I had a 2000 200hp and it was great for 17 years, the #6 cylinder went because of detonation. Bought a 2005 225HO and 6 weeks later, I was caught in a storm and it hydro locked. Then I found a beat up 2004 250 with a lot of hours, I bolted on the powerhead and ran that for 3 years. In 2001, I found a 2004 225HO, super clean with low hours. I bolted that on and ran it until I sold the boat in June. I always ran XD100, I used Evinrude Engine Tuner twice a year to remove carbon buildup. I had the EMM rebuilt on the first motor in 2010 by DFI Technologies. The first motor was also recalled to pin the head, this was to deflect the injector spray to solve spark plug fouling problems. I believe that the BRP Ram motors, 2002 and up, were much better than the original Ficht. These motors were great when they ran, very fuel efficient. They liked to go fast, they hated trolling. Carbon build up was their enemy.
Have a 1999 175 ficht 6 years now, zero issues. Previous owner bought it new, used it little and did any upgrade available. I run it hard on Lake Michigan every month that doesn’t have ice on the lake. I stay up on maintenance and keep waiting for something to happen, but it just keeps on going. 🤞🤞🤞
I have a 1998 Ficht 175, first gen air cooled ecu model, i've put around 800 hours, bought it new in '98, it's had its run of issues with the ignition module/powerpack, most recent issues i've had with it were water getting in the VST for a long period of time, we didn't know what the problem was till october, then it finally got fixed, used to get 5700 RPM and 54 mph, now down to 5400 at 49-51 mph, other issue i've had recently was the Power Distribution Panels crapping out on the trim side of issues. But other than those issues it's a great motor and gets great efficiency, usually fill up once or twice per month, overall 7/10 engine.
I have a 2000 225. Had it for about 20 years. I had the emm repaired about 10 fears ago and replaced the fuel pump/vapor separator with an E Tek unit. This part is NLA. I am an avid diver and live in florida so the boat goes all year. It's bin a great engine. If you ever run these into sand, you MUST clear the cooling tubing and the fuel separator and the EMM. Both are water cooled and in series . If one blocks up nothing gets cooled. Maintenance !
Please correct me if i'm wrong.I understand that the 225 horsepower were different somehow than the other finch and were less problematic. @OutboardDad
I just bought a 24' NorthCoast with twin 200 FICHTs, they're build dates were March and April 2000. They fired right up at the brokerage when we picked it up and I have videos of them running at WOT. My plan is to run them for a season and spend my money on other boat improvements, maybe a Yammy swap out next year. I've read that most of the FICHT issues were pre-2001 and anything below the 200's the 200s and 225s were apparently more reliable and didn't have the same build issues of the smaller HP motors. This winter will be degreasing, nut and bolt, cleaning, new plugs and apparently new seals and oil for both lower units (per a recent survey). I'm going to be focused on getting them clean fuel and oil - what else should I be looking at? Someone mentioned running the ETECH plugs on these motors as they run better. I'm open to any and all tips - and yes the obvious one is a re-power - TIA
@@diemosel Hope it runs good for many years! I would disconnect and open up all the cooling lines and be sure they are clear. One of the issues is the EMM overheating. The other is to be sure you run the Evinrude oil specifically for the Ficht. The last suggestion is to go on Amazon and buy my Used Outboard Motor buying guide. If you send me an email with proof of purchase to keith@outboarddad.com I offer a free phone session to help you. Also be sure the oil tanks are clean, they can develop sludge and will ruin your engine, other tests are in the guide. Let me know how it goes!
I have a small collection of Evinrude lower units... When I ran their "Lighting" lower unit, my bass boat would do 66-68mph, it ran great and was fast, but it never made it through a single season before it blew or started clicking. I have 3 sitting in my shed. My spare was a "Magnum" this one was bulletproof, but definitely slower. I could only go 63-64mph. I used it as my backup on my 2000, 2005, and both 2004s. I've even lent it to friends when their lighting went. It still sitting in my shed, waiting for its next opportunity.
For sale of argument, couldn't that engine be modified to be reliable, like lowering the compression? My American favorite would be a Lausen four cycle air cooled.
