E-Tec engine reliability?

[tidechaser 1]

i have had a couple of older evinrude motors..both had serious issues and one i rebuilt and it only lasted a couple of years.
i have a suzuki dt-55 that has been good for many years but now has an overheat issue etc..8 months of struggle and now time for a new used motor.
so..the hype i have read makes it seem like a newer 60 hp. E-Tec would be a good choice for reliability..especially considering they say the motors are less apt to get clogged up and overheat.
i spend lots of time in shallow water and mud is likely at some point.
i saw one on e bay for 5900..used..ouch. another demo one with no controls and no prop for 6400 with 4 hours.
they said controls and prop would be over 1000..ouch again.
any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AlTn]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

have you tried the etecownersgroup.com site?....just looking at parts prices, when something goes wrong it's gonna be pricey...

 

[Chris1956]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

e-TEC motors do not differ much in the cooling system from the motor you are running now. If the current motor sucks in sand/much, the e-TEC will also. I for one, would much rather cook a cheap motor than an expensive one. I do not think e-TEC is the answer you are looking for...maybe an airboat?

 

[Borchik]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

The only big issue the E-Tecs in that size range have had are injectors. The ethanol fuel is eating the tips off the injectors. The fix is to add a little bit of oil to your gas, and thats straight from a factory service rep. I know people that have had problems with injectors and started adding the oil after and have had no issues.

 

[TN-25]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

I would love a new E-Tec Evinrude, but the price of admission is pretty high. It also sounds like your operating conditions are tough on any engine, as aluded to by a previous poster.

How many horses do you require? If a torquey 40 will do, try getting an old 40-horse Big Twin, circa 1971 – 1976, or the later Commercial version offered through about 1983. They are simple, powerful, easy to work on, inexpensive, have a cheap parts pool to draw from, are easy to rig, have no thermostat to foul up… For salt & silt-laden water, you really need to seriously consider a H.D. chrome-plated brass water pump for whatever motor you end up running. It might cost an additional $50 or so for the housing, but it sounds like exactly what you need for cooling system durability (and hence, motor durability). I just bought a H.D. chrome waterpump for my 1967 9? Johnson, not that I need it, but I heard they are becoming rare for that motor. My motors won’t ever see salt water use, but the odd run up a chocolatey river is not out of the question.

If you have problems with corrosion, consider a sacrificial zinc anode / cathode system.

 

[James R]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

If the compressions are good spend a little money and love on your Suzuki. A better motor has not been built in my opinion and certainly a better idea than spending a whole lot of money.

 

[tidechaser 1]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

If the compressions are good spend a little money and love on your Suzuki. A better motor has not been built in my opinion and certainly a better idea than spending a whole lot of money.

i am taking this to heart..and all the other input.
i have spent 8 months doing work on this danged motor..cold the compression is 110-115..i need to run it and check it tomorrow.
it seems to have a couple of issues besides the tilt trim motor not going up consistantly. an outboard mechanic with 30 years experience has looked at it several times..and not got it right so i should find a suzuki mechanic who really knows this motor.
i am guessing it will have to be torn apart to fix the overheating issue and the tilt and trim motor etc. would likely run me 2000 or so.
considering i cant find a middle carb. for this 1996 motor i am wondering if i will have trouble finding parts in a couple years if i rebuild it..sigh.

 

[tidechaser 1]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

I would love a new E-Tec Evinrude, but the price of admission is pretty high. It also sounds like your operating conditions are tough on any engine, as aluded to by a previous poster.

How many horses do you require? If a torquey 40 will do, try getting an old 40-horse Big Twin, circa 1971 – 1976, or the later Commercial version offered through about 1983. They are simple, powerful, easy to work on, inexpensive, have a cheap parts pool to draw from, are easy to rig, have no thermostat to foul up… For salt & silt-laden water, you really need to seriously consider a H.D. chrome-plated brass water pump for whatever motor you end up running. It might cost an additional $50 or so for the housing, but it sounds like exactly what you need for cooling system durability (and hence, motor durability). I just bought a H.D. chrome waterpump for my 1967 9? Johnson, not that I need it, but I heard they are becoming rare for that motor. My motors won’t ever see salt water use, but the odd run up a chocolatey river is not out of the question.

