Finally got a couple hours on the engine. - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

Mr. Sandman · 06-08-2004, 12:10 PM

Frankly so far I am disappointed. It is slow, handles sluggish with a single and tends to growl at idle when in gear and cluncks when going into gear.

I have not opened it up yet but it is a hog in the hole. With twins it jumped onto plane like a 13' whaler. Torque is a noticeabele. Trim tabs are needed with this boat as a band-aid to fix this. (on order) With twins the boat always stays rock steady level in nearly all condtions and you never have to run them hard.

I can tell in order to really move I will need to push this engine hard. Just not enough power.

Also , you can't tilt the motor all the way up. Needs jack plate to do that

(not on order). With twins they are offset and sit higher on the stern and can come fully out of the water.

OK, lets talk noise. At idle in nutrual, the engine is very quiet even compared to a new FI 2 stroke....But that is it. Once in gear, my 2 strokes were nearly as quite. When running the 2 stroke Fichs were slightly louder...but I was running much faster, I bet at the same speed, it was a draw. It is a different sound though a deeper tone. When you start it, it sounds like your car. The big difference is in RPM...again with the twins @ 3300rpm I was crusing at 31-33mph or at 3300 the boat is not on plane...still in the hole...you need to goose it to 4500 to get it moving.
I doubt this boat will do anything near 40mph wot. I don't think I could hold it on plane at 4000. Maybe with the tabs. This is unacceptable IMO. ( with the twin 150's you were holding on hard @ 4000 and moving along at 39-40mph)

Live and learn... Will fix this problem next year with a new 05 rig and quite screwing around with this thing once and for all. I guess I am just a twin guy.

At least I am fishing now....

I'll post the numbers after break in and can get the tabs on.

RIROCKHOUND · 06-08-2004, 12:17 PM

Sucks big time....
at least your out there is right...
The only significant repower we have done was from 4cyl 135hp to 6cyl 225 hp PCM's on our old chris craft 26, which is now in Florida (sold)
Big positive difference in that one..

Live and learn is right. I suppose as they say hindsight is 20/20. good luck... mine is nopt running 100% either if it makes ya feel any better, but like you I can still get out.....
Bryan

macojoe · 06-08-2004, 07:27 PM

Same thing I have heard from all 4 strokes!! I will never go that way!!
I have a 2 stroke 175 Yamaha and it is quiter then when the boat was I/O!!
I am very happy with 2 stroke and the noise that it makes!! Gas well I am getting 3 1/2 mph with out hopping on it. Like to no what you are getting with that 4 stroke?

Well your fishing thats the good news, and you will have what you want next season!!

Vectorfisher · 06-08-2004, 07:43 PM

Sandman I figured you would be posting with a grin from ear to ear the way the guys talk about them on the Hull truth Forum, I guess it would be a mistake for me to go to a new 250 hp 4 stroke then, probably wait on the E-tec 250.

Mr. Sandman · 06-09-2004, 09:36 AM

Don't forget...I am comparing twin 150's to a single 225. Don't get me wrong, the 4 stroke engine seems fine but there is a big difference between twins and a single.

I would avoid evinrude. Poor customer, dealer and product support and a company that is lost. At one time they were the kings. The ficht's are too sensitive...all those touchy powerhead and eletronic issues...look at all those additives and procedures that must be done just to keep them running.... No doubt the best power to weight ratio of any FI made but most don't want to touch them now. Just try and sell your motor second hand, you will not get squat for it. A Yamaha 4 stroke has a much better reputation then todays fichts...that is whay I went that way...resale.
Etec...you might want to give it 5 or 6 years to work the bugs out...this is nothing more then a way to shed the rep of Ficht....Etec = Ficht II. Lets hope they get it right this time.
Sorry if I sound a little bitter....I am .

179 · 06-09-2004, 09:53 AM

Sandman.

I think you went with the Yamaha F225 right? It's pretty common knowledge that both the F200 and F225 are overated in the HP department. For comparison sake on my boat the differance between the new F150 motor and the older F200 is exactly 1-mph on the top end otherwise the F150 performs better across the board.

It seems Yamaha followed Suzuki's lead with the new F150 motors. The big Suzukis are supposedly giving any 2-stroke whether it be HPDI tech or not a run for their money.

I forget what size boat did you have 23'? Maybe you can play with props and tabs to get better performance. It will be tough to get anywhere near the performance of the twin 150s though.

