E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

A while back there was a lengthy discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of the new E-TEC outboards compared to fourstrokes. I looked back a ways but was unable to find the postings. If anyone has some insight into this subject the feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have pretty much decided on the size outboard I will use on my 20 SF but have not decided on the make.

Thanks
Michael

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

First let me tell you I do not own an E-Tec..
I have several friends that do own E-Tec’s and really like them. They include 75hp, 200hp and 250hp.

One thing to consider about the E-Tec’s is the oil they recommend you run is pretty expensive. It is not regular TCW-III it is some sort of synthetic BMC proprietary oil.. About $36.00/gal.
If you plan on running the E-Tec on regular TCW-III (from what I understand) the dealer has to program the ECM for TCW-III and that cut's down on the efficiency.

They burn much less oil than regular 2 strokes. It just cost quite a bit more for the E-Tec oil.

E-Tek owners please correct me if I am wrong..

Jack

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Michael
I just purchased a 200hp E-tec. First of all the XD100 oil I paid $25.00 a gallon. If you use the XD50 it uses 40% more oil than the XD100. The engine is super quiet, very echonomical, and at WOT I can talk on my boat at normal tone of voice.
I also ran E-tec on Blackfin boats, with twins. In the 200hp and 225hp. Boats were 25 and 32 footers. Both did very well maximum speed on the 25 was 57mph, and the 32 hit 62.
Good luck in your decission.
Al

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Bluewater,
A 32' Blackfin hit 62mph with a pair of 200s/225s? Is this the same Blackfin of the 80s/early 90s, or something different?

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

It is the same mold, purchased by a company in south Florida. They now call it Blackfin.
Al

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

To save money on oil, buy it from a place that buys the oil by the drum. It will be cheaper than buying individual gallons. All you have to do if bring a small gas can to them and they'll fill it up for you.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Thanks for the info guys. This should help me make a descsion

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

You can't run regular oil - period, DI motors oil differently and crankcase temps are higher. A close friend replaced a Merc 150 with a new '03 DI 200 (close to an Etec) almost threw out the back on the water test, after he was warned LOL, but he says its amazing the difference. The guy has 2 more of the same motors a 225 and 250 in the box 7 tr warrenty

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

go over to www.thehulltruth.com and do some reading on the e-tec. I was interested in them and theres a few not so happy customers with them to my suprise. I love my 140 Suzi but I wanted to keep an eye on the e-tecs for next time.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Dont know whats being said over on that site ... But this months PowerBoat reports has some very interesting test data that involved six 150 hp motors (four- four strokes and two - two strokes) Including The Honda, Suzuki, Verado, Yamaha ... Plus the E-tec and the Optimax. Dont think it was E-tecs day

A 32 blackfin @ 60 + mph ??? The 14 or 15,000 lbs Blackfin boat with 12 foot beam?...got to be a different boat. The boat almost draws 3 feet of water !!!

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Scott.. yeah its true.. The 25 and the 32 are being built by Salt Shaker. I was talking with Jon Maggio (Joe's son ,who owns SS) and he said the same things. Take out the motors and struts and change the lay up with new hi-tech stuff and she pushes real easy.. I haven seen one with E-tecs just Yammie's.. here the link to the web site http://www.saltshakerboats.com/home.html
Some real nice shots of the 32. THey made it look like the 27 that was built in the 90's that was a walk around

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

I have been running twin 250 hp etecs on a 32 weelcraft for 1 yr and 2 months. We ran it hard right out of the box fishing the FLW kingfish tour. Have over 450 hrs on them and only thing done so far were one set of plugs and lower unit oil at the 320 hrs.

As far as other people having problems I think you will always have mechanical products that break. All brands have some issues. But i think most of the Etec issues can be attributed to mechanic or dealer error.

These engines need to be set up by mechanics who really know the product. I have a friend who bought a new Sea Vee with twin Etecs. After running them for a bit and having problems. He kept taking it to a dealer that said thay couldn't find anything wrong. He was telling everyone that maybe the Etecs were the wrong choice. Soon after he took it to a diferent dealer, the mechanic there knows the insides and outs of the Etecs and problem was diagnosed and fix. Now he hasn't had any more problems and loves the motors saying they do what they were hyped to do. It all begins with the set-up procedure.

