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| Looking at a ranger 681VS with a 2000 Merc 135 hp Optimax motor. How is this motor? Dependability, fuel economy etc....
Thanks in advance. |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Eric,
Get ahold of Shep from the board he runs a 135 Opti and far as I know is very happy with it. Any direct inject motor (opti, ficht, HPDI) will give you 30-35% fuel savings over carburated and about 15% better than EFI's.
Nice thing about an Opti...you can take it to mechanic and have them plug the motor into their computer and it will tell you how the motor has been run...I.e. Time on engine, maximum RPM, time at those RPM's etc. Well worth the price if your considering a used rig.
Newer 681's have different hull than older models, little better ride, longer rod storage. They're a little short on storage but for most applications will serve you well. If you don't need the livewell, plug the intake and you can use it for extra dry storage.
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | Do your homework before you buy that motor to be sure you are going to be happy with it. You may want go get the serial number and call Mercury direct. Ask them if they have paid for any major warranty work on that motor. I have a 2000 150 opti. The 135 is essentially a detuned 150. You can only run 87 octane pure gas in that motor. If the original owner ran high octane gas or gas that had an additve in it, it _may_ cause problems with the motor in time. There are a very limited number of dealers who really know how to work on that motor. A dealer has to pay Mercury $6,500 to buy the computer that connects with that motor to help them diagnose any problems. If the dealer doesn't see a lot of Opti's they are not going to make a $6,500 investment. My boat has been to a couple dealers that didn't have the computer (DDT) and it was like playing a game of elimination to figure out what was wrong. The NGK plugs in that motor run $12 each. It gets outstanding gas mileage _unless_ you run it WOT all the time. At WOT the EFI and the Opti have similar fuel consumption. The small block (135, 150 and 175) optis appear to be more reliable then the big blocks. However, I spent $1200 on a 3 year extended warranty for mine because I fear the problems people have had with fuel rails on the small blocks. I personally would not buy a opti that did not have at least a year of warranty remaining that is transferable. |
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Posts: 5874
| Got a 2002, and it has run flawlessly since I got it. Great motor! Easy on gas, easier on oil. Fast, too. Easily should push that 681 to 50+ with the right prop.
That said, I have to take issue with a few of Luke's points.
1. "You may want go get the serial number and call Mercury direct. Ask them if they have paid for any major warranty work on that motor." Good advice, but I'd do that with any big motor I was going to get, made by any manufacturer.
2. "The 135 is essentially a detuned 150" I guess that would make a 175 a "Super-tuned" 150? Why make it sould like a negative thing. It's a 135(actually 143) HP motor. It's not a detuned anything.
3. "You can only run 87 octane pure gas in that motor. If the original owner ran high octane gas or gas that had an additve in it, it _may_ cause problems with the motor in time." Hoo-Ha. I've run 87 to 91 octane. With and with out 10% Ethanol additive(Reformulated). All exceptable according to the manual, the dealer, and Merc.
4. "There are a very limited number of dealers who really know how to work on that motor. A dealer has to pay Mercury $6,500 to buy the computer that connects with that motor to help them diagnose any problems. If the dealer doesn't see a lot of Opti's they are not going to make a $6,500 investment." Limited number of dealers? Every major dealer that I know of has both the knowledge and the necessary tools, to service these motors. If you sell Opti's, you must be able to service them. That's Merc's policy. And, why would you go to a dealer who won't make the investment required to train and equip his techs? What are they gonna do in 2006, when you won't be able to buy a carbed motor?
Yup, Merc had some problems with the Big-Block Opti's in 2000. Yup, some had powerhead problems related to oiling and fuel rails. But the 135-175's have been virtually flawless. When you have over 50% market share in spite of dumping, I would guess your gonna have more problems reported. It's not like Yammy, and Rudes don't have any problems with there DFI's, because they have, and do.
I'd get another Opti, without a second thought.
Edited by Shep 8/16/2004 11:43 AM
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Posts: 341
Location: In the slop! | I agree with Shep 100%, every point he makes is right on the money. I have a 2001 135 opti, and would buy another without a thought. This motor has been incredible, the feul econemy compared to the 150 Johnson Faststrike it replaced is nothing short of amazing. |
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| Thanks to everyone for all of the comments. I can sleep better at night now. For the most part it sounds like a heck of a motor that I should be happy with. |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | Shep:
I thought since you took issue I might clarify...
My point about a 150 vs 135 was not to make a negative thing of the 135, rather establish that my motor is very similar to the 135.
You may want to have a chat with a merc tech about using gas other than pure 87 octane. While it may not be documented, several merc techs believe it is an issue. That's enough for me considering the replacement cost of a powerhead.
You would be surprised how few dealers in the Chicago market that sell Opti's actually are good service technicians on that motor. Just becuase merc makes them go to school to sell the motors doesn't mean they are good at servicing that motor. I got to spend 6 weeks off the water last spring waiting for two different opti dealers to diagnose a fuel rail problem. |
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