Orbit Express
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2010
- Messages
- 30
My 2001 Mercury EFI Saltwater failed recently. The needle bearings between the crank and piston rod found themselves in the combustion chamber stopping the engine cold. Service tech mentioned no operator error was involved, it was seeing proper oil mix and fuel. Motor had approx. 1000-1200 estimated hours. It was used mostly for Great Lakes salmon fishing, short runs, about 15-20 min out to fishing grounds, then 4 hours trolling around 900-1000 rpm. Even tho the boat could do 50mph, I rarely ran it that way. Motor was on a 22ft CC. After seeing other engines with same problem in the repair facility, one has to wonder how common is the problem. I can honestly say that another Mercury is not in my future. Anyone else have similar issues, is there a warranty issue? My 30 year old 55hp Evinrude still runs sweet.