Greetings from Finland outboard dad. Those DI - 2 strokes Looked great when invented, but just are not as reliable than a modern(or carburated) 4-stroke. There are all sorts of things that can go wrong. Optimax air compessor being one and so on. I would like to own an e-tec though. Just worrying cause there is no factory maintenance any more available. Some parts for those are stupidly expensive. I myself have an Johnson V4 2000(looper). Im gonna drive it until the wheels fall of cause its worth fuck all, but gets the job done and has more power than i even need. Only problem is fuel consumption but hey you cant have it all 😅 after that breaks or i change the boat ill be looking for a modern 4-stroke with fuel injection, proper maintenance and low hours.. thanks for the videos ✌️
Poor and lack of maintenance doesn’t make for a bad engine. BRP resolved pretty much all of these issues by 2003. Evinrude definitely had some major issues in the late 90’s till 2002 but most of the bad rap comes from lousy mechanics and poor or no maintenance. Yamaha and Mercury’s have had their fair share of horror stories. If you want any “ marine “ engine to last, you better maintain the hell out of it.
I’ve got an original 1991 2 stroke merc 200. Been pounding it hard every summer in salt water . Flush it 2 times a season, mid summer and before storage. We run this thing at high R’s. Never a problem.
Ill stick to my 07 Yamaha 115 2 stroke its a great motor i only run non ethanol and star tron ring and clean at every fill up. And i flush even though im not even running in salt water i still flush after every use.
So without even watching the video I’m dropping a comment, those first gen fuel injected Evinrudes are hitting 27 years old! There are still lots of them running but not many people working on them, so without professional service they are running great! You will not see that out of any four stroke. The biggest problem with them was mechanics that didn’t learn them or dishonest sales men that switch to four stroke and said they all blow up. Now I will watch to see if you are like me, or a bad mechanic, or dishonest salesman. All in good fun, no one should be out on the water with a motor that old.
I have a 02 ficht 200hp never had any of these problems and the only reason why it still runs to this day is because I ran that the like a hard mf and pretty much only problem I’ve seen is emm overheating or failure never had many issues just needs I little extra maintenance and they will run forever
@@Jevinrude_dude158 Yesss! Every person that is diligent with the maintenance, learns the issues for any motor and takes good care of it has a better chance at long term success! What is your routine that made your motor run well for so long?
@ always was ahead of maintenance and every summer we would have a mechanic come out and look at it and tell us what we should do to prevent something happening and that’s how it’s still running today. We probably put not too much money into it only thing we’ve really done is like spark plugs, regular maintenancebut in 2007 we had the EMM replaced.
@ Sweet! I believe maintenance is the key no matter what motor you have! Sounds like you have a good mechanic that helped you stay on top of things. What boat is it on?
There's no such thing as a good direct injection 2stroke wether it be mercury seado jonson they all shit engines I've had them all I've hated life every time I've had one
I had a 2000 200hp and it was great for 17 years, the #6 cylinder went because of detonation. Bought a 2005 225HO and 6 weeks later, I was caught in a storm and it hydro locked. Then I found a beat up 2004 250 with a lot of hours, I bolted on the powerhead and ran that for 3 years. In 2001, I found a 2004 225HO, super clean with low hours. I bolted that on and ran it until I sold the boat in June. I always ran XD100, I used Evinrude Engine Tuner twice a year to remove carbon buildup. I had the EMM rebuilt on the first motor in 2010 by DFI Technologies. The first motor was also recalled to pin the head, this was to deflect the injector spray to solve spark plug fouling problems. I believe that the BRP Ram motors, 2002 and up, were much better than the original Ficht. These motors were great when they ran, very fuel efficient. They liked to go fast, they hated trolling. Carbon build up was their enemy.
@@krisfishllc Interesting! Thanks for the input and your real world experience!
Have a 1999 175 ficht 6 years now, zero issues. Previous owner bought it new, used it little and did any upgrade available. I run it hard on Lake Michigan every month that doesn’t have ice on the lake. I stay up on maintenance and keep waiting for something to happen, but it just keeps on going. 🤞🤞🤞
@@richardstill7691 Awesome, what is your maintenance routine?