Sorry for the lengthy post.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

First off I don't own an E-Tec but will certainly consider one. One the the biggest advantages to an e-tec over a four stroke is repowering an older boat. Many new boats today were designed for four stroke power, but not older boats. The extra weight of four strokes can change the ride characteristics in many boats as well as put the scuppers too low in the water.

One example is the 26 Regulator pre-2002. The brackets weren't made to hold 4 strokes and to intall 4 strokes properly the old bracket needs to be replaced with the new model version. Another example on a smaller boat would be the 22 Edgewater notched transom,they wouldn't hold the weight of the 225 Yamama or Honda(they were the first big 4 strokes to come out) without the scuppers going under water. Edgewater re-designed the boat to hold the heavier motors.

Both the E-Tec and 4 stroke have their pluses and minuses, you need to decide which factors are important to you. Etec's you have to buy and add oil, but you don't have to do oil changes, or have as much dealer scheduled maintenence.

Now for the Blackfins, the original 32 with 300 HP Detroits weighs 18,000 pounds dry and cruises at 20-23 knots. Put in 370 Cummins and the cruise moves up to 24-27 knots. Add 420 Yanmars and the cruise stays about the same as the Cummins, she just doesn't want to cruise more than that. Changing to outboards will shed A-LOT of weight, no shaft angle/drag etc.... but 62 MPH with twin 250's is very very hard to believe. a 31 Fountain CC with 225 Opti's will only do 60-62MPH that's with a pad transom and half the weight of the Blackfin.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Thanks for all of the great information. It sounds like it is a matter of weighing out all of the options. Now let me throw a little curve in here. In 1999 OMC introduced the infamous FITCH engines. From what I understand the fuel delivery system was cutting edge but the computers were crap causing lots of problems and a bad name for OMC. In 2001 OMC reintroduced the system as the RAM FITCH. Pretty much the same delivery system but with new computer software or whatever? What this means for some of us bargin hunters out there is that because of the trouble with the first series of FITCHs the resale value on these motors is fairly low compared to a Yamaha or a Mercury. My question is are these later model RAM FITCHs worth looking at or did they have the same problems as the originals?

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

You can get the olders fichts "new" on ebay cheap! no one wants to take a chance on getting one of the bad ones. The rule on those was if you got over 100hrs on it you were all set, if not it blew up and you had a chance of getting a "good" powerhead. What is the weight differance between between the two? if I remember the 150 e tec is close to suzi 140? Its the carbed engines that are nice and light.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

The new ficht motors are excellent and have a good reputation of bein reliable, I would look at 2002 or newer. Your right the main issue in many of the newer technology 2 strokes has been with the computer. The Optimax, or Optibomb as they were once called are now very good motors as well. The nice thing is you almost can't go wrong with any of the new motors out today!

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

Couple points here as I was in a similar situation a couple years ago....

I repowered my 1983 SeaCraft with a 2003 Evinrude 225 by Bombardier. I paid particular attention to the weight of the engine, the Yammie and Honda 4 bangers had way more weight than I was comfortable hanging on the back of an old SeaCraft.

That's #1, Number 2, be sure if you decide to buy an older Evinrude Ficht, that it is built under the Bombardier ownership. From my understanding there were a lot of things at the factory that were way out of tolerance builting engines that were way out of tolerance. They went through everything and now are building a fine engine. I have 500 hours on mine and it's treated me right.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

As a note to you repower guys, my guy has 2 of these in the box which he locked the 7yr warrenty on a 225 and a 250 and they are much cheaper than the ETEC's but very close on technoligy and excellent motors.

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

just put 250 4 stroke on new wood transom does not handle differnt ,escept it put your eyeballs back in head.23 septer

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

greetings this i can tell you if you just want power out of the whole e-tec -- if you want fuel savings e-tec, if you want a engine thats all around e-tec the bottom line is the new etes really does it all,

Re: E-TEC vs Four Stroke
 

i have a friend building one of these hulls i we speak, the company is just starting to build these hulls, my friend is down there pretty much every day.