Does the oil in a 2 cycle motor help control corrosion of the outboard's intake, block and exhaust systems? Will a 4 cycle OB corrode faster in salt water?
Don't live near salt water but you would think the water jacket is what gets the most corrosion and since they are basiclly the same on both motors I would so no, it wouldn't matter.
As far as the intake yes, constantly being coated with oil would certainly help the 2 stroke and the have less moving parts so in general I would say a 2 stroke will outlast a 4.
My smoker is 27 and still running great so we will have to wait till 2035 and see how many 2008 4 strokes are around.
Can't speak for the low HP motor but the large 4 stroke motor (150 Hp and up) are turning in very impressive longevity numbers.
The life expectancy of a 2 stroke is between 1000 to 1500 hours. Very few wear out. Most die from some sort of a fuel or oil delivery problem long before they wear out. A big 2 stroke with 1500 hours is old. A 2 stroke with over 2000 hours is a novelty.
On the other had a 4 stroke with a 1000 hours is considered just barely broken it. I have 2 friends running F225 that have in excess of 2000 hours and still running strong. You hear lots of claims from people saying they have in excess of 4000 hours on 4 strokes which is totally unheard of with a 2 stroke.
Number of 2008 models running in SW by 2035? None. The average turnover rate is much higher than that of the FW guys. You just don't see 10 year old motors that often. If a motor that old is still running the fuel efficiency is so bad you can?t afford to run them. It?s cheaper to buy a new motor in the long run.