BWB 225 shootout

[1BadAction]

yea I just did it. har har. :D

heres an equasion for the guys who are fans of the infomercials... Mercury > E-tec

merc- best fuel economy, 6mph faster, 40+lbs lighter, better handling, cheaper, and more durable.

rude- better acceleration, "best sound" "best styling" the last 2 are obviously subjective opinions. :rolleyes:

so, merc wins, "hands down" LOL. a bigger accomplishment than winning was getting one of the most evinrude-biased writers to write it. of course there was plenty of zingers downing on merc, but entertaining none the less.

[blkmtrfan]

Haven't got my issue yet :(


hopefully tomorrow:)

[Skittles]

Well...........where are all the Etec boys???? :rolleyes: :p

[blkmtrfan]

Just read it, seems like a pretty good comparo, couple of notes:


Too bad the etec lower wasn't ready, be real curious about it's real top end potential.

Would like to see how the merc would do on acceleration with a smaller prop or different gearset.

Yammi really needs solid mounts :rolleyes: and Higher top RPM

[stan merck]

I havent got it yet. What boat did they test these on. I rode in a boat with a 250 e-tec and I wasnt impressed at all. Idled good and quiet, but that was it.

[Fish]

Well...........where are all the Etec boys???? :rolleyes: :p

Probably still out on the lake driving "pretty fast" in a pink thong... dem boys just aint right :D

[1BadAction]

blkmtrfan- the new case WAS ready, but was overheating, and the carrier was starting to go (thats what I got from the article) either way, the new case was junk after some testing, so they had to put on the old one.

stan- Bullet bass boats, around 1600lbs RTR i believe.

[blkmtrfan]

So it wasn't really ready then ;)


Certianly not for production anyway....

[Luke Tucker]

i saw the bullet they tested in palatka sweet boat wayne dukes had a copy of article and let me read it i loved it i was hearing about the etec out running the verado that obviously the evinrude guys couldn't figuure out was in 4 stroke hey but the rudes have always been slow :eek:
:D :D BUY BLACK OR RUN IN THE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

[JWTjr.]

I guess I needed someone to tell me I was the most Evinrude biased writer in the business.

Maybe that explains the reason I've purchased so many Mercs in the past two decades.

Please...come up with something better than that.

JWTjr.

[Checkmark]

I been reading Tiger's articles for better than 8 years now, and the Evinrude bias thing is REALLY weak. Guy does a great job, (one I'm envious of) and now writes and tests for an excellent magazine. This is FACT.

As a big time OMC man back in the day, I was actually hoping that the E-Tec would show the Merc up. I own a 225 ProMax, (Thanks John for the advice on that engine; very pleased with it) but would like to see Evinrude back in the hunt again. I too was frowned upon by my move to the "dark side", but you gotta give Merc Racing it's due.

Great job JWTjr.

[Luke Tucker]

john was the weight of the bullet shown in the small caption rigged with fuel also i have read so much nagativity about bawb from other boards and i don't agree i wish it was weekly . john how bout talking chub (stroker boats) into testing comp boat with 300x in bawb i would like to see numbers on that

[JWTjr.]

The weight of the test hull is supposed to be 1200 lbs. empty. I think that 1590 lb. figure is a misprint, as I checked my original manuscript and I didn't include that figure anywhere.

Where do you see so much negativity about B&WB? Please advise. I'd like to see it too.

As for Stroker, we've covered them so much in the past, until they come out with something new there's not much sense in it. Many of the smaller builders are in the same rut.

JWTjr.

[chad202]

Bullet hasn't changed but there tested pretty frequently. Not downing your work cause I think it's a great magazine that is very informative, just stating the obvious. Keep up the good work.

[JWTjr.]

Chad, I appreciate the kind words.

I wish I had something other than input as to when (if) a boatbuilkder would be featured. I don't have the final say, though.

I'm sure a lightweight, go-for-the-gusto no-holds-barred shootout between Bullet, Stroker and Allison would be cool. Maybe in 06?

JWTjr.

