Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

[Surfly]

I found a deal on a boat with 2002 Yamaha V6 2-stroke outboard, model SX200TXRA (I think that's correct). It has 240 hours saltwater use. Before I drop the big bucks, I will sea trial it with the dealer and do a compression check. Are there other things I should check or ask or worry about with this motor? I have no reason to think there is anything wrong but at the price for the package, I'm a little skeptical. Thanks!

(all my prior boating is with sterndrives)

 

[tybursks]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

I also own a 2003 2oohp hpdi yamaha with 90 hrs running time I think it's an excellent motor however the dealer and other owners ive spoke with say don't skip on any maintenance when due and to use only yamaha oil and use the ring free addative. Happy Boating!!

 

[pine island fred]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Have 2 friends that have 3 200hp. between them. All have overheat problems that cant seem to be corrected. When you take the boat out for the trial, get the motor spinning at least 5 grand and hold it there for awhile. If the buzzer goes off, walk away ( once you get back to shore). Sounds like a low time engine so there should be no problems. If you run it in salt, be sure to flush it after each use, no exceptions! fred

 

[Surfly]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Thanks gentlemen. I'll have the boat on a mooring out front, so flushing after each use isn't an option..... What do you do in that case, just resign yourself to shorter engine life?

 

[bowhuntrrl]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Some Yamaha 200s had shift shafts that were not stainless and were prone to rusting out, I think either pre 2003 or 2004. Try to get a look at the shift shaft where visible for any evidence of external corrosion.

 

[BruceAML]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

If it were me, I would look at some other motor. You have been given first and second hand evidence that these motors tend to overheat in a salt water environment. You seem to have chosen to ignore the advice of wise people. You have even admitted that flushing with fresh water is not an option for you. I would not like to see you come on the forum in a year and moan about the fact that you did not listen.

 

[Surfly]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Geez, I haven't bought the boat yet, I haven't ignored any advice, wise or otherwise. I'm trying to gather information and make a good decision. And if I make a bad decision and decide to post about it to guide other folks, it's not necessarily "moaning".
I appreciate the USEFUL feedback I get here--thanks to those who provide it.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

hahahah you guys are funny
an overheat issue is a simple lack of maint issue not an engine design issue.
tell your buddies to fix the motor.
the SX200TXRA was and is a very solid motor if maintained.
that means periodic replacement of parts BEFORE they actually break.
I have some with over 2000 hours that will turn 4800 from oregon inlet to the gulf stream and back on a weekly basis.
its all about the maint,or lack of.

 

[BruceAML]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Rodbolt, you are absolutely right about maintenance but he said he would not be able to flush the motor with fresh water. That is step number one in preventive after-use maintenance of a salt water motor. If you can't do that then maybe you need a fresh water cooled inboard or i/o. The owner's manual for this engine states:
"Cooling system flushing is essential to prevent the cooling system from clogging up with salt, sand, or dirt."
I didn't say that, Yamaha did. A good engine is not always good for every application. By the way, I have two Yamaha engines that I use in salt water. I am sure you can give us prices for cleaning out this engine. Am I correct in thinking it would be rather expensive?

 

[Laram51]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

good to see you are back Rodbolt..

I have a 1994 225 Yamaha hp SWS motor, has been in saltwater dockage for six years . I take it out once a year for 3 to 4 months during the hurricance season. have never flushed her in fresh water even when I take it out. Changed the impeller once,.. She keeps running like a charm,. Had other motors before none better that a Yamaha. Replaced stator coil and CDI but is the first time since 1994.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

I occasionally watch nascar.
I often wonder how many times the drivers ask 100% power out of 1 year old gas and a 5 year old coolings syetem coupled with a 10 year old gas tank and zero maint.
wonder how they got that far ?
ya recon they just spin it tuill it breaks or ya reckon maybe them rednecks actually replace and clean stuff long before it breaks? knowing it WILL break.
that 200 yammie is happy as a clam at 5000 RPM, as long as each engine subsystem is very well maintained.
if they are not it screams then dies.

have a nice day, enjoy your lunch.

