Motor Life

[jboutfishn]

Currently running an Optimax 115.  How many hours can I expect this motor to last?

 

Thanks in advance for any information.

[slonezp]

So let me begin with How many hours will you operate it a year? Will it be maintained properly? Will the hours be used for running balls out? Will the hours be used for running at idle? Do the hours really matter? Are you really asking how long will the motor last? There are motors that last thousands of hours and others that will blow up at the first turn of the key. I have a 50 year old Evinrude that still runs like it would have 50 years ago and a 4 year old Pro XS that I am meticulous about maintaining because it would be awful expensive to replace it. Guess what I'm saying is take care of your stuff and it will take care of you

[S. Sass]

I noticed no year or any of the inherent things that might possibly help determine longevity. I have a 2000 115 Johnson and it still runs fine. I have no clue how it was treated with the exception of the last 3 years. So it is possible something was done to it that may shorten its normal life but who knows. It runs great and hasn't shown any signs of problems but it is 17 years old, it "could" throw a rod today or run till I die. All I can do is do good maintance on it and based on this particular model it "should" continue to run for as long as I am on this planet. 

[jboutfishn]

Sorry for leaving out some pertinent information. It is a 2010. It averages 3 days a week on the water. I seldom run it over 4600 RPM. It is run on Lake Shasta so it may make some long runs at 40mph.

 

Just trying to get a handle on hours I can look for.

[Way2slow]

Several variables involved. 

1.  The luck of the draw.  All manufactures have lemons or problem childs. You have to hope yours is not one of those.  Plus, when maintenance needs to be done, not all mechanics are really qualified to do them, even if they do work for a dealer.  Some are just plain dumber than dirt but finally fix stuff by replacing parts until the happen to find the bad one.  Then you have to hope what they did in the process, doesn't fall apart later due to poor workmanship.  It would give me cold chills to think I had to take anything of mine, boat, car, appliance, it does matter, to someone else to work on it. 

2. The quality of oil and gas you run in it.   Don't think if you run premium gas you are doing a good thing.  Most cheap, discounts gas is junk, no mater what grade and it can damage a motor running a higher octane than the manufacture recommends.  Run top tier gas in the octane recommended and a quality oil.  Regardless of what some think, all TCW-3 oils are not equal.

3.  How well you maintain your motor, doing the manufactures recommended maintenance.  If you are one of those that just gases and goes until it won't go, then do just what it takes to make it go again, don't expect the life out of it someone gets that keeps it maintained.

[Jig Man]

I ran a 225 Opti for 14 years.  I did meticulous maintenance like changing lower unit lube 2x yearly, dumping water separating fuel filter at 6 months and changing in yearly.  Keeping necessary parts greased.  Changing impellor at least every 3 years and completely checked over by my comes by tech yearly.  When I traded it off last summer it was still going strong.