Help on purchase twin 225s

[Wadejg]

I’m looking to buy a 2017 Defiance admiral 270 with twin Honda 225s. 300 hours. Love the boat. My wife and kids love the boat.

I posted on a Defiance facebook forum and the original owner posted. Hey, that was my boat. He traded it in on a larger boat so the dealer actually owns it now. In the owners facebook history a couple concerns I noted.

1) Last year he had to replace the shift cables and engine harnesses due to seawater getting into the rigging tubes and corroding them. Tubes still won’t seem to stay attached on the motor side. Thoughts?

2) dealer changed oil last year and was gelled in both motors. Like jello that my kids mushed a spoon through. Huh. Never heard of modern motors and oil gelling. Thoughts?

3) last year after having service done including spark plugs replaced a coil blew off the plug and actually went through mostly through the cowling and embedded itself. I mostly chalk this up to some sort of technician error. The only confusing part is why didn’t the spark plug blow out. I saw the cowling had some prior damage but had figured it was from outside in…not inside out.

I’m waiting to hear more from the former owner.

I’m having motors looked over at Honda dealer All Island Marine on Long Island. Anything particular I should ask them to do or check besides compression (which the dealer said they checked prior to accepting on trade). On sea trial motors pulled hard reached 6000k rpm at expected top speed of 45mph.

Any way to check for corrosion?

Survey pending and I'm going to get surveyor pull oil and get an analysis.

When did Honda fix the shaft bushing, o2 sensor, frozen spark plug 6, and thermostat housing corrosion issues? Or didn't they?

I kinda wish I didn't know about the prior stuff because all used boats have a history...just like people.

Attaching pics of loose rigging tubes, gelled oil, and coil embedded in the cowling. And my twin 8 yo sons enjoying the sea trial w an iPad

Thanks for any advice,
Justin Wade

 

[chawk_man]

What year/SN's are the engines?

Can't answer many of your questions. Hopefully Ian will pipe in.

1. Drill drain holes in the rigging tubes.
2. Jellied oil? Never heard of that happening. Either someone put in the wrong oil or it got badly contaminated somehow. Recommend that you use Merc 25W-40 FC-W replacement oil.
3. I have no idea how a coil could get blown off the plug. They are bolted down!!! At least they are on my 2007 model. It's darn near impossible for the Honda 225 engine to blow a spark plug or a coil. It would take extreme engine-destroying pressure to do that.
4. Best place to easily check for excessive corrosion is under the thermostat seats, IMO. Otherwise, pull the water jackets on the manifolds.
5. Shaft bushing problem was solved about mid-2007 model years with redesigned lower unit.
6. O2 sensor problems have been on and off. Biggest problem was in the early model years when the exhaust tubes allowed water vapor to get up in the manifolds and blow the sensor. Same for corroded # 6 plug. They started using modified exhaust tubes somewhere around 2007.

 

[Wadejg]

chawkman- thanks for the response. Good to hear that my 2017 motors are past a lot of the issues.

Don't have serial numbers.

Honda shop where boat is at for inspection said a number of nuts and bolts missing from motors including lower unit to engine. Indication of poor workmanship from past shops and so it would not shock me if, after plug change, coil wasn't bolted down so it blew off through the cowling

I'm going to have the honda shop inspect:
leakdown and compression
motor oil analysis
lower unit oil analysis
check crankshaft endplay
pull off lower unit and check vertical shaft bushing. In 2017 motors should they still be replaced every few years?
check for corrosion inside thermostats

I'd like to have shop pull exhaust manifolds and check zincs- but this seems like too much to do for a boat I don't yet own. Would you have this done if dealer of boat will let me?

1 motor with 15 overheat alarms, other with 8 overheat alarms- lifetime. Shop says this is typical. No other codes in history like low oil pressure etc.

I'm told there is a revised screw in rigging from honda from later motors- so I would retrofit these if I buy the boat to avoid another rigging corrosion issue.

Thanks again,
Justin

 

[chawk_man]

I've read where those internal zincs last a long time, so you are probably safe leaving those go for a while. Lots of times the overheat codes are generated when using muffs during maintenance testing.

 

[Garygin]

Hey chawk_man. I have a 2002 225 hp. The vertical shaft from the water pump with the spline end. It goes through the extension case and in that case I can see what looks like a bronze split bushing . Is that something that Honda made a change on? I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Also what does the spline end engage? If I have to I’ll make a new bushing.
Thank you as always, Gary

 

[chawk_man]

You seem to be describing the mid-shaft bearing/bushing. Attached are instructions for changing it out and the part number.

These bushings failed on the older Honda 200/225's because the lower cowling did not allow sufficient water to get to the bushing to keep it lubricated. Honda changed the design sometime in the mid-2007 model year.