked for water....I would think they would replace the head. They are getting a bad rap on the F225/corrosion issue for how they are treating those without a warranty, but I've not heard them screw around with anything that was still in warranty.

Good Luck with it.....

RButterworth
30 Grady Marlin

 

[Bama96]

Sorry to hear about your motor. Don't worry about it Yamaha will replace the powerhead.

 

[jellyfish]

wow, sorry to hear the bad news. I am sure Yamaha will fix it. I wish you the best.

 

[JUMPNJACK]

Condolences!

Smokey, thats awful. Sometimes we lose a loved one for unexplained reasons.

 

[no problem]

With no water in fuel filter it sure sounds like a mechanical failure. Don't worry prematurely, stay positive and concentrate on getting back on the water. Good luck

 

[wahoo33417]

Bob: Don't kick yourself. You bought a motor with a great reputation. And I believe that yamaha will want to keep that reputation. Keep us posted.

Rob

 

[Tashmoo]

Very sorry that you are starting the season off this way.

When I think about the problem and the lack of any sign of water in your oil it points to the interface between the block and the head. Be it a warped head, bad gasket or screwed up block. No water in the oil could mean that cooling water is being drawn into the cylinder on the intake stroke and burning it off in the combustion stroke. If so the cylinders that stopped on the intake stroke sat with a small amount of water in them.

This is a long way to saying the problems is Yamaha's not yours, if they do not step up to the plate I am 100% sure that GW will smack them upside the head and make them step up. I would get GW involved with this if by nothing more than coping them on all correspondence. If you have an issue with Yamaha you will have GW up to date on the issue.

Out of curiosity did you winter store with the engine tilted up? Also, did you notice much exhaust vapor when running, particularly on a cool humid morning? If so was it more so than your 150?

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Tashmoo:
Thanks for your analysis. The boat is kept under cover when not in use and after each outing when we are all cleaned up, the motor is tilted down. Something is truly odd here. When we launched it her I started it right up without a any sign of trouble. First turn of the key and she was running. we ran it for maybe total of 2 hours, stop and starting before the problem occurred. The mechanic asked me when was the last time I ran the boat and I replied 2 days before I before I dropped it off. He could not believe it based on what he was seeing.

Thanks for the advice on getting Grady involved if they do not step up to the plate. Monday will tell if we need to involve Grady or not...

 

[Butcherboy]

f250

Very sorry to hear of your issue. Clearly this is an opportunity for Yamaha for some very good free advertising or an opportunity to get the opposite...I have an '05 with extented warranty keep us posted.......Tom

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Oh man, i'm really sorry, but like others said, Yamaha will take care this for you, good luck.

 

[Average Joe]

Bob,
There is a guy on the VA board of Tidalfish.com who has the same motor (I think it's a 2008) and has had nothing but trouble. A few weeks ago he was offshore wreck fishing and when he got ready to run for home it wouldn't start.

Thankfully Sea Tow came and got him after a 4 hr tow he was back in port.

He has a Yamaha regional representative looking at it right now.

If you go on the TF /Forums/VA board look for a post called The Good,Bad,Ugly for the story along with some pictures of a shredded timing belt.

 

[uncljohn]

you say you filled up the gas and used Stabil and covered the boat for winter.

Did you fog the engine? If you're in NC, thats some humid weather there and I wonder if un-oiled metal could have been more susceptable to rusting.

 

[BobP]

The dealer will check out the boat's fuel supply quality, that's all they can do, then relay back to Yamaha HQ.
Yamaha HQ may ask for motor breakdown next or not at all.
Then Yamaha HQ gives ok to dealer, who should inform you of the call he makes and the response.
Then dealer orders the entire package needed, may take a few weeks or more to get package and do job.
Job like this is about $7K on 2 stroke, must be about $9K on more on new 4 stroke, otherwise.

Head could have cracked, doesn't matter, a new powerhead equals new motor. The entire powerhead gets replaced including the fuel injection system as one shot.

You may not even recognize the work done when you look under cowl.

It happens, even new BMWs throw engines, you never hear about it since the car is returned with new motor in a few daysw hile owner ie enjoring the usual upgraded loaner car. One can't even tell such major work was done.

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

Yammaha has asked for the diagnostics from the motor's computer. They are doing a blow down or drop down test on each cylinder to test for a blown head gasket. Seems to me things are pointing to a new powerhead, but it could be premature to say this. I am relaying what the mechanic and yammaha discussed yesterday. We should know in the next day or so.....

 

[Legend]

What ever came of this - the thread just stopped?

 

[SmokyMtnGrady]

I expect to hear from the dealer about the direction today. They wanted to do this blow down test, but since the motor will not turn they could not do the test. Yammaha asked for the computer diagnostics and then told the mechanic to tear the motor down and take photos. I will update when I know. I was told they were going to tear the motor down yesterday and today.