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150hp going on Limp mode

G

Guyph_01

Contributing Member
Hi guys,

Need some help.. Looking at buying a 150 hp Evinrude FICHT outboard to try and fix up.
Engine details:
06/2000
E150fpxsir
G04897332

Story:
Seller says when the engine went on limp mode due to water flow it was sent to a shop that replace the impeller but didn't fix the issue. Was then brought to another shop that replaced the thermostat and impeller again and same issue so he ended up buying a new engine. He says it most likely a computer problem.

Now, no offence but i don't trust him.. I know i can be hard to guess what the problem is but i'm wandering if this is a common issue. Also do you guys think its possible the ECU is at fault? cracked block? Head? What else could possibly be causing the problem?

I'm just trying to learn from you guys the max about the engine to weight my options and see if it is worth it.

Again, much appreciated,
Regards,
Guy
 
Guyph_01 said:
Haha, really?? that bad hey?
Click to expand...

When FICHT motors are well kept and running good, they are great motors powerful and fuel efficient, a friend of mine has 2 x 225 Evinrude FICHT Rams on his 26 ft Hydra-Sport and he has them maintained every spring and fall at a great cost that is.....this motor is a special breed requiring sparks plugs to be indexed and so forth....a headache to a person who doesnt turn wrenches and doesnt have a lot of experience with outboards....BOAT means BREAK OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND.....that same issue reminds me of when my friends engine control unit was overheating putting him into limp mode because the water flow in the engine block is also used to cool the engine controller.....look into that as well....
 
Guyph_01 said:
Haha, really?? that bad hey?
Click to expand...

I have ZERO experience with these motors, but I do recall they were overrun with many design problems. The 225 and 250 motors seemed to be fairly reliable but the 150 and 175 motors were known for cooking the power heads. There were injector problems, fuel rail problems, and as mentioned, spark plug indexing required....the list goes on.

If you are a very well versed mechanic and you have a computer and the diagnostic software, the engine may be worth a shot if it's really cheap. If not, you're better off looking elsewhere.
 
RUUUNNN as far and fast as you can unless it's free. The standard ficht is not the same as a ficht ram so you can't compare them. The main problems with the 150 and 175s were this. Most of the problems were on offshore boats where they ran them in tandems. The way they troll out there is pretty fast that created a problem because of the way the injection works. The ficht creates an ultra lean idle for emissions when you accelerate it transitions to a richer mixture these motors were running at that transition point so it just caused catastrophic problems. All the fichts had issues with bad electronics none were immune but the biggest problem is going to be NO FACTORY SUPPORT for that motor. Anything you find is aftermarket and not cheap. If OMC would have waited 2 yrs and came out with the RAM Injection they probably would have been OK. They tried to make it as cheap as possible and that motor has not stood the test of time it's scrap aluminum.
 
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