I have a 1998 Ficht 175, first gen air cooled ecu model, i've put around 800 hours, bought it new in '98, it's had its run of issues with the ignition module/powerpack, most recent issues i've had with it were water getting in the VST for a long period of time, we didn't know what the problem was till october, then it finally got fixed, used to get 5700 RPM and 54 mph, now down to 5400 at 49-51 mph, other issue i've had recently was the Power Distribution Panels crapping out on the trim side of issues. But other than those issues it's a great motor and gets great efficiency, usually fill up once or twice per month, overall 7/10 engine.
@@raychoncla Nice, what is your regular maintenance schedule? Do you use a fuel stabilizer?
Looking forward to seeing your mechanic assessment of the Fitch!
@@bradleyferdinand9192 Thanks buddy!
I have a 2000 225. Had it for about 20 years. I had the emm repaired about 10 fears ago and replaced the fuel pump/vapor separator with an E Tek unit. This part is NLA. I am an avid diver and live in florida so the boat goes all year. It's bin a great engine. If you ever run these into sand, you MUST clear the cooling tubing and the fuel separator and the EMM. Both are water cooled and in series . If one blocks up nothing gets cooled. Maintenance !
@@JohnPalma-u7e You are preaching to the choir ! Love to hear when things run well? Any make and model has better results when properly maintained
This is absolutely true, you must make sure the cooling tube was clean and clear. I always used a small drill bit to clean out the passage.
Please correct me if i'm wrong.I understand that the 225 horsepower were different somehow than the other finch and were less problematic. @OutboardDad
@ Yes the 225 and 250 were really good motors with little issues. Really right before the wreck.
I just bought a 24' NorthCoast with twin 200 FICHTs, they're build dates were March and April 2000. They fired right up at the brokerage when we picked it up and I have videos of them running at WOT. My plan is to run them for a season and spend my money on other boat improvements, maybe a Yammy swap out next year. I've read that most of the FICHT issues were pre-2001 and anything below the 200's the 200s and 225s were apparently more reliable and didn't have the same build issues of the smaller HP motors. This winter will be degreasing, nut and bolt, cleaning, new plugs and apparently new seals and oil for both lower units (per a recent survey). I'm going to be focused on getting them clean fuel and oil - what else should I be looking at? Someone mentioned running the ETECH plugs on these motors as they run better. I'm open to any and all tips - and yes the obvious one is a re-power - TIA
@@diemosel Hope it runs good for many years! I would disconnect and open up all the cooling lines and be sure they are clear. One of the issues is the EMM overheating. The other is to be sure you run the Evinrude oil specifically for the Ficht. The last suggestion is to go on Amazon and buy my Used Outboard Motor buying guide. If you send me an email with proof of purchase to keith@outboarddad.com I offer a free phone session to help you. Also be sure the oil tanks are clean, they can develop sludge and will ruin your engine, other tests are in the guide. Let me know how it goes!
I have a small collection of Evinrude lower units... When I ran their "Lighting" lower unit, my bass boat would do 66-68mph, it ran great and was fast, but it never made it through a single season before it blew or started clicking. I have 3 sitting in my shed. My spare was a "Magnum" this one was bulletproof, but definitely slower. I could only go 63-64mph. I used it as my backup on my 2000, 2005, and both 2004s. I've even lent it to friends when their lighting went. It still sitting in my shed, waiting for its next opportunity.
@@krisfishllc Sounds like you’re prepared!
I had a 1998 model 175HP. Was a great motor. I put 500 hours on it and sold that boat in 2003
@@williamcrist1887 Sweet!
For sale of argument, couldn't that engine be modified to be reliable, like lowering the compression? My American favorite would be a Lausen four cycle air cooled.
@@stanleybest8833 I would think that if it had been maintained better would have been a more reliable motor
Is there a source to find out if the coast guard required updates where done on your motor.
Currently have a 04 175 and it is running very well.
@@kevintovornik753 You would need to find an evinrude dealer that has that info. I never got any documentation
Greetings from Finland outboard dad. Those DI - 2 strokes Looked great when invented, but just are not as reliable than a modern(or carburated) 4-stroke. There are all sorts of things that can go wrong. Optimax air compessor being one and so on. I would like to own an e-tec though. Just worrying cause there is no factory maintenance any more available. Some parts for those are stupidly expensive.
