225 Optimax opinions

captpete13 said:
there is no such thing as too much power. If I came across one of those motors for a good deal it would be on the back of my boat faster then it takes me to type this response
Click to expand...


If i can get the OX66 complete with binaccle cables keys etc, for $3500 should i jump on it? Only issue its 550lbs.


Talked with the owner it has 530 hours but its a 30" shaft. He will let it go for $3500.
 
Last edited:
My dad just passed away and i had to use $520 of the outboard money to cover what insurance did not on the funeral and burial expenses. So i have $3000 to find an outboard.
 
hey I'm sorry for your loss. I didn't know how much the 250 weighed. It is a great engine though. I have a 2.6L 225 Yamaha. It is the same weight as all the 150-200 2.6L's. they are older motors but I still see good clean ones every once and a while. Also watch for a V6 Excel. That's what they called the early 225's
 
Sorry about your dad, know the feeling as I lost mine 9 years ago. As for the YAMAHA 250, it is too heavy and way out of it's element for a V-20. The 76 degree YAMAHA's are best suited for pushing heavy loads as they drink as much fuel as the old OMC V-8's did, but make almost as much torque as they did. For a bracketed boat in teh 200HP range, you won't find a much better match than the older 2.5L MERCURY. They had a long production run, parts are easy to find, pretty reliable once you removed the oil injection, and they are easy to work on if you find a carbed engine.
 
Found a couple more motors that may work, not sure if they are 2.5L or a 3.0L. May have to do some "horse trading" to get one.

panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/3016036425.html

2000 Mercury 200 EFI $4000

panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/2995535437.html

1994 Mercury 2.5L 200 $2000

pensacola.craigslist.org/boa/3032228907.html

2000 250 Merc EFI (dont know how a 250 got here. :head: )

panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/2991667409.html

1991 Mercury 2.5L $950

Still waiting to hear from Kenny at Emerald Coast Marine about the twin 2003 Optimax 225's. Should know something this week.
 
Last edited:
jasoncooperpcola said:
Found a couple more motors that may work, not sure if they are 2.5L or a 3.0L. May have to do some "horse trading" to get one.

panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/3016036425.html

2000 Mercury 200 EFI $4000

panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/2995535437.html

1994 Mercury 2.5L 200 $2000

pensacola.craigslist.org/boa/3032228907.html

2000 250 Merc EFI (dont know how a 250 got here. :head: )

panamacity.craigslist.org/boa/2991667409.html

1991 Mercury 2.5L $950

Still waiting to hear from Kenny at Emerald Coast Marine about the twin 2003 Optimax 225's. Should know something this week.
Click to expand...

I might be wrong but in '91 i thought the mercs were still 2.4's

I like that '94 for 2k.
 
I had a 2.4 Merc 175hp That thing pushed the Sea Ox good and man it was good on gas! BS just put it on his 23 Seacraft and loving it!
 
Found a 76 degree 225 Yamaha 420lbs for $3200 but its a 30" shaft. These 30" shafts are getting to be a pain.

mobile.craigslist.org/boa/3030928094.html
 
Last edited:
jasoncooperpcola said:
Found a 76 degree 225 Yamaha 420lbs for $3000 but its a 30" shaft. These 30" shafts are getting to be a pain.
Click to expand...

Add another 100 to that amount and you will be in the ball park of it's actual weight. I have a blown 250 76 degree YAMAHA, and it was a heavy SOB to get off the boat. They went to the offset cran kand 76 degree V to keep the engine from being so big that it wouldn't fit an average splashwell because it was such a big engine(3.4L with a BIG block design). The 76 degree engines were built for pushing heavy loads and to push out the OMC V-8 engines.
 
blown engines are not necessarily a bad thing. If you get it cheap enough. Drop on a rebuilt powerhead and start off fresh.
 
captpete13 said:
blown engines are not necessarily a bad thing. If you get it cheap enough. Drop on a rebuilt powerhead and start off fresh.
Click to expand...

76 degree V engines cost a small FORTUNE to rebuild, and even more to buy a running one. I've got one in teh shed in pieces, and I just can't justify building it as I would only be able to make a few hundred off of it rebuilt.
 
Right now i know where a carbed 1996 Merc 225XL is that has low comp on all cylinders. not sure if its a 2.5 or 3.0. Still trying to figure that out, as there seems to be an overlap when they produced a 2.5L and a 3.0L 200 at the same time. Would Capt Petes idea be practical? Right now i also have seen a 225 Excell on CL for $1000.

pensacola.craigslist.org/boa/2994949014.html

I have seen an ad on CL for outboard rebuilding for $1850, i know rebuilds can cost half that or ten times that, heres the ad

pensacola.craigslist.org/boa/3056815292.html

Also i have a V6 Yamaha counter rotating lower unit in the shed from the 250 Sportsman.

Just emailed the seller of the 2.5L Merc 200 for $2000, waiting to hear back on the shaft length controls and hours. I have the feeling the 2.5L Merc is a "weak" 200. Is this the case? Because they also have a 3.0L 200. But i bet the 2.5L would be less thirsty? I may say to hell with the Optimax and EFI and stay with my original idea of a carbed outboard that i can work on. I really cant afford to put one in the shop for work i cant do. May take a loss in speed. Is 50mph possible for a 2.5L 200 pushing a V20 on a bracket?
 
Last edited:
The 2.5L 200 MERC is not weak by any means. It doesn't have the torque of the 3.0L, but it will perform very well on a V-20. MJ pushed his 23 foot SEA OX with a 2.4L, and I don't think he ever complained about the power. A 225 is almost certainly a 3.0L. The main reaso nthey went to the 3.0L 200 MERC was for emissions and torque for heavier boats. The 2.5L engine was available all the way up to 280HP from MERCURY's performance division. Look over on scream and fly for an engine as well.
 
Yep like I said, I had a 2.4 Merc 175 on the Sea Ox and its a heavy boat, at 3300# before bracket, motor, 100 gal gas, tackle, ice and people! Ran a 15 pitch prop, got low 30's GREAT on gas!!!!I got it from BS and after I bought the 4 stroke I sold back to BS, he just blew his 200 Merc and put it on his 23 Seacraft and loving it.

IMO you need nothing more for a V20, never can use it at 50 mph 99% of time any how! Then the gas at today's prices, heck I am happy in the 30's any day!! lower then that most of the time.With the 200 HDPI I have now it goes great and the thing sips gas:beer:
 
macojoe said:
Yep like I said, I had a 2.4 Merc 175 on the Sea Ox and its a heavy boat, at 3300# before bracket, motor, 100 gal gas, tackle, ice and people! Ran a 15 pitch prop, got low 30's GREAT on gas!!!!I got it from BS and after I bought the 4 stroke I sold back to BS, he just blew his 200 Merc and put it on his 23 Seacraft and loving it.

IMO you need nothing more for a V20, never can use it at 50 mph 99% of time any how! Then the gas at today's prices, heck I am happy in the 30's any day!! lower then that most of the time.With the 200 HDPI I have now it goes great and the thing sips gas:beer:
Click to expand...

You're running the V with 200 hpdi or other boat ?
 
jason, i'd stay away from the guy in milton. heard many horror stories locally about him & his "rebuilds". go the the hull truth & do a search under blackwater.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top