[150aintenuff]

how about since you are starting to test bay baots as well coming out and testing some of the oferings put out by northwest boat companies... as they are more intune to that style and walleye hulls than gofaast bassers but set up right they will run 60+ and or also a bay boat test of the same class of engines... say 4 stroke suzuki vs yamaha, verado, of 250 hp alongside the 250 2 stroke offerings from merc, yamaha, e rude....just an idea...

[GeoL]

I am quite happy with B&WB, I don't know of any other choices.
geo

[C-Webb]

Was that again a Verado vs E-Tec comparison or finally Optimax against E-Tec??

[150aintenuff]

225 XS optimax from the racing stables VS production Etec........ close to production VS production as merc will probably let happen..

[1BadAction]

225 XS optimax from the racing stables VS production Etec........ close to production VS production as merc will probably let happen..

do you ever get tired of being wrong? :rolleyes: go back to scraping your zebra mussles....


That will be corrected in the next issue...the 225 Pro XS was prototyped at Racing, but is actually built on the standard production line.

[150aintenuff]

1 bad why dont you go tip your action on your head so we dont have to put up with your annoying sarcasim and complaining...

BTW
DIRECT FROM MERCURY MARINE'S WEBSITE



DFI engine technology just got better. The new OptiMax® 225 Pro XS is lighter, more powerful and more fuel-efficient than any competitive engine in its class.

Engineered and developed by Mercury Racing,® this powerful new 3.0L powerhouse is the lightest in its class and delivers awesome hole shot, jaw-dropping mid-range punch and outstanding top-end speed – the perfect combination for bass boats.

The 225 Pro XS comes equipped with the exclusive Mercury Torque Master gearcase, with dual low-water pickups. Our heavy-duty propshaft allows for elevated engine installations, providing durability and performance on the hottest bass rigs.

Amazingly, the OptiMax 225 Pro XS delivers a three-star CARB rating on 87-octane fuel, making it perfect for bass rigs. Or, for that matter, anywhere that low emissions are important.

Specifications
HP @ Prop: 225
kW @ Prop: 168
Max RPM (WOT): 5500-6000
Cylinder/Configuration: V-6 (60 degree vee)
Displacement (CID/cc): 185/3032
Bore & Stroke (in): 3.63 x 3.00
Bore & Stroke (mm): 92 x 76
Ignition System: PCM 03 Digital Inductive
Starting: Turn-key
Gear Ratio: 1.75:1
Gear Shift: F-N-R
Steering: Remote
Alternator Amp: 60 (belt-driven)
Alternator Watt: 756 (belt-driven)
Trim System: Power trim
Recommended Oil: Mercury Premium Plus (TC-W3)
Fuel Requirements: 87 octane
Fuel Induction System: 2-stage direct fuel injection
Shaft Length (inches): 20
Shaft Length (mm): 508
Dry Weight (lbs.): 505
Available Propellers: Consult current dealer propeller guide
CARB Star Rating: 3
Warranty: 3 years

[1BadAction]

your an idiot

[blkmtrfan]

The way I understand it is, Merc Racing (their best engineers) developed it but it is manufactured on the regular production line.

Do you really think the BOMB had the Etec developed by their second tier engineers :confused:

[David]

What difference does it make if the Merc comes from high performance hand built blah blah or a production line if it costs the same as the competitive engines and goes faster?

I was pulling for the Rude out of sentiment but if it were my money, I'd buy the Merc.

[JWTjr.]

David makes a great point. It doesn't make a bit of difference. Now, if it were a high-rpm engine with special internal components, etc., it would be a different story. The 225 Pro XS fits the mold of "high performance bass engine" perfectly. It matches up extremely well with the others tested against it.

Interestingly, we just finished up a 200 Shoot Out on Bass Cat hulls, and the results were different--and a lot closer.

JWTjr.

