longbow

Here's the deal. Blew my Optimax 225 up. Sucked a pito tube and ruined the power head. So it needed a new one. But they are pretty expensive. So instead I buy a rebuilt Ocean Runner from a well known marina in Sodus Pt. They install the motor around July 7th or there abouts. Happy as a pig in poop. We pay for the engine and a kicker bracket to be installed for my kicker. Long story short driving it home on a Fri. night in heavy weather, storms all around us and boom, the engine quits. Call Holy Mackeral for a tow and he says, tongue and cheek after looking at his radar, you know there are several heavy thunderstorms around ya. He comes out in foul weather and tows us in with a couple of other friends from Hughes. We tow the boat back to S.P. and the mechanic looks at the motor and fixes it. Which he said was an easy fix. We go back later in the week to get the boat, and this is dependant on if I can borrow a truck. Now when I borrow a truck I fill it with gas. Just a polite thing to do or give the person a 50 spot for letting me use there truck. So we get it back and hurray going fishing. We go fishing and can't get the kicker going, has all new plumbing for it. Can't prime the bulb for some reason. I held it upright, side ways, upside down, breather hole on the tank open, closed, partially open blah blah blah. So sea bags it is. Motor runs beautiful even trolling. Take it out again for a bit a few days later and again runs good BUT the power trim/tilt doesn't work. I call the marina about this and they send there mech. down to look at it but it is something they can't fix in the water. So borrow a truck again, fill it with gas and travel to S.P. to have the pump looked at. Bleed the pump fill it with tranny fluid and good to go. Happy campers we are. Took all of half an hour for the fix. Put the boat back in the water and the weather goes south for a few days. I am new to Lake Ontario fishing and rather be safe than sorry although some boats from Hughes went out. I just am not good enough or comfortable enough to do that yet in 6'+ waves. I have been in them but coming in and not fishing in them. So Mon. evening my wife and I go out to the camp and are going to go fishing, 6-7 miles out for salmon. I mean this is why we bought the boat. Pull out of Hughes get across the shoal in front of the Cove and bingo the engine quits again. This time though I know what happened cause it did the same thing that it did in the storms when we first picked it up. It turns out to be the linkage plate broke off. Part is hard to get. So the marina orders it over nighted from Bombardier. This is on Mon. So I figure that Wed we'll be ready to go. Well the part didn't come in Tues., Wed., or Thurs today. I found this out today. A store in the 1000 Islands had one and they will over night it on Fri for them. They will install it Sat. Folks in the islands missed the P.O. today. Which is wierd cause the stations are open till 5p.m. for the most part across the country. So there is my tail of friggin woe. Talking it over with the wife and if it ain't fixed right this time we are going to have them put back on the Optimax, re plumb it, reconnect everything like it should and I will find someone to install a new dressed power head for it. I have a feeling we are getting it stuck up our keesters although the folks seem nice buthave a myriad of excuses. But like my dad always used to say, excuses are like assholes everyone has one. If you can't tell I am frustrated, well I just have never run into anything like this before. We have a total of about 10 hours on this engine. It seems every single time we use or want to something happens to it. Granted we went fishing 2x with it. The 90 day warranty is running. In all of my owning vehicles and bikes in 60 years I have never experienced anything close to this. So there ya go. Just pissed off. PS. here is the other thing I am thinking about, when the engine went south, the Optimax that is, I had just filled the tank up, the boat has a 110 gal. tank. When I picked it up the second time from the marina I put another 100 bucks in it to get it back to Hughes. Where'd all the friggin gas go?

There is a fella in Ontario that works on carbs. He invented the Quadra Jet for Delco. Fella in our Marina took his to him and he said his boat has never run better. I'll find his name. He is an older gent but like I said if I am not mistaken this fella invented or holds pattens to the Quadra Jet.

Ok thanks. PAM to me smells like fish oil sort of anyways. Boat has been in the shop for a month and is now ready so will report back about the PAM thing. thanks

Folks are telling me to use PAM on the lines etc. and it will keep the fleas at bay. Let me ask when you say set out at 325' is that behind the boat as in length of line? thanks

Bought a motor so good to go. The big things I considered were reliability, having it serviced or being able to have it serviced, close to Hughes(the dealer is minutes away), and something that would match my boat. Both kind of in age and power. So went with a 225 Johnson, Ocean Runner, rebuilt from the ground up with a warranty that will more than likely carry me through to the end of the season. It didn't make sense to me to put a higher end motor on an older boat. Just not going to get money out of it for what it is worth. Anyways might be in the water again by next weekend, we'll see. thanks for all the input

The guy in western PA has so so reviews and I know he was investigated by some states attorney general. I've talked to him on the phone and they seem like a good deal BUT I know for a fact that if you search the INET about him his reviews are less than stellar. That is the thing holding me back from doing this. Rick at PW doesn't have a good opinion of him. So there ya go.