If you have problems with corrosion, consider a sacrificial zinc anode / cathode system.

i always have a zinc on my motors.. and yes..the conditions in shallow muddy salt water can be an issue..but i dont think that has been an issue with this motor..i still think old impeller pieces are up high in the motor..i just dont know if there is any way to get them out besides tearing the entire block apart..we tried flushing a couple of different ways.

 

[tidechaser 1]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

The only big issue the E-Tecs in that size range have had are injectors. The ethanol fuel is eating the tips off the injectors. The fix is to add a little bit of oil to your gas, and thats straight from a factory service rep. I know people that have had problems with injectors and started adding the oil after and have had no issues.

interesting..thanks for the tip..on the tips. lol.

 

[tidechaser 1]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

e-TEC motors do not differ much in the cooling system from the motor you are running now. If the current motor sucks in sand/much, the e-TEC will also. I for one, would much rather cook a cheap motor than an expensive one. I do not think e-TEC is the answer you are looking for...maybe an airboat?

evinrude says they have a self flushing system..what ever that means.
i was hoping they would have made the waterjackets in such a way as to allow mud etc. to get out more easily..but maybe not?

 

[torbjorn]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

E-Tec is the best choice, a Mercury Optimax is also a very good choice. Evinrudes are very reliable, require
no service for 3 yrs. and come with a good guarantee. Check out the price of a carb
kit and oil change for a Japanese 4 stroke motor before you go that route.

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

I way prefer the Carb style motors. EFI outboards have proven to be very problematic and the parts are %300-500 higher with many more pricey parts than the good ole carb motors. You also will almost have to take it to a dealer/qualified outboard mechanic unless you have a computer program and cable to hook the new motor up to your lap top, then you will also need a lot of learning on how to read the diagnostic info. So I will just stick with carbs, which I can fix for a relatively low cost when something goes wrong. I have gotten many years of reliable service out of my carb motors, I have gone through many boats and motors as I have fixed them up and sold them and helped many friends maintain theirs also. stay away from suzuki..get a merc, omc, or yammy.
In your original post you mentioned having serious problems with older motors, it is most likely that you either mistreated the engines or did not properly maintain them. There are a lot of older outboards out there still going strong that will probably be around for another 20-30 years if taken care of.
search the pages of this and other forums to get an idea of what all can go wrong with these newer motors, then take a look at a parts schematic and prices.
If you have no real mechanical desire then you need to find a real good mechanic no matter which way you choose to go. And they can be hard to find, I could not which is how I started fixing outboards to begin with, the level of absolute incompetence in the outboard repair industry is appalling.

 

[tidechaser 1]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

the older motors where johnson evinrudes..and likely just worn out or not rebuilt correctly by the shop.
my suzuki has been good for many years but finally is giving me trouble..some love the motors and would buy nothing else..but now i am looking elsewhere.
i have worked on fuel injected harley motors and have a computer program for race tuning..but i admit i am not very good at it yet..i dont have access to a dyno so i tend to run to rich.
i am not an expert outboard mechanic..just a backyard mechanic with lots of other experience.
i cant find a really good mechanic in the san francisco bay area yet.. still looking..any input there would be great.
thanks.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: E-Tec engine reliability?

To determine if there is an issue with any engine, just google "xxxxx yyy outboard reliability" where xxxx is the Manufacturer and yyy is the HP/Model of the engine. Or, scan the appropriate area of the iBoats Outboard forum. If there is a serious problem the forum would be full of questions. You are in the Evinrude/Johnson forum. Do a search on Etec. You won't find many issues.