[150aintenuff]

My point was that is was AS CLOSE TO EQUAL as it would probably EVER get even IF the 225 from merc was designed BY racing and built on production lines it is still out of their stables and not the STANDARD production engine stables BECAUSE of the fact it was DEVELOPED and TESTED by RACING not MERCURY PRODUCTION TESTERS.....

now as for the 200 test dont know yet, dont care and if I am SUCH an Idiot why does the mercury website state the Same thing... DEVELOPED BY MERCURY RACING NOT MERCURY PRODUCTION.... REGARDLESS who built it or tested it the results are real and they cant be argued unless Yamaha desides to change their Recomended RPM range to something more real world... like 6200

[Black Magic]

I think if you went back and looked at Mercury's history.... you would probably find that most of their motors were initially developed by their racing division. They have that division for R&D ( research & development..... not race & development)You should probably realize that the "Race Motors" do not get the 3 yr Consumer Warranty..... hand built or not and the XS is not anything different than the HO was for Johnson or Evinrude, or the Pro series for Yamaha. All of these are expected to have that little "extra" in performance.

There just isn't any "perfect world" to test each respective manufacturers models and B&WB makes the best effort they can to put everyone on an equal playing field. I think they do as good a job at that as anyone I have seen in the last 35 yrs or so.
Having said that, I am relatively sure that the next issue of Merc vs whomever will more than likely have a different result......

Take it for what it is...... if there was only one company building outboards we would probably still be .......... well...... just fill in the remainder of that thought however you want......

Best regards..... Magic:cool:

[racer]

One thing that should be noted the Evinrude and Yamaha weight was with steering oil tank etc according to the story and the Merc weight was with out these items and mentioned they add 25 to 30 pounds. I weighed an etec today going on a B&WB boat, it weighed 488 and the cowl was 23 for a total of 511 without acc. Yes the Merc is lighter and won the test, how about a retest and I set up the etec.

[blkmtrfan]

how about a retest and I set up the etec.

:D :D

That sounds like a great idea

:cool: :cool:

[Instigator]

Racer, do it.

I just came off the road from calling on my boat dealer customers for the last two days and got some interesting poop.

First to Badstream and every one wanting to know where the E-tech fans are... they're right here.
Get your info straight too before you start bashing. I bashed the Verado's not the Optimax's. I have heard plenty of negative on the Opti's (all from the Fla boys and most of them Merc guys) but know nothing one way or other.
Again, my comments and Bombardiers marketing has been targeting the Verado which Merc has touted as the "second coming".
On the Verado I have heard from a few very reputable sources that they are breaking clamp bracket assemblies.
I asked one of my dealers about it yesterday and his reply was "it ain't a rumor". He said the last he had heard hard info (a couple months prior) was that the number was at nine and that one was still on the bottom of Lake Erie and did significant damage to the boat (I think a Bass Cat) and legal action is pending.

On the B/W test, the Merc won. Good job Merc!
Now lets re-test with stock gear cases and gear ratios. When the test was first announced merc did not even offer the Sport Master on that motor. Hummmhhhh??
No big deal but lets compare apples to apples here. Yeah you can buy the Sporty and that's awesome but don't you think there's a clear advantage there??
Do any of you guys remember when Revvinrude bolted a Sporty on his Rude and went from 117 to 127 w/o touching anything else??? Hummmmhh?
My dealer source (has sold the most V-6 E-Techs in a 4 state area and had four V-6's w/Lightning cases in stock) said they "are" working on a good case, they "are" looking at gear ratios, and they "do" have a 300 HP (V-6) E-Tech that has been running for months. Does'nt know (or wouldn't say) if they plan to release it or not though.
He also said that testing has shown the stock E-Tech injectors capable of 10K RPM and supplying enough fuel to produce over 80 HP per hole.
This same dealer is also a touring bass fisherman and runs a BassCat w/a 200 E-Tech (79 and change on GPS w/a stock l/u) and he told me "I have sold everything, built everything, and ran everything, and I've never seen or run anything like the new E-Techs". This guy has been a fully certified shop for over 40 yrs.

You guys can say what you want but it is coming!
All Bomb needs now is a gear case and the first new gear ratio in 30 freagin years!!
I'd like to see the test w/a Sporty on the E-Tech and the junk Rude unit on the Opti :D

[blkmtrfan]

I just want to see that 300HP V6 ETEC :cool:

[stan merck]

I still dont understand, why do these shoot outs on a Bullet. Majority of people are interested in comparing these engs on regular heavy old bassboats that 95% of people out there run. A light boat is always giving Mercury an advantage right from the start. I like seeing how fast a Bullet can go but for comparisons a more mainstream boat should be used.

