Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptre
 

My Opti finally let go... about 1500 hours.

Please give me thoughts... I am going to pull the trigger hopefully this week.

1. Suzuki 300
2. Opti 300
3. Suzuki 250
4. Opti 250
5. Honda 225 (I can get this for $14k)

Also considering a bracket, but I have been told by a few folks that this may worsen my ride. Boat rides great now, so I don't want to do that.

Please chime in!

Daniel

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptre
 

I have a 225 2 stroke Yamaha on my 23’ CC and it runs just fine like your 225 Merc. must have done on yours as well. I still have a lot of time left on my Yamaha but if I was going to replace I would just go up to 250 not a 300. I really don’t see any advantages in going up to 300 hp. I would probably do the E Tech. because of it’s weight. I also have the motor on the transom and like it that way, but a lot of guys love it on a bracket and say they ride even better “like a 25 footer” with one. If I were to go with a 300 I would have the bracket because of the extra weight.


FellowShip
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Just for the Grins :D

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

My '73 23' has alum. bracket and 250 Yam. OX66. I'm not sure it's dialed in "just" right but, I would like more HP.....If/When I re-power I will look at singles (to keep the same bracket)...300 Suzi. or e-tec maybe 250...or....go twin 150-200's and have to change bracket. Sure would be nice to drive some that are powered differently...sounds like a raft-up to me!! :D

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

happy with df250 on scepter weight no problem but i put a30 inch transom on her boat seams well balanced and love the quite idle

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

Thanks for the comments. Hopefully I will get a few more. I am really considering the Opti 225/250/300 and the Suzuki 250/300. All of the Opti's will weigh the same - just over 500lbs. The Suzukis will weigh right at 600lbs. I don't think that the extra 100lbs will be a big issue, but, if it was, I guess I could always add the bracket and rehang the motor? Not ideal, but I guess it would work.

For what it is worth, I have stood on the 225 Opti and it does not make a significant change in the water line.

Keep the comments coming! I hope to buy an engine in the next few days!

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

joe - just sent you a pm. any additional details would be much appreciated. thanks for the help.

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

The E-TEC is definitely worth a look; low weight & fuel consumption like the Opti, but MUCH quieter, about same as 4-stroke, but also much less maintenence than the 4S. Everyone I've met that has one has had only good things to say about them. BRP is also sandbagging on the HP rating, at least on some models. The 150 is really about 165, and the 225 is actually a 240!

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

I am extremley happy with my 225 Opti- boat runs like a raped ape!!! Was looking at engines the same way you are and got a deal on the Opti that I could not turn down that included a 5 yr warranty, 30 inch shaft, and DTS controls. All the other engines were around 20k with controls, installation, etc. Engine gets great gas milege and I have never seen a puff of smoke from it. Would buy another Opti in a NY second!!

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptre
 

If (knock on wood) something major was to happen to my Yamaha 250HP OX-66 I am 99% sure I would go with the E-tec.

"Rumor" has it that they are about to release a 275hp or bigger E-tec.. Same weight (block) as the 250 with a few tweaks.. time will tell.

Best of luck.

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

Call Hermco and have him put a twin engine seamark fiberglass bracket on your boat. Buy a suzuki 300HP 30 inch shaft and then you will have the ultimate Seacraft.

Strick

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptre
 

A friend of mine has a 225 Etec. The motor blew up last fall with 460 hrs., it blew up again 2 weeks ago with 60 hrs. on the new power head. Another 200 Etec at the marina blew up with 5 hours on it. To Bombies credit the 225 was back on the water with comletely new power heads- new electronics, injectors, etc. in a week both times it blew. The 200 was replaced with a complete motor, also within a week. The guy with the 225 has had a lot of problems , after numerous trip back to the dealer he was only getting 60 hours out of a set of spark plugs. Etec aren't as perfect as you would be led to believe.

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

E-Tecs around here are getting mixed reviews, as well. But even those who have had problems are very happy with the warranty service they have received. Fast, without nickle-and-diming the customer. BRP has a good handle on that. But E-Tecs DO fail. I have a grand total of 5 friends who own E-Tec motors. 2 of the 5 have experienced catastrophic engine failure.

A friend with a 175 E-Tec on a 20' Pro-Line has had his powerhead blow twice: replaced powerhead once, then got a whole new engine the second time it blew. Less than 50 hours before each failure.

My neighbor down the street bought a new pontoon boat with an E-Tec 75, and the powerhead seized the very first time he used the boat, same day as delivery. The local dealer replaced the entire boat, motor, and trailer the next day. Just swapped the whole thing out.

I have an '06 Merc Opti 90hp that now has 78 hours on it without a hiccup. My '91/'02 Xr4 150 carb model had 1100 hours before being remanufactured for low compression in 2 cylinders (but still running), and has had about 230 hours since.
Call me biased in favor of Mercs.

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

Thanks for all of the great feedback. I am anxious to find out what joema means by the 30" transom. Can anyone elaborate. I doubt that i am going to go w/ a bracket (now) b/c I want to be able to use the boat for the rest of this fishing season.

Would the zuk 250/300 be too heavy w/o a bracket? Anyone have any real world experience??

Help!!

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

I rebuilt the tramson ,raised it 5 inches and closed the motar cutout into 32 wide i think from origanl 48 weight know problem wood transom .got rid of lockers in back to save afew pounds.Ithink itt goes 38 knots 5900 rpm 16 20 3blade prop cavation plate 1inch above keel cruse 4200 30 knots 2.8 mpg best ican tell. no more 2stroke for me i,ll change my oil any day

Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

I've heard the same from more than one ETEC mechanic. There seems to be a number of powerhead failures with these DI motors. Personally I don't think you can beat Suzuki for reliability. Lots of Commercial guys are running these motors . . . to give you a few examples. Roy Zancudo Lodge in Costa Rica runs 24 115hp Suzuki motors . . . This year they are replacing their first set with over 5000 hours of trouble free service.

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"I just purchased a pair of 140hp's I have not taken delivery of them yet. I wanted to see the differance in the fuel consumpton. They use 85% same parts as the 115hp. One thing I can say is suzuki makes the best motor on the market some of our engines have 5000 hours on them. Those are the ones that I am replacing for next season. "
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Also San Francisco Bay & Delta Vessel Assist runs a 115 Suzuki with 2000+ hours of hard towing . . . Again 0 problems.

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Re: Blew Up the 225 Opti - New Power for 23 Sceptr
 

Wew were just out for the first day of scallop season on the Homossassa river and a big boat with a 250 suzuki tore past us I heard more of the water from tehir hull then I did the motor. Even opened up it was quiet. I would go either Honda or Suzuki. I get great performance and decent economy ou tof 225 yamaha fi but I had honda 225's on a whaler that went 5400 hours and still ran great just leaked a little. my 2C.