Mercury motor????

0 Kudo

Author	Comment
toledobasser	Mercury motor????	Lead	[-]
Posts: 34 (05/29/08 02:37) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None I do not mean to ruffle any feathers by asking this question. Neither myself nor any family members have ever owned a Mercury motor. I know they are now as competitive a motor as any other brand out there, and have a very loyal following. I have been looking at a lot of used BassCats and a lot of them have Mercury Optimax's. My question is....in what years did they inherit the nickname "Opti-pops"? Was this really that big of a problem or was it blown (no pun intended) out of proportion? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
basschaser		#1	[-]
Posts: 2334 (05/29/08 02:55) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	98-01 the earlier they were the worse they were. Having said that they were about like all the others HPDI, Ficht...the good ones were/are really good but the bad ones will make you come up with nicknames like Opti-pop. If they had the updates done to them and are still running today the odds are they were one of the good ones. Good luck. Judd Lasiter
toledobasser		#2	[-]
Posts: 35 (05/29/08 04:52) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks, Judd. I've been on this site for a little while and I have found that you know whereof you speak. I trust you and your opinion. I am not planning on going that far back into the late 90's or early 2000's in my search. I'm trying to stay 2004 or newer. I'm also trying to stay with a Pro XS if I go the Mercury route. I feel a little safer now even if I do go for the Optimax. Thanks again.
basschaser		#3	[-]
Posts: 2335 (05/29/08 05:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Across the board the ProXS seemed to have proven to be as good as they can be. Definitely not of the Opti-pop orgin . I have owned 2 of the ProXS and ran a 05 225 ProXS and it had almost 100 hours on it and it ran like my 07 and 08's have without the infamous 250 rattle. The rattle hasn't bothered me but it does exist but nothing to be concerned about. Good luck and thanks for the kind words, I try not to over step my knowledge and when I do we have other great people on this board who are nice enough to correct me. I think it happens to us all at one time or another. Good luck in your search and you will be very happy with a 04 or later Opti. JL
Basstar		#4	[-]
Posts: 301 (05/29/08 07:11) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Judd, YOU DA MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PhilAddison		#5	[-]
Posts: 2752 (05/29/08 08:29) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Opti Pop was only a term applied to Mercury Optimax in the late 90's and up to 2002-2003. The rush to new technology (DFI) was the culprit of the many engine failures back then. OMC was the first with DFI engines (around 1997 w/ Ficht) and Mercury soon there after with the Optimax. OMC's Ficht (Evinrude/Johnson) helped put OMC out of business! The Optimax forced Mercury to shutdown production lines back then if I'm not mistaken until most of the problems could be corrected. Since 2003, the Mercury Optimax has been as reliable as any engine ever built. I've owned 5 Optimax engines and have had at least 65 hours use on each. Not one has blown and not one has given one bit of trouble. Yamaha's HPDI and Bombardier's Evinrude are later. If you're skeptical about an Optimax, then you shouldn't be. It is the most proven DFI two stroke engine on the market today!
toledobasser		#6	[-]
Posts: 37 (05/29/08 09:31) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Thanks to you too, Phil. I knew I'd get some education on the matter from you guys. I will not have any reservations about buying a newer used Cat with an Optimax. I know research and development takes time and even after being introduced into the market there are still some things to be worked out. I feel a lot more at ease that those things have been taken care of. Thanks guys.
jignpig		#7	[-]
Posts: 1285 (05/30/08 08:48) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Back when I ordered my PII in 97, the dealership said they would recommend a 200 EFI over the 200 Opti as the Optimax was just hitting the market. The dealership already had two of the early Optimax with blown power heads in shop. As Phil stated, they rushed the product out but then had the foresight to correct the problems and make the Opti even better than expected. I have only seen one Optimax engine fail while on the water, and it was in the late 90s time period, Arkansas River at Pine Bluff's Slackwater Harbor. I have been around several since then with zero problems. New technology sometimes needs improvements while still on the run.........ETEC is at that stage now with their lower unit issues. The Optimax has been around for a while and is the most proven performer of the DFI market. IMHO
ctbasser		#8	[-]
Posts: 4 (05/31/08 07:39) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Judd I'm looking for a used Basscat & finances dictate that it will probably be a 2000 - 2002 vintage. What updates should I be looking for & how can I verify they have been installed? I have a friend who works on OMC's who can verify work done on that brand of motor if supplied with the serial #. Do you know if something similar can be done with Mercs? I'm probably going to have to travel a bit when I find my boat and may not be able to get it into a dealer to be checked out. Thanks in advance. Pete
Basstar		#9	[-]
Posts: 302 (05/31/08 08:08) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Only a personal opinion, but if I were buying 2003 or older, I would look for an EFI engine. I realize that there are several good Opti-Pop or as I also heard them called Pop-Ti-Max engines out there and also realize that the EFI engines will consume a bit more fuel, but I would just have more peace of mind.
trainmain		#10	[-]
Posts: 17 (06/01/08 08:33) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I have always been a Yamaha fan and just last week purchased a 05 Puma with a Yamaha, just my preference. This said, for the last 7 years i ran a Champion 203 with a 99' 225 Optimax. I heard some of the horror stories after buying the Opti and was constantly holding my breath, waiting for the thing to blow. I guess like other motors, there are good ones and bad ones because i had no issues to speak of. The only issue i had was an alarm, which turned out to be the throttle position sensor, $35 repair i think. Other than that, i was impressed with the Opti, the performance and fuel economy was outstanding and this was prior to the "XS" versions. I would say, if you are looking at used early 2000 models and the compression (make sure the compression differential is close on all cylinders) checks out, any problems probably would have already occurred.
customcityjim		#11	[-]
Posts: 100 (06/01/08 09:07) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Trainmain, I agree with you. I have a 2002 optimax 225 HP that I have been impressed with for the 3 yrs. we've had it. I'm not in a position to buy a New boat and motor every year or two, so I take care of the one I have. My last boat was an Eyra with a 175 Evinrude. I ran it for 10 yrs. and NEVER had a single problem with it either. The guys ( father and son) that bought it still have it and fish a lot. They haven't had any trouble with it either. I really liked that motor. Now, with that said, the 225 Optimax that we have is the best motor I have ever run. I wasn't sure if I would like it after having the Rude for so long. But it changed my mind about Mercury motors. It would be hard for me to go back now. I'm really impressed with it. I'm an automobile mechanic, so I know what to take care of on a motor. And I don't let anything go, to the point of failure. People can break any thing (even an ARMY TANK) if they don't take care of it. And if a motor is run at WOT all the time, some thing is going to let go. I know this from first hand experience. This is one of my cars. Last Edited By: customcityjim 06/01/08 09:26. Edited 3 times.
oldtimer57		#12	[-]
Posts: 908 (06/01/08 10:35) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I believe the main early opti problems were related to piston-to-wall clearance issues. Warming one up prior to "standing on it" eliminated most of these issues. Early 2.5 200 motors had a similar problem with failure during break-in until dealers discovered how to break 'em in without blowing 'em up. The bigger blocks made it easier to get the same horsepower with a little less aggressive fit on things and I didn't hear much about 3.0 200 problems like the early 90's issues. Outboards are a special breed of engines (2-stroke). They produce a lot of heat, and run at fast crankshaft speeds. Doesn't take much to turn them into junkpiles. If you treat them carefully, they will run forever. Get a little lax, and they will melt right down...

<< Previous Topic Next Topic >>

Add Reply

Yuku free message boards

Mercury motor????

Mercury motor????

Quick Reply