Here we go. My 2003 fuel injected Suzuki 225 2 stroke (aka LEMON) blew for the second time in less than two years two months ago, so I gave up on it and went in search of a new engine. I found a carbureted 1998 Yamaha 200 Saltwater Version 2 stroke out of Gulfport Mississippi. The ad stated that the engine had good compression within factory specs and “runs great”. I purchased the engine, had it shipped to my mechanic in Georgia, had the old engine removed and the new one installed. I have taken the boat out seven times and on each occasion the engine has not run well at all when heading out on a trip. I always idle the engine for at least ten minutes while launching, at the dock, parking the truck and moving out past the no wake buoys. The engine surges very badly, alternating between almost stopping and taking off like a bat out of hell. Yesterday I ran it about five miles with it doing this the whole way. The only time it does not surge is when I run it up to close to 40 MPH. I do not want to run that fast all of the time, so this is a major issue. It does run much better on the way back in after a few hours fishing with little or no surging. I spoke with the folks I bought it from and they offered to send me the kits to rebuild the three carburetors. They do not seem keen to my suggestion that they pay the labor to rebuild them saying they don’t know whether my mechanic installed the engine properly. They will take the engine back, but if I do that I am out of close to $2000 (about half what I paid for the engine) to cover what I have already paid to have the engine installed plus what it would cost to have it removed and pay return crating and shipping. In other words, they pretty much know that I am stuck with an engine that does not “run great” as advertised. To my thinking, there is not too much to installing an engine. 1. Bolt it to the stern. 2. Hook it up to the battery so it will start. 3. Provide a gas and oil supply. My mechanic is well known as one of the best in Georgia and assures me that these three requirements have been met. I even ran the engine off of a separate six gallon spare tank with 100% new fuel and a new fuel line to eliminate any possibility of fuel issues and the surging was the same. They asked what I would have them do and I suggested that they help pay for the repairs needed to get the engine to perform as advertised. As you might guess, this did not get much traction. What would you do from here? PS: My mechanic did install the Yamaha using the existing Suzuki switch and controls instead of the Yamaha ones sent by the seller, but I don't see where this could be the source of the problem. He says it should not matter.
