Can I Save This 2-Stroke Outboard? Will It Run?

[@andrewzalewa]

First

[@BornAgainBoating]

You getting pinned ;)

[@andrewzalewa]

@@BornAgainBoatingthanks man! I’ve watched every single video you put out keep it up!

[@KyleHays24]

Love the smell of two stroke in the morning. Good job keeping a awesome motor in the game.

[@djs3484]

Agree 100% on that 2 stroke oil smell in the morning, or anytime for that matter. The 70's and 80's were the golden years... Had a 115 evinrude on my 17 ft cobia and I always ran it a little rich thinking I'd rather have it run that way compared to a lean setup. Ran about 47 mph at 5800rpm closed bow and very low freeboard made it feel faster than it was.

[@djs3484]

Enjoyed watching you troubleshoot and get this motor running again. Knowlegable and competent work.

[@stewatparkpark2933]

The electric fuel pumps are Walbro automotive pumps . You can buy the from the automotive dealers for half what Mercury charge . The rubber seal can be made from fuel injection fuel line .

[@Victorperez-fr7yh]

Great job on pinpointing the problem or problems on that motor. Always love watching your videos on how to. Keep up the good work you do.

[@ottoottensen4836]

Sticky injectors can usually easily be repaired. I used to just soak them with carb clean and then just put a small Allen key through the hole, pushing on it lightly with my thumb while „pulsating“ a 9v battery to it. Worked every time

[@mikeknottscreek8183]

You are really a smart guy! I'm retired and still turning wrenches and problem solving.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you, that's awesome! Keep going my friend, learn everyday and keep going! :)

[@djpar3492]

These are the best videos! Keep em coming!

[@curlcd]

Some of the best content on youtube... thx

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you!

[@travisthompson3700]

I like seeing you back in the boat yard😊

[@motorv8N]

Nice work! Those “never just one thing” things really test the old problem solving skills.

[@chugaaa]

Master chief doing Master chief's things as usual, I don't think right now there is a boat motor's problem he can't crack! Good deal 👊🏻

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you! Lol we can fix anything! Some things might just take a lot longer to figure out lol :)

[@dwayneroberts6616]

Genius!! Incredible diagnosis 🤯.

[@VroomZOOM]

IMHO I'd pull the rails and injectors and clean them out. Also I like to have opti injectors flow tested and back flushed. That ethanol junk will settle in the injector screens and nozzles and it could run lean.

[@bubbagump1452]

Great job diagnosing the motor long time subscriber watch all your videos meet you once at Yamaha school keep up the good content

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you! For sure, I've got your Loewer hat on the shelf for the podcast lol :)

[@blondestrainger]

😊soak it down with ring free and omc tune up to decarbonized and check compression , after that go for it

[@danconn2065]

Excellent overview. As usual! Your diagnostic skills are great. You did not check the strainer nor seem to be caring about the Air Compressor? Is there a reason you did not check them? They seem to be a source of Optimax concerns. That Green Tracker valve is old style new are Purple. I'm going to crack open my Tracker valve this weekend! Maybe list the replacement parts you use with prices? We can get an idea of the work before we choose to start or bring it to a mechanic.

[@BornAgainBoating]

I wasn't too concerned about the compressor because it was making pressure, you squeeze the return lines and see if the pressures spike which let you know whether it is working or not. Here's some more about that from a really old video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bmnYYYeahNRprKs

[@adventuresofaboatguy]

Learned something new! Thanks for the video!

[@BillORights1]

Good work. Your services are needed

[@jrbuch]

Good job. That thing looks a wee bit more complex than my Yamaha V4 2 stroke. This motor seems to be in that strange spot, technology wise where you can tell they're heading in the four stroke direction

[@bubbleobill267]

I had an Opti 115. Fantastic motor!.

[@wheninrome42]

classic Optipop what a pain in the arse these motors are

[@mrmettler1983]

These old opti make great power and are fuel efficient . But they are fickle.

[@sulimandc3467]

Well done to the end

[@OutboardDad]

Nice work, love how you don’t have an attitude that you are superior, just love what you do and sharing how you do it! Let me know is if we can partner some day!

[@fishnfreak18]

Always great content. Learn a lot from this channel. I was wondering what your take on the Evinrude Gen 1 etecs is? I’m thinking of purchasing a used one to throw on my little river boat.

[@BornAgainBoating]

I've always had a 50-50 relationship and opinion of the Evinrude Etecs, if they are saltwater used, not really the biggest fan, though some have great success. But the saltwater seems to clog up and burn out the EMM's and then the injector issues can be a massive pain. So it's usually always about the price and how much of a deal you can get them for in my opinion

[@lepowell9095]

awesome job

[@godfreyschembri9812]

Good job, a guy that he knows what he's doing.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you!