Thinking of the going the looper motor route. What I am looking for is reliability. The cost of fixing the Opti is astronomical. And they are sensitive engines and I don't know zip about them. Carburator engines I know a bit about. Simple is better I am thinking and like Rick said they run forever. Not as good on gas but I have kicker now for trolling so running out and trolling back how much gas will ya use? Plus I basically don't want to spend a ton of money on something that is seasonal use at best. What I can spend and what I want to spend are two different stories all together. If I was younger and I was as rabid of a fisherman as some of my friends at Hughes I might think other wise. Another thing to consider is the boat itself. It is old but in great condition. I will never get the return investment out of a high end engine on an older boat as this, where as an older reliable engine and old reliable boat might make more sense if and when I decide to trade it in. I do know I am tired of looking on line at a myriad of sites for a fix to this. No simple solution. thanks

Nah not cheap for sure. Don't which way to go, stick with a later used Merc or Evinrude or Yamahopper. Either way I have about 10g's to play with. thanks

Well got the news today. Boat motor is irreparable, or not financially feasible to repair the engine. Holy crap, I am bummed

Yea have to wait and talk to him and the suspense is killin me! This has always used marine gas as is my understanding. I've filled it twice since I bought it and both times filled it with Hughes 91 octane marine fuel. Worst case I am looking at a new power head I figure and I think the 225's are interchangeable between years. And from what I have gleaned later as in post 05 power heads are better than the earlier ones. Don't know why that would be but from what I've read that appears to be the case. thanks

So my Opti is getting repaired at Power Marine. Now the owner of PM leaves a mssg on my house phone and emails me to call him to tell me what he has found inside the motor. Which I assume is not a good thing seeing how's he hasn't called me at all before. So my question is how much would one be willing to sink into a motor to fix it that is a high end motor like this? I've no experience with motors such as these. It was a crate motor that the previous owner put on in 06 but it was an 01 motor and certified via Mercury Marine as being new and unused via notarized documents. I'll be honest here and doing research on these Opti's they don't seem all that reliable.But when it was running it would push my Pro Line very very well. Surprisingly so and it was very quiet. Trolled excellent too with sea bags and I kid you not. It seems Opti's are big bucks even used as compared to Johnson's and Yamaha's but I've read that especially Yamaha's are very reliable. So opinions needed. Granted don't know what is wrong yet but I am assuming the worst. Now there is a 39' Sportfisherman for sale down at the river for what I consider a reasonable price, I could sell our place at Hughes, my boat etc. and probably pay for this 39 footer! Just kiddin, sort of. Crap

Just a nod of appreciation to Mackeral for towing my boat to Power Marine for me cause I ain't got no truck. So there ya go! thanks man

I just bought a service manual for the engine so should have that in a few days. Don't see a problem really with me pulling the head. Just a few bolts to loosen and the fuel rail to remove. I have torque wrenches too. Calling Power Marine though just in case and see what their schedule is. thanks

Well the threads are hosed. I have about half the threads left in the hole, the top part of the spark plug hole is smooth, bottom part threads. Every single other spark plug went in and out excellent, ever the ones under the cowling. So I am in a dliema, pull the head myself and re-tap, I have done this on my Harley on more than one ocassion, buy a reconditioned head and install it, or take it to Power Marine in Canadagua. Hopefully they can work on the Optimax engine. No truck but I have a guy at the Marina that will tow my boat for me or maybe my bro from the southern tier. Gonna put a kicker on it. Should have done it over the winter but just put it off. Kicker is free too from my bro. Anyways boat is out of the water and just sitting there. Crap

So my Optimax crapped the bed on my Sat. at Hughes. So today pulled the plugs and cleaned them and re-installed them. However port side first plug the thread is buggered. I just couldn't get the plug set in correctly to get a bite. Pulled out my flashlight and the top 3-4 threads are buggered. Will a chaser fix it? thanks PS I ain't saying I did it either. Might have been that way from the previous owner but I got so pissed when my socket went over the side. Had that for almost 30 yrs and I kid you not. Crapola

Big browns are in close. That's all I'm saying. thanks

Ok maybe I don't need a marine mechanic. Re greased everything on the binnacle mounted remote, yep I said that, and it seems to be staying all linked together. Still though bought a Teleflex 7600 series remote. Haven't installed it yet but may this week just so I have peace of mind. As for all the advice thanks it is appreciated but I'll tell ya to get someone to work on a o.b. is like pulling teeth.