 

[BruceAML]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Hey Rodbolt, Did you know that NASCAR uses ultra high octane leaded fuel. You heard that right. Unleaded fuel was introduced in 1971 but NASCAR has been using the leaded fuel so that it will not damage their engines. There is talk about switching to unleaded fuel for the 2008 season. Comparing NASCAR vehicles to stock vehicles is an impossible task. A stock Monte Carlo is front wheel drive and a NASCAR Monte Carlo is rear wheel drive. You would not find a single part from the stock Monte Carlo used on the NASCAR version.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

you missed the point entirely.
the comparison is the usage.
that nascar engine is designed to run at full power and full load for a long time. to achieve this all subsystems must work correctly.
that 200 yamaha is designed about the same way.it will run at 5000 RPM for longer than your bladder will stand,IF the subsystems are maintained.
if not it will scream and die.
if you dont believe me on the load run it at 5K and pull the Estop lanyard and see how far it will coast.
that is the point I am making.
outboards are very high performance packages and designed to run at WOT and full load.
they will happily do it for thousands of hours if maintained.
maint means fixing it before it breaks not when it breaks.

a good qestion: how often does a good sailor need a haircut ?

 

[BruceAML]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

I understood your point completely. I am a firm believer in preventive maintenance. I just changed the oil line hoses and fuel line hoses on my 1987 and 1982 Yamaha engines. I ordered the factory hoses to do it. I use Yamaha factory fuel tanks with Yamaha fuel hose assemblies. I find that there is no comparasion with the check valves on these hoses. I use the Yamalube 2s oil. I have had many people tell me not to waste my money and tell me to use the cheap oil. I tell them that oil is cheaper than engines. My point is that many people wait for a part to break before they replace it. Many people break a part and don't replace it. You know much better than I do that people don't do maintenance on their cars as well as their boats. You and I probably think alike when it comes to maintenance. I think we are in the minority.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

how often do you change water pumps,t-stats and poppit valve grommets, the book says 200 hours OR yearly whichever occurs first.
most folks that NEED a water pump usually NEED a piston as well.
but yes preventative maint is always better and cheaper than corrective maint.

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

how often do you change water pumps,t-stats and poppit valve grommets, the book says 200 hours OR yearly whichever occurs first.
most folks that NEED a water pump usually NEED a piston as well.
but yes preventative maint is always better and cheaper than corrective maint.

Water pump kit should be changed every season in the spring. Especially if you use the boat a lot, which hopefully we all do. Some manufacturers will say you can get two or three seasons out of an impeller but I wouldn't risk it.

Thermostats should last a few seasons I think.

As far as flushing the motor with fresh water, all the teachers I've spoken to say this doesn't really do a thing for the motor in the long run. My friend's brother has a ten year old Yamaha outboard that stays in salt all season long. It has to have over 750 hours on it at least, probably close to 1,000. It has been running great since day one.

The bottom line with boats and motors is that if you use them regularly and maintain them properly, they should last a long, long time. Motors that overheat have not been maintained, water jackets are dirty, gaskets are bad, T-stats are corroded, pumps are not changed, oil/gas mixture is off, stoichiometric ratio is way off. This is all part of periodic maintenance whether it be seasonal, bi-seasonal, whatever.

I just put an '87 Yami 200 on my MFG and so far it runs great. I got it used for a good price and the previous owner maintained it well. I'm not worried at all.

 

[BruceAML]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Hi, Big Keeper. Where are you on LI. We have 3 MFGs. Two 62's and a 57. What year is yours?

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: Yamaha 200. Anything I should know?

Hi, Big Keeper. Where are you on LI. We have 3 MFGs. Two 62's and a 57. What year is yours?

I live in Suffolk. I have a 1979 Morrison 20' fishing boat. I've seen other MFG's floating around Long Island, usually on someone's lawn neglected and filthy. As soon as this one is done, I'm going to do something silly and take one of those off someone's hands for like $30 and fix it up a bit then flip it.