FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

[enginesilo]

Can someone explain how to tell if an engine is a FICHT? I am shopping a boat that is a 2000 and has a Johnson 115 on the back. The engine is not the newer rounded style engine, but instead is a grey color with vents at the top and is a bit boxier.

From what I've read the company must have slacked and used questionable parts or something and that made it even worse? Was FICHT in both Evinrude's and Johnson's? Did this FICHT problem affect the V-4 115hp engine?

How can I tell if this is the less than popular FICHT engine if I don't have the serial numbers or anything yet? Was the FICHT system in the 2000 by default, or only a few of them? How can I tell the difference?

 

[kjdunne]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

FICHT is a fuel injection system, no carbs. If this motor has carbs, you are OK. As I understand it, the FICHT technology wasn't fully refined before being put on the market and made for troublesome engines. Major contributor to OMC's financial problems and BRP's aquisition of the company. Many dealers will not work on FICHT motors except for routine maintenance stuff.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

Thanks for those tips, that makes a lot of sense.

I haven't looked at an OB for a good 10 years so once it is in front of me I guess i'll be able to tell if it is a carbed engine or fuel injected. Any easy ways to figure this out right off the bat?

another board member and I have been PM'ing and he shared some great info on this topic. A question is that he said that Johnson's were discontinued and Evinrude's lived on. With that in mind, are Johnson parts much harder to find because of that? Should I not be considering a Johnson since it may be harder to find parts? Or is it a compatible engine and parts will ideally still be available in the years to come? Any tips on that appreciated.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

johnson were not discontinued until the end of 2007 model. they are still going to be supported by BRP, and 4 strokes by Suzuki, as they are Suzuki motors, in a Johnson dress.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

Glad to hear they are going to be supported.

Was FICHT an option, or a default on the Johnson engine's? The engine I am shopping is a 2000 115 Johnson. From the pictures of the engine it doesn't say Fuel Injected or Ficht on it, and I know that manufacturers used to love to tout fuel injection or fancy systems like this on engine's with graphics.

Think this 2000 Johnson is a FICHT engine? Was Ficht only Evinrude, or on Johnson's as well? Anyone know how to tell, or have pics of a FICHT in 2000? Here is a picture of an Evinrude Fitch 2000:
http://smalloutboards.com/e11590s.htm

Should

 

[wilde1j]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

As above CARBS=NOT FICHT.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

Think they would have said FICHT on the Johnson like they did on that Evinrude in that picture? That evinrude is the rounded design while the one I am looking at is a bit more boxy.

Guess all I can do is call the guy in the am and ask, or just drive up and figure it out. I have a good feeling it is a carbed motor but that is only a hope

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

the F in the model number denotes the ficht.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

the F in the model number denotes the ficht.

Perfect, so if no F, I should be good. By the time I get this info I will probably already be looking at it so i'll be able to see if it had a mess of wires or carbs

 

[noelm]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

OK, lets get this straight first off, there was NEVER any problems with any V4 Ficht Engine (90 and 115HP) regardless of year or anything else, there were some issues with a couple of models in the V6 range, so do not be scared of buying a used V4, just the usual checks, and a Dealer that knows what they are doing will see those Engines go for many years.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

OK, lets get this straight first off, there was NEVER any problems with any V4 Ficht Engine (90 and 115HP) regardless of year or anything else, there were some issues with a couple of models in the V6 range, so do not be scared of buying a used V4, just the usual checks, and a Dealer that knows what they are doing will see those Engines go for many years.

That is good to know then. Seems like the FICHT has a bad rap all around. To understand a little better, did both Evinrude AND Johnson offer FICHT? Were Johnson's offered as carbed 2 stroke's, or FICHT?

 

[noelm]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

not 100% sure on that one, I THINK and I could well be very wrong here, that Evinrudes were Fichts, but there may have been Johnsons as well, you would need to do a google search or one of the resident gurus here to confirm, but it is very easy to see, as mentioned, Ficht has no carbies, and most I think had it on the Decals on the Cowling as well, a 2000 115 would be a "Ram Ficht" I would be thinking.

 

[noelm]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

OH and your right about the bad rap, you only need to mention the word Ficht and all the experts crawl out of the woodwork to voice their uninformed opinion, gets nearly as much "airplay" as the Etec V the 4 stroke topics.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

Thans noelm.
I am going to check out this boat and engine tomorrow so i'll be sure to report back if it turns out to be a FICHT. Now you guys have me questioning if I should buy if it is in fact a FICHT. My gut is telling me it is going to be a carb since it doesn't say it on the outside, but I guess we'll find out.

Any other pro's know more about the whole FICHT, and Johnson in the year 2000?

 

[noelm]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

just remember to get it checked out properly and you will be OK, if you are uncertain, then get someone who is, it can be disheartening to buy a dud and have to spend Dollars later, just because it was not fully checked before hand, do not take anything the seller tells you as the truth, unless there is proper receipts to back up any claims, if it is a Ficht, and it has been regularly serviced, run on XD50 Oil all it's life, then it will be a good Motor.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

just remember to get it checked out properly and you will be OK, if you are uncertain, then get someone who is, it can be disheartening to buy a dud and have to spend Dollars later, just because it was not fully checked before hand, do not take anything the seller tells you as the truth, unless there is proper receipts to back up any claims, if it is a Ficht, and it has been regularly serviced, run on XD50 Oil all it's life, then it will be a good Motor.

I am hoping to go there on my own tomorrow and give it a run though. I haven't been around OB's for a while, but I know them enough to find my way around a bit. Based on what I see I might consider trying to find a local marina to survey the engine.

What is the going rate these days to survey an Outboard engine? Any guesstimates?

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

UPDATE
I spoke to the owner this morning and he said it is Fuel Injected. So does that definitely make it a FICHT engine being a 2000 and injected?

Honest opinion from all, is this a buggy engine if the fixes have not been done? I don't want to have to worry about the boat already needing work the day I get it.

Does this apply to the 2000 115HP Johnson also? Or was this engine a solid build and did not have the same problems?

I am going to look at this boat in a few hours so any last minute feedback will be helpful.

Should I stay away from this engine, or is it a solid runner and it dodged the FICHT problems?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

i went here and looked at all the 2000 115 Johnsons, they all appear to be carbed. look at the carb detail page http://shop2.evinrude.com/ext/index.aspx?s1=bf6ad09c53cead335fcfd8a6471c0f7f

some owners just don't know what they have.

 

[enginesilo]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

i went here and looked at all the 2000 115 Johnsons, they all appear to be carbed. look at the carb detail page http://shop2.evinrude.com/ext/index.aspx?s1=bf6ad09c53cead335fcfd8a6471c0f7f

some owners just don't know what they have.

Thanks for the input guys, you are helping me decide on a very wacky topic. tash, I looked at that link and navigated to the 2000's, and then the 115. In that list farther down are these models, are these the FICHT since they have an F in the model???

RE115FSSSH FFI, Elec Start, TNT, 20 IN. shaft, wht 2000
RE115FSSSR FFI, Elec Start, TNT, 20 IN. shaft, wht 2000
RE115FXSSH FFI, Elec Start, TNT, 25 IN. shaft 2000
RE115FXSSR FFI, Elec Start, TNT, 25 IN. shaft 2000

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: FICHT? How to tell - Johnson 115hp year 2000

you were looking at the evinrude list, on the first page where it say Evinrude, clik the drop down and clik Johnson.