[BarryStrawn]

I expect Bullet boats were used because Bullet made the resources available for the test. In a perfect world, the magazine would just purchase engines at retail from randomly selected dealers and spend weeks of paid staff time rigging and testing on hulls of their choice. I can almost hear JWTJr. laughing at the idea of spending that much time or money on a magazine test.;)

[JWTjr.]

I'd love to do that, Barry--talk about a dream job and test environment. You're right, Bullet was selected because they made the hulls available. They also waited over a year as the engine manufacturers stalled and delayed. Our most recent test was held at Bass Cat because they made the hulls available. It turned out well. Making excuses for a manufacturer because "the hulls were too light" or "they don't build an engine to run that high" is ridiculous. Perhaps the Merc would not have won if the test involved another hull--or perhaps it would have. The test was done on a Bullet, and the Merc won. Fair and square, all other things equal. It's funny that some simply can't accept it. What about if/when the Evinrude and/or Yamaha wins? What then? I'm sure it will be equally unfair for the Merc. It does make me laugh, Barry.

JWTjr.

[Luke Tucker]

keep doing what you're doing ! start putting 2 a month out come on

[David]

I think the Bullet was a good choice of hull. This is Scream and Fly after all.

And besides, those engines were too heavy for an Allison.

[Instigator]

not sure if that was aimed at me but my point (opinion) is only that I think the Bomb. is there as far as power, it just needs a gear case and optional gear ratios.
If they do that, I will be happy :D
I think the test over all was excellent and have no complaints from my side at all.
Re-read the article last night and you said the BRP lost 2 1/2 MPH's by having to run the case @ 1/2" bellow the pad as compared to the Merc @ 1 1/2" above, then I wonder about the diffrence in efficency in the Sporty case, andddd the advantge of the gear ratio that Merc chose to run. If that ='s another 2 1/2 MPH's, we're there!
As far as the Merc Race vs BRP, clearly Merc has the back ground, history and experience in making O/B's go fast. They've paid for it and earned it!
"IFFFFFF", BRP get's serious about the performance side of things (like they have in everything else they've done :cool: ) it will be interesting to see what the future holds for us. All of us, black and white fans!
When was the last time Merc had viable competiton to them in the Hi Perf O/B market???
I think I was driving a Schwinn at the time :D
Gary
P.S., Barry the L.H. is still going strong with about 20 hrs on it :)

[JWTjr.]

I agree with you Gary...I said that in the story. BRP's gearcase needs some tweaking, some optional gearing, and they're a force to be recokened with.

We agree.

JWTjr.

[stan merck]

My point is "Test was done on a Bullet, Merc won", everybody knew that outcome before the test was ever done. It still makes fun reading though.

[Reese]

Damn it.....see what happens when you let your subscription run out....now I can argue.:)

[Reese]

Can any one of you post the results of the shootout...top speed, 0-30 etc. Thanks.

[BarryStrawn]

Reese - They posted some supplemental info at http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?id=979759 (http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?id=979759)

Gary - Good to hear that orphan gear is working for you.

Racer - In your spare time:), how about hanging one on a #55 and seeing what it can do with a well tuned lower unit and setup work.

[Reese]

Thanks Barry...

Looks like Etec needs a little more tweaking to catch up. Not too bad for the first shootout....next one should be very interesting.

[150aintenuff]

I would like to see an adaptation of the sporty to the yamaha so that the engine can be held to its " RECCOMENDED RPM" so we readers get to see all of the specs... not the words see text and the text doesnt REALLY do the job of giving the details that the graphs and tables do.. and then who knows... maybe the blue grey motor would win one... but it is nice to see that the feild is getting closer when ALL the ### come out...

