Subject: R-23's Yamaha F200 + Kicker Maintenance Aspects
So today I wanted to get some idea about some of the features and maintenance aspects for the R-23's Yamaha F200 and the Kicker Yamaha 9.9 motors.
At my Edmonds marina the R-23 owners are lucky enough to have a Yamaha sales/repair/maintenance shop on their door-step at the marina. So I walked in and had a good chat with the Yamaha technician who services the Yamaha outboards. The F200 and the 9.9 Kicker motors were on display in the showroom so this made it easy for the technician to actually point to things as we discussed all the aspects of the motor.
Things I learned...
1) Extremely reliable motor; failures very very rare. 😱 Technician asked me what kind of car I had. I told him it was a Volvo. He smiled and said then you know how reliable the Yamaha motor will be because it's as good as the Volvo. :lol: 😱
2) Recommends the 9.9 Kicker motor for peace of mind; 2nd engine can be or could be a life saver. 😱 In addition, if trolling frequently it's far better to use the kicker motor rather than the trolling feature of the F200 and of course means less hours on the F200 which could cause increased maintenance frequency.
3) Motor maintenance requires the motor+boat to be out of the water, on a trailer and in the shop. You give the shop your boat key and they organize getting the boat hauled/lifted out onto trailer; they perform the service and return the boat to your slip. You pickup your key and pay for the maintenance service work.
4) Cost for hauling, use of trailer; round trip cost $185.
5) Typical 100 hr maintenance cost around $650. If not at a 100 hr interval then yearly or can extend this to 2 yrs as required.
6) Very important to check and clean the engine fuel fine mesh filter periodically. This is the most common issue as if it clogs to any degree the motor's operation will be compromised. The Edmonds marina has non-ethanol gasoline at fuel dock and this is highly recommended.
7) The small spout of water shot out from side of motor is just to let you know the raw water cooling system is operational. The raw water is sucked up from either side above the prop bullet and some of it exhausts through a small rubber outlet on rear of cowling. The majority of the raw water is expelled through the prop shaft along with the exhaust fumes.
8) There are two large external anodes; First one above the prop and below the trim plate. It is released using a long extension (maybe 8" long) from the top. It hangs down a bit and looks like an inverted shark fin. 😉 The second one is a big 2" plate attached to base of the bolting plate on the boat's transom.
9) There are 4 pencil type anodes buried in the engine which under normal use should be good for long periods. Of course they do need checking periodically.
10) If any of the lower part of the F200 sits in the water when in full raised position then the portion in the water should be treated with hull bottom paint as growth will surely occur. This includes the motor's transom bolting plate. Does the R-23's F200 lay in the water to any extent when fully raised ?
11) It's best to setup a maintenance schedule with the shop as there can be a long waiting time of 2 months during busy times.
12) Using the connecter for attaching a fresh water hose for flushing the salt water from all parts of the engine takes around 5 to 10 minutes to perform. The fresh water will appear to ooze out everywhere... so don't worry. This should be done with engined stopped.
13) Combustion air is drawn in from the two horizontal slots on either side of the cowling.
14) The raw water pump's impeller is very big and should last for a good 10 years in the technician experience. Great. 🙂
I was very impressed with the shop and the technician's free exchange of data and information.
So today I wanted to get some idea about some of the features and maintenance aspects for the R-23's Yamaha F200 and the Kicker Yamaha 9.9 motors.
At my Edmonds marina the R-23 owners are lucky enough to have a Yamaha sales/repair/maintenance shop on their door-step at the marina. So I walked in and had a good chat with the Yamaha technician who services the Yamaha outboards. The F200 and the 9.9 Kicker motors were on display in the showroom so this made it easy for the technician to actually point to things as we discussed all the aspects of the motor.
Things I learned...
1) Extremely reliable motor; failures very very rare. 😱 Technician asked me what kind of car I had. I told him it was a Volvo. He smiled and said then you know how reliable the Yamaha motor will be because it's as good as the Volvo. :lol: 😱
2) Recommends the 9.9 Kicker motor for peace of mind; 2nd engine can be or could be a life saver. 😱 In addition, if trolling frequently it's far better to use the kicker motor rather than the trolling feature of the F200 and of course means less hours on the F200 which could cause increased maintenance frequency.
3) Motor maintenance requires the motor+boat to be out of the water, on a trailer and in the shop. You give the shop your boat key and they organize getting the boat hauled/lifted out onto trailer; they perform the service and return the boat to your slip. You pickup your key and pay for the maintenance service work.
4) Cost for hauling, use of trailer; round trip cost $185.
5) Typical 100 hr maintenance cost around $650. If not at a 100 hr interval then yearly or can extend this to 2 yrs as required.
6) Very important to check and clean the engine fuel fine mesh filter periodically. This is the most common issue as if it clogs to any degree the motor's operation will be compromised. The Edmonds marina has non-ethanol gasoline at fuel dock and this is highly recommended.
7) The small spout of water shot out from side of motor is just to let you know the raw water cooling system is operational. The raw water is sucked up from either side above the prop bullet and some of it exhausts through a small rubber outlet on rear of cowling. The majority of the raw water is expelled through the prop shaft along with the exhaust fumes.
8) There are two large external anodes; First one above the prop and below the trim plate. It is released using a long extension (maybe 8" long) from the top. It hangs down a bit and looks like an inverted shark fin. 😉 The second one is a big 2" plate attached to base of the bolting plate on the boat's transom.
9) There are 4 pencil type anodes buried in the engine which under normal use should be good for long periods. Of course they do need checking periodically.
10) If any of the lower part of the F200 sits in the water when in full raised position then the portion in the water should be treated with hull bottom paint as growth will surely occur. This includes the motor's transom bolting plate. Does the R-23's F200 lay in the water to any extent when fully raised ?
11) It's best to setup a maintenance schedule with the shop as there can be a long waiting time of 2 months during busy times.
12) Using the connecter for attaching a fresh water hose for flushing the salt water from all parts of the engine takes around 5 to 10 minutes to perform. The fresh water will appear to ooze out everywhere... so don't worry. This should be done with engined stopped.
13) Combustion air is drawn in from the two horizontal slots on either side of the cowling.
14) The raw water pump's impeller is very big and should last for a good 10 years in the technician experience. Great. 🙂
I was very impressed with the shop and the technician's free exchange of data and information.