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BOYESEN REEDS

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bstoerzer

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"Looking for an opinion on whe

"Looking for an opinion on whether BOYESEN REEDS are truly better than the original (OMC) version per the following illustration. Has anyone used BOYESEN REEDS and experienced a noticeable improvement in performance?


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"The general opinion is that b

"The general opinion is that boyesen reeds are superior to (stock) reeds. After replacement putting the motor on a dyno might even show you some results.

However, would I replace them "just because" - probably not. If your reeds need to be replaced then most certainly, use the boyesen's, if not, then why go through the hassle just to obtain an un-noticable (in most cases) change in the motor..

My 2 cents"
 
I have installed them in 2 of

I have installed them in 2 of the motors I have owned. The fist motor was a 1970 Johnson 85hp V4 and the other was a 1987 Johnson 110 V4. In both cases the reeds had a big impact on startability and improved idle performance as well. Installation isn't hard to do and the next time you do a carb rebuild would be the time to do the installation.
 
"Keep in mind, they are not a

"Keep in mind, they are not a permanent part, rather an additional service item. Although these reeds are more flexible and faster reacting than the original steel reeds, there is a downside. They do improve performance, but they also wear out and need to be replaced every year or two, depending on how many hours you put on your boat. In my former life as an Evinrude dealer, I had customers who would run every weekend and would have to replace them twice a season. I haven't been involved with outboards since the mid nineties, maybe they have made improvements on them since then."
 
"Thats news to me Rick. (N

"Thats news to me Rick. (Not saying you aren't right) Boyesen reeds are run in everything from dirt bikes to snowmobiles, Yamaha was installing them at the factory in some of their outboards(I think). The one other bonus to Boyesen reeds is that they are fiberglass and if they break they pass through the motor without damaging it."
 
"There appears to be a rubber

"There appears to be a rubber coating on my reed boxes - is this normal or custom? Will the Boyesen Reeds work on this rubber coating?
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Also, I checked these with a flashlight and there is definately light comming through the edges of the reeds. Does that indicate that the reeds need to be replaced? The picture is not very good...
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I have read that I will need to change the idle jets in my carbs if I install Boyesen Reeds - is this true?"
 
"I didn't have to change a

"I didn't have to change any jets after installing the Boyesen reeds but I have heard that it is sometimes necessary. I doubt the rubber coating will make any difference in performance. As for the light showing through, that looks like the reeds aren't sealing correctly. Joe Reeves or someone else can better advise on that factor."
 
"Doug, you are correct, they d

"Doug, you are correct, they do not do any damage when they break. Evinrude used Boysen reeds in their 2.6 XP cross charged V/6 as well as their "Second Effort" engines in the eighties, These were the HP versions of the V/6 and V/8 outboards. This is where I gained my experience with them. Evinrude issued a bulletin informing customers that these reeds needed to be replaced on a regular basis and that their replacement was not a warranty item. My customers who weren't into racing eventually tired of replacing them and most all of them went back to the steel reeds."
 
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