I agree mag should walk in to ANY dealer point at a boat, go to engine rack, point at a propeller, and filler up with accessories and then sign the papers and go run it.. no rigging, no factory worked setup... JOE blow off the street... no say in setup.. you get it as it comes STOCK... no tweeking at test time or adjustments save propellers to ANY rigging, engine height and weight distribution.. then it would be a fair test.. as we at screamandfly are about 5% of the market share the other 95% have just that... a bone stock boat loaded with gear, and only mod they have is a stainless prop of their choosing... setpack is never adjusted, trim is ran at level or slightly below, jackplate might as well as be welded inplace because it is nevermoved around.. then "realworld" numbers that even JohnQ publics uncle could reproduce would be printed. OR let the engines rev to the limmiter and or beyond...(reprogram,PCU, whatever necessary to get ALL that the engine can do) tweek EVERYLAST mph and rev out of the boat as possible, and print it ALL regardless of who is the winner... my frustration is that even if a engine/hull combination runs its best and is over the RPM limit STATED then it doesnt get printed.... there is a particular test that brings my point to home... the 17'CC triton test with 90's on it... that suzuki was 2nd or 3rd in top speed but due to a prop size limitation it was printed as the slowest combination when in truth it wasnt.. but it was hidden in the print rather than posted in the graphs... rather annoying....thats all

[Luke Tucker]

i know these boats run faster than most of us can make them run but do any of ya'll think you can post the numbers in the cars they test in MOTOR TREND AUTO WEEK ETC as for the merc running better and everyone wanting rudes to get there motor tweaked :eek: REMEMBER MERC WILL BE TWEAKING ALSO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

[Reese]

This may be a little off topic, but does anyone know what the difference between the 225 pro xs and 2.5 xs....they seem to have the exact electrical and induction system but one can rev to 6,800 but only has a two star rating compared to the pro's three star????

Also, how hard is it for Etec to up that rpm to 6,500???

[Instigator]

Did every one read his post??
Very "enlightening" I'd say.
Does that mean it would have been a dead heat if run "out of box" and not with "ringer" motors??

[C-Webb]

This may be a little off topic, but does anyone know what the difference between the 225 pro xs and 2.5 xs....they seem to have the exact electrical and induction system but one can rev to 6,800 but only has a two star rating compared to the pro's three star????

Also, how hard is it for Etec to up that rpm to 6,500???

225 Pro XS is a 3.0L engine, that's the biggest difference... It also has three star rating when running on 87 octane fuel, for higher grades :confused:

[150aintenuff]

the 2.5 XS is basically a tuned and tweeked 200XS optimax to 225 hp on a 3.0L frame.. the 225 proXS is a hopped up 225 optimax of standard production design parameters. ( 3.0L)

[Markus]

There is a slight problem with raising the recommended RPM:

The way outboard engines are rated, the power is measured in the middle of the recommended rpm band. Engines above 100 hp are allowed a 5% variation around that measured power. An example: A 225 hp engine has recommended rpm band of 4800-5800. Power is measured at 5300 rpm and is allowed to be 236.25 hp

However, most engines deliver their maximum power above the middle of the rpm band. The engine in our example might deliver a maximum of 255 hp at 6100 rpm, but still be sold as a 225 hp engine.

However, if the recommended rpm band were widened to top out at 6200 rpm, max hp would have to be measured at 5500 rpm, and the engine might not be allowed to be sold as a 225 hp any more, since it might deliver more than 236.25 hp at 5500 rpm.

The alternative would be to widen the recommended rpm range downwards to 4400 rpm to keep the middle of the range at 5300. However, 4400 rpm might be a too low max rpm if the engine is to last.

Therefore, one cannot just ask Yamaha to widen the recommended WOT rpm range, since they might have to detune the engine to still be able to sell it if they were to do it.

[Ted Stryker]

" I think the Bullet was a good choice of hull. This is Scream and Fly after all.
And besides, those engines were too heavy for an Allison. "
Too heavy in what regard...??

[David]

What faster boat than a Bullet could B&W have put those 225's on?

Allison recommends <400 lb engines for the SS2000.

Yamaha list the 225 HPDI at 529 lb. The other motors tested were of similar weights.

I'd like a green V6 but most are pretty heavy. The 200 XS is the lightest so far.

[Ted Stryker]

The SS2000 would in no way imaginable be a fair comparison, it is a Sport/Race boat weighing under 800 lbs. at the very most and would have probably went nearly 20 mph faster... Any Allison BASS boat on the other hand would have handled the weight with a yawn in the worst of conditions... With that said, those two manufacturers are my favorites... And yes, the Bullet was a great choice...

