Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

[Steve135]

Hi, I have pretty much concluded that vro's that are from 1984 1986 time frame should be disconnected as they always seemed to have fail early in life. But you here some still using them from the early days? I have found many motors from 84 and 86 cooked do to this. I have a 1986 110 Johnson went bad.I always disconnect them any time I work on them. But how old/new till they became more reliable? I just picked up a 1991 70hp Evinrude VRO still working was this a good year to keep using? I am sure that there is not buzzer that is still connected as a warning device! I do go off shore one engine. I am thinking of disconnecting it.<br />steve

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

hello<br /> wow you will go offshore trusting a rubber diaphram pump that is 13 years old? do you still run the original pump impeller as well?. do some maint. its been my recommendation to change the VRO pump every 6 years or so. if your comfortable pre-mixing you can do that as well.<br /> good luck and keep posting

 

[Steve135]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

Rodbolt I guess you missed the part about just picking this engine up. I am not using it I want to go over it and check it out, my first thing will be to disonnect the vro if they are just as unreliable as they have been in the first years of use.<br />steve

 

[kgw]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

Hi Steve,<br /> All I can give you is my experiance with them. bought motor new in 86 pump started leaking fuel 6yrs ago.replaced that one because oil leaked back to fuel filter last Oct now having trouble with this one. so by experiance they seem to be of poorer Quality now. may be Im just unlucky . I think Im going to start pre-mixing.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

I've got a 91' 70 HP Rude and I've been mixing my own since I've had it. Most agree that if the system is maintained as it should be, it will work fine and I agree with that for the most part. This means cleaning the oil resevoir and pick-up each season, check the oil lines for cracks and wear and make sure no water enters the system. Replace the pump every 5 or 6 years and you're set to go. I don't know how reliable my 91' VRO would be. But I've always pre-mixed before I had this engine and I probably always will. I will say that I am still using the fuel side of the pump to this day. So I would have to assume that the pump itself is still working good, as they work in conjunction. Maintenence is the key to any component being reliable.

 

[Steve135]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

Thanks thats what I have figured If I even use this motor I will bypass it as well.<br />What rickdb1boat says is probally the best advice but in any manual I have ever seen I can't remember seeing this info. Like water pump changing evreyone knows that why didn't the vro info become more wide spread knowlage?<br />steve

 

[Joe Reeves]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

For what it's worth, this might be of some interest.<br /><br />(VRO Changeover Judgement Call) <br />(J. Reeves)<br /> <br /> The VROs first came out in 1984 and have been upgraded quite a few times. In my opinion, back around 1988, they had perfected them but I think that they were upgraded even more since then. As long as the warning system is operating as it should, I feel quite at ease with them.<br /><br />Some boaters have voiced their thoughts such as "What if that overpriced plastic horn should fail while I'm under way for some reason, and the VRO decides to fail five minutes later?" Obviously that would result in a big problem which really brings their fears into view.<br /><br />The word "ease" is the key word though. If one has the slightest feeling of being ill at ease with that setup, then they should take the route they feel more at ease with. A judgement call each individual would need to make on their own.<br /><br />********************<br />(VRO Pump Conversion To Straight Fuel Pump)<br />(J. Reeves)<br /><br />You can convert the VRO pump into a straight fuel pump, eliminating the oil tank and VRO pump warning system, but retain the overheat warning setup by doing the following:<br /><br />1 - Cut and plug the oil line at the engine so that the oil side of the VRO pump will not draw air into its system. Trace the wires from the back of the VRO to its rubber plug (electrical plug) and disconnect it.<br /><br />2 - Trace the two wires from the oil tank to the engine, disconnect those two wires, then remove them and the oil tank.<br /><br />3 - Mix the 50/1 oil in the proper amount with whatever quanity fuel you have. Disconnect the fuel line at the engine. Pump the fuel primer bulb until fuel exits that hose with the tint of whatever oil you used. Reconnect the fuel hose.<br /><br />That's it. If you want to test the heat warning system to ease your mind, have the key in the on position, then ground out the tan heat sensor wire that you'll find protruding from the cylinder head. The warning horn should sound off.

 

[rickdb1boat]

Re: Vro or Not What year did they become reliable?

Good info, Joe!