[@jonnooney7102]

Good battery is the first thing to do on an optimax they are not happy with low voltage.

[@dionwairepo5716]

Hi from New Zealand, do you have a video of a 1975 mercury 50hp 500

[@jonnooney7102]

Where did you source the plastic gizmo for testing air injectors?

[@BornAgainBoating]

It's a cheapy cheap, idk how long it will last but it's pretty slick: amzn.to/3BcTrFv

[@davidgibson8292]

Where can you get one of the injector tester that's awesome ?

[@BornAgainBoating]

amzn.to/3NtLEGu

[@stevem8602]

Excellent channel

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you!

[@DustinKeating-yk3vq]

Quick question i have a Yamaha 115 2 stroke the other day it was giving me a alarm and going into limp mode but it wasn't hot and it had oil in both tanks so i got it home a few days later i got my thermol gun and went to the launch and backed it in to run it on the trailer to see if it would give me a alarm again but my battery was dead so i put a new battery and my motor never missed a beat no alarm no limp mode have ever seen a motor give false alarms because the dead battery is making the computer read false info or something

[@BornAgainBoating]

Could definitely have been a voltage problem and messing with the system for sure! Seen loose grounds and bad connections cause all kinds of electrical issues so yes, could have totally been the battery, I'd be a little cautious the first time back out though just to be sure and test it out but after that, yeah, I'd chalk it up to the bad battery :)

[@larryparks5034]

Did I miss him doing a compression test?

[@richardknott2021]

Great video..

[@kookiethebear]

8:26 Left-middle cylinder plug wire is bad too - see it arcing just like the top-right was? Was the last short run supposed to mean you cleaned it all out and it was running like a top?

[@BornAgainBoating]

Didn't notice that! But the pack comes with all the plug wires so they's all getting changed :) Yeah, I cleaned it out and got it all back together but the video wasn't that great, forgot to move the camera so that's my bad :/

[@kingfish3066]

I hope the owner of that motor doesn't treat his women the way he treats his outboard.😂 But I had no doubt you would get it running. That's next level great job diagnosing it.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you! and lol :)

[@saltlifejay1490]

Where did you get the air fuel guage from

[@BornAgainBoating]

They're stupid expensive but you can get them anywhere just google search them 91-881834A-1 You really just need a liquid filled gauge that will take the vibrations out of the needle. One for the air and one for the fuel that way you can see the difference between the two.

[@bartschenk6560]

Erg leerzaam man 👍👍

[@sosebee12nadc13]

The guy in the background at 19:09 😂😂😂

[@luisgomez-i6g]

the good ole optimax!!

[@dwayneroberts6616]

Wow that's the engine I'm considering swapping over to from my 86 Black max. I've found some for around $2500 to $5,000 they are in decent shape with good compression. Then there is a part of me that wants to go for a 2024 90 hp 4stroke Suzuki. Theres some going for $7,999 locally. My boat is roughly 2,800 lbs a Bayliner trophy 1903 CC. 90 hp will move it pretty good but giving up 60 hp is not easy to do. Having a engine that starts everytime and gets great fuel economy is priceless though😂. Is the Optimax a good engine? Most of the ones I'm finding are giving the controls and cables with them. I'd have to by controls and cables plus run them myself if I get a Suzuki.

[@wheninrome42]

don't do it many, get a normal 4 stroke, these HPDI motors are a pain in the butt

[@BornAgainBoating]

I don't mind them, but they are definitely finicky and hate poor fuel, if you get bad gas or leave ethanol in them, you are asking for a world of problems for sure! Can't beat the 4-stroke but yeah, I don't think I would give up a 150HP 2-stroke and go to a 90HP 4-stroke, the boat is not going to perform the same at all :/ unless it's just you going out and don't mind going slow, but it might consume similar fuel because the engine will always be at high RPM :/ big decision for sure, keep saving the money and ride out the black max for another season maybe ?

[@earlraines6152]

Need some help with my fuel tank it leaking from my sending unit the inserts are strip out on the 50 gallon tank got any suggestions

[@BornAgainBoating]

Rotate the sender, install a new one, drill new holes and I'm guessing this is a polly tank, then bed the sender in plastic weld or gasoila, the gasoila might not hold if it's a polly tank, but the plastic weld will. Then screw the sender down and it's fixed for at least another 10+ years lol amzn.to/4e56p75 amzn.to/47vtVr4

[@pablodelosangeles7446]

Que pasada!!👏👏

[@CptAJbanned]