[David]

Bass and Walleye boats tested a 2003 with a 225 Ficht a few years ago. They (ie John Tiger) reported that it was very hard to drive.

Maybe it was set up wrong, too much setback?
Maybe that motor is too heavy for the 2003?

There is someone on the board with a 300 Promax on an Ally and it apparently works.

For the motors being compared I think the Bullet was the best choice.

If money fell in my lap I would upgrade to an 200XS, as it is lighter than the motors that were compared.

[1BadAction]

If money fell in my lap I would upgrade to an 200XS, as it is lighter than the motors that were compared.

the 200XS would be my choice too... 15" mid available, sporty, 450lbs rigged, 6600 rpm stock, and unlimited potential once someone starts tuning the 555 motorola DFI ecu.

[stan merck]

Well Yamaha finally raised the rpm range where it should have been on all the hpdi V maxes. Its 5000 to 6000 rpm, right where everybody ran them anyway. Maybe now we dont have to read some side bar in Bass and Walleyes shootouts to find out how fast the Yamahas really ran.

[wesdoolittle]

I agree that the merc was faster, but ,and there is always a but, the merc is purchased thru mercury racing, they even have there ouw place in the EPC when looking up parts. Now If you compair the to engines you would have to have the e-tec and the Yamaha built by hand at a racing division part of either facility. or why don,t we just test 150 to 150 standard engines of the production line.

[1BadAction]

I agree that the merc was faster, but ,and there is always a but, the merc is purchased thru mercury racing, they even have there ouw place in the EPC when looking up parts. Now If you compair the to engines you would have to have the e-tec and the Yamaha built by hand at a racing division part of either facility. or why don,t we just test 150 to 150 standard engines of the production line.

Jeeze, not this retard argument again... the merc is a STANDARD PRODUCTION ENGINE!!

[hsbob]

1badaction is right. if i remember right the difference wasn't really that much. buy the motor you want. just remember, where are you going to get service on it.

[blkmtrfan]

Well I was going to pipe in with proof form the merc website about it being a production motor, but since they took the 2.5XS off the racing list they moved the 225 Sport xs into the racing department :confused: :confused:

http://www.mercurymarine.com/optimax_225_sport_xs

jimmyb can you give us a heads up on what is going on or is it all top secret until Feb. 06

[1BadAction]

the sport XS can be bought from regular dealers... although, this "merc racing" VS regular merc is horsesh1t anyways. merc is merc is merc. they tested bombs "HO" and yammis "vmax" against a "XS" what do you think is fair? a regular merc against the bmc HO motor? :rolleyes:- frigging crybabies.

[blkmtrfan]

I totally agree, merc racing is merc, who cares where they build it as long as you can get the same thing form the local dealer.

However, I do find their marketing intersting sometimes :confused:

[jimmyb]

the sport XS is being sold thru racing because of the sportmaster and solid mounts.

The powerheads, calibration, midsection, etc is the same between the sportXS and pro XS. The sport XS simply has solid mounts, sportmaster gearcase, and a little different decal package (that says sport XS instead of pro XS).

[blkmtrfan]

Thanks for the clarification jimmyb :cool:

[wesdoolittle]

sorry, It,s not . Now If you think so I can,t do anything about that but I have rebuilt hundreds of outboards and there is nothing standard about the pro max series. and just to let you know about the fuel economy of a e-tec anything over 5800 rpms the computer starts protecting the engine with extra fuel and oil. that is strait from engineering. take the bullet 22ft bass boat and a 225ho e-tec a 30 pitch raker and see what you get. fast and fuel efficient oh and by the way e-tec uses alot less oil. every time you punch down on a merc it will flood the motor with oil. If you don,t believe this that,s ok i,ve only worked on the engines for 28 years

[1BadAction]

there is nothing standard about the pro max series.

the motor isnt a promax... in 28 years of working on motors you should have been able to figure that out. :rolleyes:

[wesdoolittle]

excuse me I made a mistake xs pro max xb la la la la lala is all the same. but thanks

