Boating question - about engines...

[yukoneer]

I just have a question.... many, many times i seen boats that are only about 5-6 years old and already have engine replacements. What's the problem? why can't engines last 10+ years?

one such example is a person selling a 1999 boat that has 2004 engine in the classifieds. But he's only one example. I've seen many others have the same thing. Is it not hard to maintain the life of the motor?

Could the replacement of motor be cheaper than parts alone? i am just trying to figure it out...

 

[Hank49]

They should last a long time in fresh water but the the sea wears them out much quicker. It's like having a car driving on nice roads in fresh, clean air vs bumpy, dusty roads. Much more abrasive action on all the parts. My Merc 115 is a 2001 and it's starting to show corrosion (I use it only in the sea) on some parts and I keep it out of the water, wash it after every use, also flushing the cooling system with fresh water. My friend has a 90 that's a year older and his already corroded through the head from the cooling system and got water in his oil. Aluminum heads don't like salt.
Plus, a lot of engines may still run but need more maintenance. If you use it out on the sea the reliability of a new engine is worth the cost. Breaking down 20 miles out is no joke. Hank

 

[wedivebc]

The numbers the commercial guys use when dealing with gas outboards is 1000hrs for new and 500 hrs between rebuilds. Now I am sure lots are getting more hours than that but on average an engine starts costing more to keep running at that point. Now if you want longevity buy diesel direct drive and you will get 10X that lifespan
Just my humble opinion and 20 years as marine engineer with the navy :06:

 

[RonFrank]

I just have a question.... many, many times i seen boats that are only about 5-6 years old and already have engine replacements. What's the problem? why can't engines last 10+ years?

one such example is a person selling a 1999 boat that has 2004 engine in the classifieds. But he's only one example. I've seen many others have the same thing. Is it not hard to maintain the life of the motor?

Could the replacement of motor be cheaper than parts alone? i am just trying to figure it out...

You have not provided much of anything to base an answer on. R these Outboards, Inboard/Outboard, Deisel what?

If these are outboards, keep in mind that many people upgrade the boats or engines at different times. One may start with a 1999 boat, and a 1999 90HP motor, and then decide to upgrade to a 200hp a few years later, and sell the 90HP. Or an owner may decide that they want a different boat, but the 200HP mecury that cost an arm and leg is still in great shape, so they upgrade the boat, keep the motor, and the old boat get's a new motor.

Parts is parts, and outboard engines are easily changed out for a LOT of reasons, not all of them related to necessity.

My father had a Johnson outboard 90HP engine that was still going strong after 15 years of recreational use mostly in fresh water lakes, but it saw maybe 20 days a year on the sea/bay. Since I can personally testify to running about a zillion gallons of fresh water through it after each use (fresh or salt) and he had it in for annual service, he did take very good care of it.

It ended up on a brand new Arima in 2000, and then he replaced that engine I think in 2003...

good luck..

 

[ScubaJW]

Interesting, my mom bought 1996 small boat with engine. That boat never sees fresh water at all in its life. Only Atlantic ocean. That boat runs like new now. It has been almost 10 years. Of course, my mom took very good care of it.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

If it's a 2 cycle outboard, flushing fresh water through it between uses is particularly important. Fogging the cylinders with oil before long layups is also important as the cylinders can otherwise begin to corrode within a few weeks of inactivity. Regular use is better for the engine than infrequent use with long periods between uses which can lead to significant corrosion problems.

Replacing any sacrificial anodes is also important in reducing corrosion in the lower unit.

I'd also agree many boat owners upgrade boat and motor at separate times as the new motor can be a significant percentage of the cost of a new boat. It often makes sense to trade off the old boat but keep the old motor of it is still relaible and of suitable size and put it on the new boat. Then re-power the boat in 2-5 years when the boat loan is paid off. We have done this in the past with good results.

Ironically the last time we bought a boat we bought a project boat with no motor, rebuilt it over the winter and then installed a new motor in the spring. The boat was great but we had significant problems with the new motor. It was covered under warranty but we still had to be towed in a couple times.

 

[Stryker]

Alot of it depends on the usage.. I drive small boats at work (32' Sea Ark police patrol boat). The outboards are pulled out of the water about every 500-1000 hours for maintainence. Now keep in mind we run them almost 24 hours a day. But we alternate since we have 2 of the big boats. Either way, we have almost 4000 hours on one of them and it runs like the day we first got it. So to answer your question yes engines CAN last much longer if you maintain them well.

 

[scubapro50]

there are a lot of different answers for this question. (1) was the engine sized correctly for the boat ... I have seen a too many small outboards trying to run a big boat. (2) what type and brand of engine are we talking about ... a light outboard will last less time than a big block inboard. (3) how many hours were there on the engines ... the age of the engine is not as important as the number of hours running it had on it. (4) how were the engines maintained .... you would be surprised how many boaters don't take proper care of their motors .... just like your car you must maintain the boat engine with inspections, oil changes, flushes, tune-ups, ect. ....

 

[Stryker]

on the flipside, dont put a dual 300s on a 15' boston whaler (HAHAHA)... one can only imagine if that boat would stay in the water.... (would be a mean ski boat hah)