I myself have an Johnson V4 2000(looper). Im gonna drive it until the wheels fall of cause its worth fuck all, but gets the job done and has more power than i even need. Only problem is fuel consumption but hey you cant have it all 😅 after that breaks or i change the boat ill be looking for a modern 4-stroke with fuel injection, proper maintenance and low hours.. thanks for the videos ✌️
@@anttivuori8659 I’m with you!
oh yeah had a 150 ficht ram 2001 , EMM blow, overheat , but it was good as long as it ran , powerful and nice sound...
@@jranlangset8867 Thanks for the feedback
I also fish the saltwater in NJ almost every weekend and I bought a Honda engine for my boat after I noticed that tow boat USA uses Honda
@@justinschmidt9180 Yes I have seen them on the tow boats too. If I had the money there would be one on my boat!
Poor and lack of maintenance doesn’t make for a bad engine. BRP resolved pretty much all of these issues by 2003. Evinrude definitely had some major issues in the late 90’s till 2002 but most of the bad rap comes from lousy mechanics and poor or no maintenance. Yamaha and Mercury’s have had their fair share of horror stories. If you want any “ marine “ engine to last, you better maintain the hell out of it.
@@davidwatson1460 Could not agree more!
I’ve got an original 1991 2 stroke merc 200. Been pounding it hard every summer in salt water . Flush it 2 times a season, mid summer and before storage. We run this thing at high R’s. Never a problem.
@ Nice!
Have a 2000 90hp ficht here in Ireland. Run super unleaded and motul 2t oil in it no issues. Needs to be run hard though
@@hughmckay85 Thanks for the comment!
Ill stick to my 07 Yamaha 115 2 stroke its a great motor i only run non ethanol and star tron ring and clean at every fill up. And i flush even though im not even running in salt water i still flush after every use.
@@DustinKeating-yk3vq I had twin yamaha 115 1991 on my wellcraft and they ran sweet!
So without even watching the video I’m dropping a comment, those first gen fuel injected Evinrudes are hitting 27 years old! There are still lots of them running but not many people working on them, so without professional service they are running great! You will not see that out of any four stroke. The biggest problem with them was mechanics that didn’t learn them or dishonest sales men that switch to four stroke and said they all blow up. Now I will watch to see if you are like me, or a bad mechanic, or dishonest salesman. All in good fun, no one should be out on the water with a motor that old.
I love this comment before watching. You can keep most anything running when you learn what it needs and how to take care of it.
Mine is 26 years old, stay up on maintenance and runs like a champ!🤞🤞
@@richardstill7691 Sweet! What is your maintenance routine?
I have a 02 ficht 200hp never had any of these problems and the only reason why it still runs to this day is because I ran that the like a hard mf and pretty much only problem I’ve seen is emm overheating or failure never had many issues just needs I little extra maintenance and they will run forever
@@Jevinrude_dude158 Yesss! Every person that is diligent with the maintenance, learns the issues for any motor and takes good care of it has a better chance at long term success! What is your routine that made your motor run well for so long?
@ always was ahead of maintenance and every summer we would have a mechanic come out and look at it and tell us what we should do to prevent something happening and that’s how it’s still running today. We probably put not too much money into it only thing we’ve really done is like spark plugs, regular maintenancebut in 2007 we had the EMM replaced.
@ Sweet! I believe maintenance is the key no matter what motor you have! Sounds like you have a good mechanic that helped you stay on top of things. What boat is it on?
@OutboardDad it’s a 2002 bombardier fish hawk 230 wa such a beautiful boat
@ Nice! I had a 23 wellcraft walk around for 8-9 yrs. Thinking dual console next.
There's no such thing as a good direct injection 2stroke wether it be mercury seado jonson they all shit engines I've had them all I've hated life every time I've had one
@@chrisbrennan4434 Wow that’s terrible
I love my Suzuki
@@BrianHinz-u6i What year? 4 stroke?
@ 2022 df 140 b yes it’s a 4 stroke, you can’t even hear it run when it’s idling.
@ Sweet!