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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Just had a dealership scope my motor. It's a '99 Optimax 200 and has 337 hours.
What's a low average number of hours per year for an outboard ???
I am not a troller. All hours have been expended moving from spot-to-spot. Trolling with an Optimax requires one to wear a gas mask ...
Thanks for the feedback.
Edited by cjrich 10/27/2010 2:25 PM
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Posts: 572
Location: Germantown, WI | Tough question as i think i asked it myself on this board a # of years back? I bet you will receive a lot of different answers and it all depends on what kind of water boat is on( lake size), if they do a lot of trolling, etc.
For me, i would say about 35 hours/ year is average for someone who takes maybe 1-2 longer week long fishing trips / year and fishes every other weekend. |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | That's pretty low hours for an 11 year old motor. It also depends on what RPM's those hours are. I've used my opti for trolling and have over 600 on an 04. About 80% of those hours are less then 1000rpms. Since it's an opti you should be able to get a report as to the hour breakdown of the engine very easily at most any competent shop. |
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Posts: 1663
Location: Kodiak, AK | As was said, "average" hours will vary greatly depending on body of water and frequency fished. Last year I put on 150 hrs, and I'm already up to that this year with two months left. But that's fishing LSC 3-5 days a week. This question gets asked alot on BBC and has been asked here before as well. I think if I had to give an average amongst all fishermen, I'd say 75-100 hrs would be average for a serious fisherman who fishes more than weekends.
But like Treats says, that's very low hours that you have for that motor. |
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Posts: 512
| I have a stupid question..
How do you know how many hours are on a motor?
I dont have any gauges for it..
Dave |
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | The motor gets hooked up to a computer where a Mercury Certified Tech will be able to download all the info from the engine. |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | My smart gauge says I have 1,656 hours on a 2002. I don't troll with my big engine, so around 207 high RPM hours/year. One new short block, and one rebuild, plus lots of other parts replaced. 225 Opti.
I've replaced the compressor, the alternator, the reed valves (three times), the fuel rail, new gears in the lower unit, spark plugs eight times (once a year, 25.00/each X six/year), power trim motor twice, spun the hub three times on my prop, the alternator belt (they never fail according to Mercury), the oil pump, the oil tank, the oil sensor, and I suppose a few more things that I can't remember. There's a little something wrong right now, as the motor doesn't rev up when I hit the throttle, and sort of hesitates for a while before it takes off. Nothing that money won't fix.
Still I think I'll go with another Opti, this was better than other motors I had.
Too many hours on a big lake.
Doug Johnson
Edited by dougj 10/31/2010 6:34 PM
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| Can hours be checked on all model years. I have a '94 and would like to get it checked. |
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Posts: 1536
Location: God's Country......USA..... Western Wisconsin | Doug, same problem with my 225 Opti, sounds like the Throttle position sensor. Your so correct money can do wonders. Let me know if you need some parts. I just bought a scraped 225 Opti. Its a '99 but some of the stuff may work. It has good fuel rails and coil packs etc. I am using the ecm, the mid section, the compressor, the throttle position sensor and one head for my motor. Allready sold the lower unit for $300.00 more than I paid for the whole motor. Just was very lucky to find excactly the motor parts I needed. Mike |
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Posts: 906
Location: Warroad, Mn | Mike:
We're guessing throttle position sensor also. We did a resistance check and it looked pretty good, but it would sort of flutter when we started. Seems slowly be getting worse, but might be the cooler temps. I could feel this even this summer, but no one else in the boat could. Know anywhere I can get one for cheap?
Put used fuel rails on mine this summer, seem to work fine.
Doug Johnson
Edited by dougj 11/2/2010 5:43 PM
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | "Nothing that money won't fix." Now that's a true muskie fisherman! It's all relative and ultimately about the fish. It's like fishing with your grandkids or your buddy. Sorry guy, a man has to have priorities!
Have fun!
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 11/2/2010 7:16 PM
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | I asked my dealer to put my engine on the scope. Here is the scope's breakdown of the engine hours on my 1999 Optimax 200. I purchased the boat last spring.
The total is 337 hours:
RPM's
0-1000 178 hrs
1000-1500 13 hrs
1500-3000 15 hrs
3000-4000 58 hrs
4000-5000 26 hrs
5000-6000 10 hrs
I fish the boat weekends, so it appears that the hours are pretty low considering the age of the engine.
Edited by cjrich 11/5/2010 1:58 PM
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