The 225hp will shine should you ever decide to sell this boat

Vectorfisher · 06-09-2004, 12:25 PM

Cant Yamaha be sued for false advertisement for not producing stated HP?? I thought that Merc or Evinrude had been sued for just that. I had heard that the F225 were dogs on a heavy hull. And Sandman the new Fichts got JD powers award for best overall customer satisfaction above and beyond all the rest, so far I cannot complain have quite a few hours this season already and not even a hiccup, let's just take a moment of silence and pray it continues

And get that dog to stop Peeing in your cheerios, cheer up you have a brandy new motor, warm weather, and STRIPA"S waiting to be caught.

Mr. Sandman · 06-09-2004, 01:13 PM

vec!

LOL!! Actually I am a very happy guy!! Just a lot went wrong this year already for me.

KJLane · 06-11-2004, 11:58 AM

Welcome back Sandman. Time to get those bass that are just a little too far offshore...

Mr. Sandman · 06-11-2004, 11:58 AM

FYI:
got to open her up this AM...

single F225: 39.2 mph @ 6000 rpm (rated rpm) w/full fuel and 1 person on board.

Twin Rude 150s (FICHT) : 49.9mph @ 5000 (rated rpm). same conditions.

Looks like I will be cruisin in the slower lane for this year.( prob about 28mph or so

...but I will be back next year baby....

Enough with this boat stuff, where are those eels!

Vectorfisher · 06-13-2004, 02:41 PM

That seems slow, my 2450 W/A with 225 Rude Ficht tops out around 40-43

JohnR · 06-13-2004, 06:23 PM

Sandman - hate to bring this up but a guy on CS got a 250 Suzi 4 stroke on his 23. He was expecting mild drop off from his Yammi 225. He said every factory improved - often dramatically - over the 2 stroke Yamaha. Hole shot, tops speed, fuel economy, were all better than the 225.... http://forum.classicseacraft.com/sho...b=5&o=&fpart=1

Mr. Sandman · 06-14-2004, 07:56 AM

All I can say is twins are the way to go on these deep v's. There is no hole shot with twins...you are either planing or not there is no in between. The cruise speed difference is so dramatic it is not even comparable.

I will say that fuel econ is better with a single but that is about it.
I have 6 hours on this now and the gauge is pegged @ F. This was not the case pior.

1 ) boat control far better with twins
2) get home comfort factor (saftey) better with twins (very important to me)
3) fast cruise speed with engines loafing (twins) as apposssed to running nearely wide open. ( very inportant to me)
4) engine torque is a non issue
5) bass trolling with twins is a thing of beauty. You can crawl with one engine off and the other in gear. With a single your prop is sized for WOT and you need to drag a bucket to slow down.

Bottom line is I think I have outgrown this boat. While a single is ok for inshore bays...and for the fellow who runs 5 mi out and back...it is no place for what I do. I run good disatances esp when it is calm and I need to crusise @ 35...and I want the comfort of knowing I can get home on my own power on full plane. I am now cruising @ 29. and it is just too slow.

IMO you should never have to open your boat up WOT...except just to get the thrill.

As far as the 225 yamaha is concerned...it is what it is ...I am happy with that, it runs quiet and is more fuel efficent...just that I think the boat needs two engines to really move. Looking at the performance numbers of his 250 would not have bought me that much more and I would rather have the yami.

This will make a nice resale package esp with the gear I have on it.

likwid · 06-14-2004, 08:13 AM

Lets think about this for a moment..

Why do you have to do 40 knots?

Canyon runs on a big Mako with twin 250's we used to head out at about 20 knots max and save fuel chasing Tuna. We never went over 30 ever.

Anything over that and you're hemmoraging fuel and money.

Nobody does 40 knots unless they like setting 50 dollar bills on fire for fun, esp. with the way gas prices are going.

If you really have to do 40 knots, go ahead and get a cigarette with twin 454's in it.

Mr. Sandman · 06-16-2004, 01:38 PM

20 knts is way to slow for me... I tend to run around islands and look for fish...I don't need loog runs I need to get there. If I wanted to go 20knts I would own a 40'er not a CC.

I can tell you that if you ran 20 knots in a mako with twin 250;s you were not at the sweet spot and probably were not getting the peak MPG. I would bet that a rig like that has a sweet spot around 30-33mph or so.