Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

[Kiwi]

Hello from New Zealand ! I have spent the last 3 hours reading msg's on here - what a great source of information. Found it most interesting to read about Octane ratings. In NZ we have either 96 or 91, I have been using 96 but after a good read looks like I should be using 91. Anyways, I have recently bought another boat, its powered by an 85hp Suzuki. Not sure of the exact year but its early 90's (Model #8501-921278) I have always been an Evinrude fan and my next choice would have been Yamaha, however I have ended up with a Suzuki. It seems to run very well, rough at idle but I havent really looked into that yet, its never seen salt water so looks just like new. I have heard a few sad stories about Suzuki outboards and just wondered what the general feeling was from others about their reliability etc

<br /><br />- Kiwi

 

[Yepblaze]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

1980 dt50 Looks like it has seen every day of California sun,runs like a top<br />

 

[Kiwi]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

Yepblaze if I am as happy as you are in 20 years time then I will have nothing to complain about. I have seen similar boats to yours here in New Zealand - believe it or not we import used boats from California. Most of them appear to have seen a lot of sea work and sun ! Thanks for the pics.<br /><br />------------------<br />- Kiwi

 

[twostroked]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

I owned an 87 suzuki 6 horse for about 6 or so years. Great machine. The prop bushing busted and no one around sold parts. I took a 10 horse Johnson prop and modified the suzuki output shaft by drilling a new shear pin hole. Problem solved.<br /> This so called 6 horse pushed my boat like no 10 horse OMC could. <br /> I'm not proud of this, but the motor spent one winter frozen in the river and when march rolled around it started 2nd pull.<br /> I also used 50:1 instead of the mfrs 100:1. Nothing like the smell of two stroke in the morning. Drives the skeeters wild.<br />Good Luck.

 

[Easttxhunter]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

I dont know bout the bigger suzuki's but i have an 1980 8hp on a lil flat bottom that i use to duck hunt. I have had it 12 years and would not sell it for anything. In 12 yrs i have only replaced water pump every 2 yrs as preventive maintence and rebuilt carb one time. It starts on first pull every time. Runs quiet and never left me stranded. All my fishin and huntin buddies gave me hell when i got it, now two of them are suzuki owners

 

[Kiwi]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

Thanks - I have heard a few stories of them throwing pistons etc but maybe that was more the early models. Guess it also has a lot to do with how they are used and looked after. <br /><br />------------------<br />- Kiwi

 

[Chris_MI]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

I've had a 1983 Suzuki DT115 on a bassboat that I've owned for about the last 8 years. I won't part with it for anything. It has run just perfectly. It pushes my 16 foot Monark McFast V16 at 55mph, or will run at trolling speeds for extended periods without any hiccups. Every time I've had something go wrong with it I dig a little deeper and find out it's a tiny problem--like just a loose connection in my recharging circuit this week. The mechanic I took it to a few years ago said that the DT115 and DT140 from the 80's vintage are his favorite motors of any make and model outboard ever made. He did say, however, that the newer big Suzuki outboards have been cheapened by some shortcuts they took with the oil injection. It seems that they started mixing oil and gas somewhere upstream of the carbs, so it seems to me that if you get a piece of grit in your carb jet you might not only lose fuel to that cylinder, but lose lube as well and toast a cylinder! That's just what I heard anyway from this mechanic.<br />Good luck!<br />Chris

 

[Kiwi]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

Intersting Chris - I have on order a Clymer manual for my outboard, so when it arrives downunder I might read up on the oil injection system. This is the 1st outboard I have owned with oil injection, so I am not entirely confortable with it yet. When I 1st got it home I tested all the warning systems to make sure I would know if something went wrong (as best you can !!) Its winter here now so I am about to winterize it and wait for summer to arrive.<br /><br />Happy Boating

<br />Mike

 

[substuff]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

I own a suzuki 225 in miami,fact the motor has worked for 4 years ,this year stator went bad it cost 406 dollors for the part <br />I was broke down for 2 months ,3 mechanics<br />I dont trust the local dealers ,and most mechanics dont understand.many people have <br />problems with dealer support only speaking for miami area they are however good suzuki <br />dealers I will never ever own again because<br />had a bought a mecury I would have had 25 other dealers to chose from makes sence right<br />as a consumer the last thing you wany is to <br />limite your self to 2 or three dealers<br />Any one argues this is crazy

 

[terryc]

Re: Suzuki's - Good or Bad ?

I owned a 1981 140 hp suzuki from approx 1994 to 1996 it was a great motor. The only problem I know can be if the lower unit is not maintained regularly. Corrosion can swell the gear housing behind the prop and crack open. When i purchased my motor it had this problem and was cracked badly, i had it professionally welded and it was good from then on. I understand that Suzuki has stopped selling outboards in Australia.