yamaha 150s reliability after 1000 hrs

[TM2SNOW]

Interested in feedback from anyone with Yamaha 150's with more than 1000 hours and if you've had engine troubles.

I have twins and they are well maintained, run great but I've reached 1000 hours. I've heard they begin to have trouble with anything over this amount of hours on them.

How many hours do you have on yours if over 1000?

 

[Rob B]

Replace the oil pumps and they will run for another 1,000 That the only real problem most motors have around the many hours

 

[patrickL]

Interested in feedback from anyone with Yamaha 150's with more than 1000 hours and if you've had engine troubles.

I have twins and they are well maintained, run great but I've reached 1000 hours. I've heard they begin to have trouble with anything over this amount of hours on them.

How many hours do you have on yours if over 1000?

At one point a couple years ago someone posted an article about the F150s being the most reliable motor on the market. You might do a search to see if you can find it. I'd be surprised if they started to go down hill after only 1000hrs. I'd do as Rob B stated and do the suggested maintenance and rest assured that they've got several 1000 more hours left in them.

 

[POLE BENDER]

a little differnt motor, in my yammy 150 "2 strokes" , 1600 hours and they purr like kittens, with zero issues.
though i did just pull them off to replace with new 200's, strickly for fuel consuption.
there are many hours left in those 150's for sure, i might miss them, just a touch??

 

[Big Jim]

1000 hrs is nothing; I just turned 3000 on my f-100's, older technology, carbureted, and have put on +/- about 900 each of the last 2 summers. Definitely not a weekend warrior, I try to treat em with respect (and oil changes every 100 hrs) but a few days each summer I have to run 5400 or so rpm's all day long (as in lots of starts/stops) to stay on schedule.
Any 4 stroke should reach well into 5000 hrs with routine maintenance. I have a friend on Kauai that put 7000 hrs on twin Suzuki's commercial fishing. He repowered for tax purposes, sold the running pair to another friend who still has them.
I plan on running mine until they give up which I don't anticipate for quite some time. I have 3 complete running motors to avoid any possible down days. Not sure why the scare of hrs on these outboards. Unfounded in my opinion.
Like mentioned, the earlier Yamaha four strokes had weak oil pumps; I've upgraded mine to the newer style although I never had an older one fail (I replace the oil pumps, timing belts, and water pumps once a year).
I absolutely love my Yamahas and know they go the distance and do it all day long burning 6.5-7.5 gph total at 22-24 kts carrying 7 people, gear, kayaks often.

Ps- one thing I think directly affects longevity of any outboard is correctly pitched props and getting it "right". Knowing your boat, loads, motor performance (rpm range, under or overworking the motors is of huge consequence) is critical. I have 3 sets of differently pitched props; 2 of which I run at different points of the season.

 

[TM2SNOW]

Thanks for the information

 

[Bullelkklr]

Did you guys change your oil pumps yourselves?

Another note related to yammies. I was at the local dealer getting new cables and asked them what they charge to run an overhead as indicated in the manufactures recommended interval (I think 600 hours) and they told me they never run overheads and don't recommend it. Anyone else have other information? I won't tear into it myself that far - I do it on my cummins, but am no marine mechanic.

 

[IceKing02]

TM2SNOW,

Before you run off and think that all is well with the newer Yamaha 150's make a call and ask the mechanics at Dewey's. You could also talk to the charter operator at Saltwater Excursions. She might give you an earful about their reliability from a commercial operator's experience over the last three years. From what I know they are no longer originals after having powerheads and lower units replaced. On both.

 

[Rob B]

I didn't replace the oil pump myself. But after seeing them do it, it looks fairly easy. The main issue is being able to lift the powerhead straight up and off the gear shaft.

 

[Frostbitten]

TM2SNOW,

Before you run off and think that all is well with the newer Yamaha 150's make a call and ask the mechanics at Dewey's. You could also talk to the charter operator at Saltwater Excursions. She might give you an earful about their reliability from a commercial operator's experience over the last three years. From what I know they are no longer originals after having powerheads and lower units replaced. On both.

It's funny you mention that, I was at Dewey's in July, and I told them I was looking at a boat with twin 115 Yamahas. The owner said they had 750 hours on them, and I asked the guy at Dewey's at what point (how many hours) should a guy get wary of a used outboard. He said in general, anything over 1000 hours. That being said, he had already seen me gawking at a pair of shiny new 150s.

 

[Big Jim]

BS on the over 1000 hr comment (except for Hondas, after having a boat with them) especially from a dealer.
Same thing used to be said of American vehicles creeping up on 100k miles but how many of us here on this forum have trucks with over 100k? My current gas truck has 146k on it, previous diesel truck 162k, gas truck prior to that 220k.
Find a different dealer that has a great mechanic and talk to him directly & also those who have the brand of motor you're interested in, especially those who make a living with them year round.
I do my own oil/lower unit lube changes and other minor stuff on the boat but anything else goes to the shop; yeah it's pricey but they got ALL the right tools, the experience, and are responsible for the work done. I can't afford 1 down day when it's busy so it's well worth the extra cost.
They are also privy to service bulletins. The Yamaha mechanic we have now is just awesome and works on stuff like its own.
Anyway, get the info from the horses' mouth and avoid sales folks, any motor should be flawless under 1000 hrs (even Hondas), go with longevity which seems to be Yamaha & Suzuki.

 

[Bullelkklr]

Which stealer are you using Jim?

 

[Big Jim]

That would be Lower Peninsula Powersports.

 

[270ti]

Those inline 4 cylinders have a pretty good rep for going the distance. Depends on how hard those engines were worked. A 150 on a lighter boat that wasn't run hard can go 3K hours +. Put a 150 or a pair of them on a bigger boat and plow with a full load into the swell, and you might only get 1k hours out of them. 1k hours pushing a heavy load at a higher RPM is a lot to ask from any engine. I had a yamaha 150 that I sold with maybe 700hrs. Probably 200 of those hours were running, the rest were trolling. All hours aren't equal.

I'd say that if you don't have any oil burn at your 100hr services, then you are good to go. When you are adding oil on a regular basis, you are on borrowed time.

 

[Big Jim]

There's truth to that of course but taxing loads can be easily adjusted by the right props. I swap between different pitches during the summer depending on loads & trends. July/August we get lots of full load trips (7 total on boat, 2-3 kayaks on the roof, and enough camping crap to load rear deck to the gunnels and some stuff up front in the well deck), May, Sept and fishing the rest of the year gets the "speed" props.
Also since my fuel burn never ever varies across the rpm range more than a gallon regardless of load or props, the boat seems dialed in.