E-Tecs

[pair of jacks]

Anyone here running an Evinrude E-Tec? Looking for some comments on them as far as performance & reliability. Thanks

[DonV]

I would start with the easy one.....search "Bushwacker" for his comments on eTecs

[Bushwacker]

Don't know what size you're looking at, but I've had the 150 60 degree 2.7L small block V-6 for a little over 5 years and 360 hrs; it's has been flawless to date, on mostly ethanol fuel. Local dealer, who also sells Yamaha and Hondas, says he's having the fewest problems with the E-tecs. I've made 3 trips of 200-700 miles with very heavy loads and have averaged about 4.3 mpg, and using 1 gal of XD100 full synthetic oil to about 100-150 gal of gas. BRP appears to be sandbagging on the power ratings. Their own brochures show that the "150" is actually 165 hp at the prop, and the "225" is actually about 240, so they're strong running motors, particularly on mid-range torque. I can easily get on plane at less than half throttle with a heavy load. I believe the lowest rated models of any particular size powerhead are probably under-rated by about the full 10% that's allowed by the NAEBM. I don't quite buy in to the 300hr/3-year maintenance plan, as I think it's geared to the average boater who only puts about 50 hr's/year or less on the motor. I change the gear oil every 100 hrs, and if I was going to the Bahamas, I'd change the water pump, thermostats and poppet valve annually. The early big block V-6's supposedly had some corrosion problems on the exhaust housings, but BRP seems to have a good reputation for standing behind the motors.

If you buy one or even if you just have some questions, you'll find this web site to be very useful. It's run by some very knowledgeable BRP techs who provide very good technical support. You can download a free but limited version of the same software the dealers use onto a laptop computer that can be connected to the motor's diagnostic port. It won't let you do some things, like changing oil ratio from factory TCW-3 oil setting to the leaner XD-100 setting, but it will allow you to shut off ignition or fuel injector's on individual cylinders, which is useful for troubleshooting a rough running engine, and it will let you download fault code and engine history. If you're looking at a used motor, the dealer can provide a print out of the complete engine history: time @ rpm in 500 rpm increments, max rpm and cylinder head and ECM temperatures, and all engine faults detected and the time at which they occurred.

I believe forum member Entourage has a big block 3.3L V-6 on a 23 Scepter with about 1900 hours on it, so he can probably give you a better idea of long term durability on that model.

I would look for a Platinum certified dealer because the initial set-up of the motors is critical; some early powerhead failures were traced to dealers who didn't properly purge all the air out of the oil system. A good dealer can easily do that using the software on the laptop.

[eggsuckindog]

Appears to have the least amount of issues at least on the web - actually none, kinda amazing with all the early bashers.

I have a 2009 150 Etec and it has run flawlessly with great gas mileage. Starts first time very time - no choke. I am getting 4.0 to almost 5 mpg (depending on the weight I am carrying) at around 3900 rpm. I've owned so many outboards since 1961 I cant count them - Johnson, Evinrude, Merc and Yamy, an old Elgin, and a 12 horse Wizard. This one is by far the best I ever owned.

[Keyscruz]

I too have an etec 150 like Bushwacker. Mine is on an 18 with a bracket. I second every thing Bushwacker says. I followed his early advice when shopping for an engine. I have had many engines over the years but have never had one that starts instantly every time. The mid rpm torgue is nearly enough to throw you out of the boat. To quote my teenage son, "It's awsome".

[thedog]

I have a pair of 150's on my 23 cc 2007's
have had no issues, 170hrs now. oil works out at around 80-1 with xd100
start easy even cold,
also have a 65 etec 2007 on my duckboat and that starts on first rotation of crank
even at 12 degrees outside temp

three year service costs around 700 per engine. at the dealer
nice part is the computer read out. shows everything about the engine
on paper. nice to see exactly what is going on