Ficht question

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evilgli

Junior Member
is there any difference in a 1999 225 Ficht and a 2001 225 Ficht engine? i have noticed the early engine just say Ficht..and the later engines say Ficht Ram Injected.. thanks
 
evilgli said:
is there any difference in a 1999 225 Ficht and a 2001 225 Ficht engine? i have noticed the early engine just say Ficht..and the later engines say Ficht Ram Injected.. thanks
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Yes, there is ALOT of difference between the two. They are COMPLETELY different engines and not hardly a single part from either would interchange. If considering going with a large HP FICHT, the 01+ isn't horrible, but mid year 03+ is better. The 01-early 04 though have had quite a few lower unit issues with them. The earlier 98-00 200/225 FICHT's weren't plagued with most of the problems that gave FICHT's a bad rep like the 150/175 did from 97-00, but they do have some MAJOR flaws in them that have to be addressed. The EMM's in all of the early FICHT's are failure prone, and there isn't much you can do about it other than having DFI do there upgrade which still isn't a cure all. Also the earlier 200/225's earned a bad reputation due to fuel leaks in them that have caught more than a few on fire if all of the updates haven't been performed to them. The 01+ 200-250's are a larger displacement 3.3L engine which helped out with engine failures, but the added torque caused alot of lower unit failures. I did alot of homework on the early FICHTS before I decided to stay with my carb engine.
 
The RAM badging was a last ditch effort by OMC just before they were bought out to get the sales numbers up on the FICHT engines and to try and move past the stigma of the FICHT's. Hence whya as soon as BRP took over they got rid of ANYTHING that said FICHT on it first thing even before they changed the design of the engine the first of 03 for the mid year 03's. If you're serious about it I would get the ID numbers off of it and go to an EVINRUDE dealer and have them check to see if all of the factory updates have been performed. Next take it to a qualified shop that knows how to work on a FICHT engine(they are similiar to ETEC's, but still not many can work on them) and have them do a full diagnostic on it and computer print-out of the EMM. Also find out when the EMM was last rebuilt or replaced. By now just about all of the EMM's have failed or are on there way out. And I wouldn't even consider one unless you could take it out and run it hard for at least 30-45 minutes of real world running at 4500+RPM's. Most EMM failures don't show up cold, but show themselves after 20-30 minutes of hard running. And the early warning signs of many is the voltage will run up past 14.8 volts(they have a regulator, but I believe all FICHTS have an EMM circuit to trigger the regulator so they can reach high voltage for start-up and then drop back). I personally decided to keep my carbed engine and set it up for max economy rather than going to a DFI after doing some homework on em. My 225 burns about 2 GPH at a dead idle, and roughly 3-3.5 trolling which is close to double that of a DFI engine, but at cruising speeds my fuel burn is pretty close(roughly 10-11 GPH at 3600-3800 RPM's). A DFI will have it's biggest fuel savings at low RPM's where it is roughly 2-3X more efficient, but at WOT they are only about 10-15% more efficient. At cruise they can be as much as 40% more efficient, but realistically 20-30%. This is true of 4 strokes as well, the faster you run them the lower the efficiency difference between them.

I personally feel that I can buy ALOT of gas for what a simple EMM repair can cost(roughly$1200), not to mention if it needs an injector(about $250 each for a FICHT) and the shop's labor. Just about any repair on a FICHT requires a laptop and the appropriate software to link up with the EMM.
 
thanks for all the info ferm.. now i'm gonna get to checking things out.. that 200 ocean pro is killing me in fuel running 40 miles offshore..
 
evilgli said:
thanks for all the info ferm.. now i'm gonna get to checking things out.. that 200 ocean pro is killing me in fuel running 40 miles offshore..
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Look at it this way. How much fuel do you use now? Take that number and reduce it by 25%. That is about how much you will save each trip. Now figure how many trips you make a year and figure your annual fuel savings. Once you do this many times you will find that you won't save anywhere near as much as you think unless you are the twice a month boater. Then also figure in roughly a $1K every year or two for repairs if you don't use the FICHT often, and you find that you may actually spend more by the time your done. A FICHT engine NEEDS to be started every two weeks and run for about 10 minutes unless it is properly set-up to be stored, otherwise the injectors will give you problems and take out a cylinder or two with em.
 
got to agree with ferm, i would love a newer more efficient engine, but ,believe it or not, the cheapest thing you put in a boat is the gas. we use our boat a lot (150 hour s a year) and at a fuel saving of about 12-15%, its cheaper to buy gas..
 
The SUZUKI's are good engines, and are actually really good on fuel for there HP. They do have corrsion problems though in the lower unit and internally to the powerhead if they aren't flushed religously.
 
If money is tight and you simply want to save a little more fuel, find you a set of 225 carbs for your 200. Jet them stock and set your timing to 18-19 degrees at 5K RPM's. Then get a large diameter prop for her and you will be about as efficient as any carb motor will be. the 225 carbs actually help out in the economy department contrary to what many will lead you to believe. You'll lose a little just off idle, but your 3500-4000 cruise will improve. Unless your dead set on wanting a new engine, I would keep the one you have. You have more history with your current engine and know more about how it's been takin care of. And with a FICHT it's not if it will break down, it's when and how many $K's will it cost.
 
well the guy with that ficht thinks he is sitting on a gold mind.. so i'll be passing on it.. hooking up a fuel flow sensor to my lowrance this weekend..so iw ill post real burn number on the 200 ocean pro when i get them and see what you think.. i think if i do go with a ficht..i'm gonna hold out for a 03 or newer.. plus i think i need a 250, because the 200 is having a tough time getting the new boat up..
 