[Skittles]

sorry, It,s not . Now If you think so I can,t do anything about that but I have rebuilt hundreds of outboards and there is nothing standard about the pro max series. and just to let you know about the fuel economy of a e-tec anything over 5800 rpms the computer starts protecting the engine with extra fuel and oil. that is strait from engineering. take the bullet 22ft bass boat and a 225ho e-tec a 30 pitch raker and see what you get. fast and fuel efficient oh and by the way e-tec uses alot less oil. every time you punch down on a merc it will flood the motor with oil. If you don,t believe this that,s ok i,ve only worked on the engines for 28 years


28 years of engine building....(considering you are a Johhnyrude fan I am sure you have built your fair share in 28 years:eek: ).........................and that is the best Bullchit excuse for losing to Mercury that you could come up with.............................damn at least play the unfair gearcase card like the rest of them:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :eek: :p.....................

[1BadAction]

Lolololol

[wesdoolittle]

Just to let you know that I Have been certified Mercury technition most of these years. The optimax engine is probablly the biggest reason that I just built my pool this year. As a tech I can go where the money is and I will tell you that I rebuild more mercs than evinrudes even back in the oldern days . So you can say all you want about either engine this person is not bias at all. I have a 25 merc a 70 evinrude a90 honda a 150 merc and a 150 60 degree johnson. as of this year if merc does not do something with there reliability on there optis they are headed for the same road as omc. ps DO NOT BUY A VERODO!!!!!!!!!!!! Wes

[1BadAction]

HAR HAR- TROLLL

way to spell Verado, you've worked on hundreds of those also? LOL

[Skittles]

Just to let you know that I Have been certified Mercury technition most of these years. The optimax engine is probablly the biggest reason that I just built my pool this year. As a tech I can go where the money is and I will tell you that I rebuild more mercs than evinrudes even back in the oldern days . So you can say all you want about either engine this person is not bias at all. I have a 25 merc a 70 evinrude a90 honda a 150 merc and a 150 60 degree johnson. as of this year if merc does not do something with there reliability on there optis they are headed for the same road as omc. ps DO NOT BUY A VERODO!!!!!!!!!!!! Wes

And what is the big problem with the Verado???????? We have sold many verados and have only had problems with a few (as in 3)........all had oil leaks.............thats it, no other problems.


And please tell me what is the cause of all these Mercs blowing up????? In the early days of Opti's alot of them (especially the 2.5L Opti's) were timebombs..........but that was quite a few years back...........and is certainly not the case now............at least where I have worked. So what is so bad about them????

[Lockjaw]

I believe they put a 200 on it, not a 225, and the claim was it was "tail heavy", and I don't think it liked the lightning gear case. Even so, they had a hard time propping it because of the low rev limit on the engine, and the gearing.



Bass and Walleye boats tested a 2003 with a 225 Ficht a few years ago. They (ie John Tiger) reported that it was very hard to drive.

Maybe it was set up wrong, too much setback?
Maybe that motor is too heavy for the 2003?

There is someone on the board with a 300 Promax on an Ally and it apparently works.

For the motors being compared I think the Bullet was the best choice.

If money fell in my lap I would upgrade to an 200XS, as it is lighter than the motors that were compared.

[E-tec1]

we have a 250 ficht on an hst. this boat never had chinewalk. after gearcase work and checking the set up here's what I think happenes. these boats need full engine power at these speeds. when the boat is carying and the limiter starts to come in it falls and then lifts, this is what is hapening. If you keep the rpm at 6000 and let the boat level out, it doesnt do it. Any other opinions. we had a ficht with no limiter and this didn't happen.

[wesdoolittle]

If you had gearcase work, the answer is in what you just did. If you can reach the rev limiter, you must prop the engine where it won,t. that will tell you if the rev limiter is causing the chinewalk. If that does not work you can check the lower unit if it is installed strait. evinrudes and johnsons will let the lower unit be offset just a little or twisted. at these speeds a little is all it takes.

[Ing]

Came accross this link as a followup to the orignal shootout

http://www.bassandwalleyeboats.com/output.cfm?id=979759

My new Sutphen 210 will be powered by the 225 Pro XS with the solid mount kit. :D