I didn't realize this was on that big of a boat, that changes things a bit. I would definately say look for an mid year 03+ if you go with a DFI EVINRUDE, just make sure it was one built by BRP and not an OMC leftover. That 200 has got to be working it's tail off to keep that boat up on plane. A set of 225 carbs and a MIRAGE PLUS or APOLLO from MICHIGAN WHEEL will do ALOT of good for that rig. You need to be swingin as big a prop as you can on that boat, and I would think a 15 pitch would be just about ideal for it in a MIRAGE PLUS. And a set of 225 carbs will definately make a noticeable difference. Keep the timing at 18 and no more though for that boat, it's to heavy and will cause detonation if you go even a little over. I persoanlly would look for an 04 250 EVINRUDE if you can find one. And also that 99 wouldn't be a good match to that boat as the heavy boats is what caused most of the failures in the smaller 3.0L FICHT's. In 01 they went to the 3.3L big block for the 200-250 like they had in the late 90's for the 250 carb motors. They have ALOT of torque which is what you want for a boat like that.

Now that I see what boat your working with I would guess your fuel burn numbers to around 15-17 GPH at 4400-4500 RPM's. that is just about the norm for that engine on a heavy hull. 225 carbs will keep you at roughly the same fuel burn but with a slight jump in HP which means you can swing a bigger prop and lower your cruise RPM's. And don't forget your prop. Any engine be it carb, 4 stroke or DFI won't get good milage unless you have the right style prop for the hull.
 
thanks for all the knowledge ferm.. and your right, the 200 has a hard time with that boat.. right now the 200 is running a 15x17 omc stainless prop.. i try and cruise around 4000RPM, but seas will vary that and i've had to run up to 4400RPM.. hopefully will get the fuel flow sensor up and working this weekend to get exact numbers.. last time offshore it was 3 to 4 foot seas all the way 40 miles out.. trolled allday.. ran 40 miles back in 2 to 3 foot seas.. burned roughly 90 gallons of fuel..

i agree with you and think the boat needs a 250.. so i'll suck it up and keep feeding my 200 fuel until i find a 250
 
15X17 is a good prop, but not ideal for that hull. A 15 pitch MIRAGE would help out. Also with the 15X17 you can't be hitting that many RPM's at WOT. I'm spinning a 17 PITCH MIRAGE style prop on my HYDRA and have to trim the crap out of it to get it up to 5600 WOT. You need to be able to hit 5600-5800 with a moderate load or else that 200 is going to absolutely SUCK the fuel down.
 
with the 15X17, 3/4 of a tank of fuel, 3 guys on the boat, tackle, ice, no tabs, boat will do 43MPH and engine will turn 6000 RPM WOT.. i will give it to the 200 ocean runner, she likes to scream and suck the fuel..haha
 
evilgli said:
with the 15X17, 3/4 of a tank of fuel, 3 guys on the boat, tackle, ice, no tabs, boat will do 43MPH and engine will turn 6000 RPM WOT.. i will give it to the 200 ocean runner, she likes to scream and suck the fuel..haha
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You may want to have your prop and tach checked. Your numbers come out to 17% prop slip which is HUGE for WOT. 8-12% is the normal range, but much more than 10% is pushing it. Something definately isn't right with those numbers. I get roughly 2-3% prop slip with my APOLLO prop which gets me EXCELLENT bite and economy. You may be able to improve your economy noticeably just by re-propping and checking your set-up.

Next time your out check your engine height like in this post and see where your plate is in the water column underway. If it is too high that will cause your excess prop slip.
http://www.propgods.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=97

I would suggest you try and find one of these for a prop. A 15 pitch in a MIRAGE PLUS would be just about ideal for your app and speed. You might also want to have your tach checked for accuracy to make sure it's reading right.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-...at_Parts_Accessories_Gear?hash=item2ea8b29e0b
 
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THEFERMANATOR said:
You may want to have your prop and tach checked. Your numbers come out to 17% prop slip which is HUGE for WOT. 8-12% is the normal range, but much more than 10% is pushing it. Something definately isn't right with those numbers. I get roughly 2-3% prop slip with my APOLLO prop which gets me EXCELLENT bite and economy. You may be able to improve your economy noticeably just by re-propping and checking your set-up.

Next time your out check your engine height like in this post and see where your plate is in the water column underway. If it is too high that will cause your excess prop slip.
http://www.propgods.com/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=97

I would suggest you try and find one of these for a prop. A 15 pitch in a MIRAGE PLUS would be just about ideal for your app and speed. You might also want to have your tach checked for accuracy to make sure it's reading right.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/New-...at_Parts_Accessories_Gear?hash=item2ea8b29e0b
Click to expand...

just had the prop redone about 2 months ago.. not i say i hit 6000 RPM at WOT..that is with the engine trimmed WAY up.. say if i leave the engine trimmed in the middle of the gauge, the engine will only run about 5600-5700 RPM at WOT.. when the engine was in the shop about a month or so ago when i had stuck open thermostats kicking my *** (i know dumb), the techs said my tach was working fine. don't know if this makes a difference.. i will check the plate next time i'm out.
 
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