Got an issue with my 225 opti where it will run rough at idle and shut down on its own frequently. And then sometimes it just overrevs on its own at idle. Everything work fine once you get it going. Don't think its the TPS. I changed it for a known good one. New plugs, clean injectors. Any ideas? Hard to find people who really understand these engines

[@BornAgainBoating]

Hard to say, the random spiking in RPM is peculiar, but there is probably something wrong with the rail. Like on this one had that gunk in the tracker valve, your pressure regulators might have gunk in them. And if you block off the return lines for the fuel or the air compressor the RPM will spike, so it's really hard to say. That's one of those issues you have to just start testing stuff and work through the system kind of like I did with this, but I'd be looking at those rails first as well as the injectors

[@CptAJbanned]

@@BornAgainBoating Thanks! I just looked up how to open those up and had a mini heart attack when I found out how expensive the diaphragms are. And then there's the tool thingie, good grief lol Got any tricks to close the regulators back up without the special tool? That would be a cool video (even without any special tricks)

[@jarad0714]

Man I have a 2004 150 OptiMax I wish u could look at for me. It runs fine, but it seems like it has a mess shakes a lot.

[@BornAgainBoating]

:) yeah, run some quickleen in the fuel for a couple fill ups and see if that cleans it up! Keep the ratios correct though but try that, cheap and easy! amzn.to/47Bvq7d

[@kookiethebear]

@jarado0714 I'm in a similar position...runs like all the Optimax motors I've seen in videos, but the shake (in or out of gear), around 1600rpm bothers and keeps me from trusting it on longer trips.

[@jarad0714]

@@kookiethebear yep that’s the exact same thing mines doing, but finding somebody that is experienced and working on those types of engines is very hard to find most people say just get rid of it

[@kookiethebear]

@@jarad0714 Yep, that's been my experience when asking local Marine Repair Shops - "you'll spend upwards of $2k on labor, and we don't have someone to dedicate to a project like that, just buy a new motor". Except...$2k is a heckuva lot cheaper than $12k for a new motor installed!

[@jarad0714]

@@kookiethebear yes sir you’re exactly right one place told me that they would just throw parts at it until the problem went away because they didn’t have anybody that knew how to work on them. Unreal.

[@hadgfdffafdafadf3143]

The good ol' optipop

[@Tyhrone]

Motive video’s like this

[@danielsalazar8835]

Very few professional mechanics are willing to work on the old Opti Bombs

[@BornAgainBoating]

Yeah, without understanding them and working on a few of them, people don't want to work on them because they can become money pits when you don't know what you are doing and parts are super expensive so it's hard to make money working on them and make people happy :/

[@DustinKeating-yk3vq]

I was watching my boat mechanic rebuilding one not to long ago he said it was costing the customer 7,000 dollars

[@Steve-Jody]

I present you your ” Man Card”. Owner of this card recieves a free beer and lap dance at any participating club .

[@BornAgainBoating]

;)

[@robertmoody2221]

Great motors ,people didn’t like them cause they wouldn’t maintain them.

[@gdj8013]

Loved every Opti I ever owned fuel efficient and powerful.

[@robertwestrom6878]

Better to figure it out than to parts bomb it.

[@flnative7553]

dont you love it when customer calls his buddy and they cost themselves about 1800 more in repair cost? looks like this guy doesnt know what preventative maintenance means

[@BornAgainBoating]

Lol yeah, this was a friend of mine and he just got the boat, the original owner had some real work done on the boat lol you wouldn't believe it, but it's a true story, the fuel tank failed on the boat and they cut a 6 X 6 inch hole in the tank to drop a sump pump into the fuel tank to pump it out lol smh

[@flnative7553]

@@BornAgainBoating wth..... The closer you get to Miami the crazier the repairs get lmfao!

[@ВиталийПанин-и1н]

👍

[@martinmcquaide4807]

Give me my 200 johnson carb motors back at 700 hrs, over all that electronic control crap anyday

[@Dbars19]

how dare you have a 2 stroke. im calling the EPA.

[@BornAgainBoating]

Lol :)

[@fishawk90]

Motor has a big knock. Should of check compression.

[@kookiethebear]

Sadly, that's the joy of owning an Optimax...it sounds and acts weird, but that's how it was made.

[@fishawk90]

@@kookiethebear interesting. Still doesn’t explain why the port bank is not burning right.

[@kookiethebear]

@@fishawk90 *edit - now that I put the puzzle together - your reference of the fouled plug. Lots of sludge and corrosion makes it seem this motor may have been sunk, especially since it's a FL boat. I would have started with using a borescope on the cylinders to determine if there was value for the customer to invest in going further with part replacement. Based on what was found, there is a no-so-good story with why the owner took it in and how it came to be in this condition afterward.

[@randyosburn533]

Thanks for making this content. Great job. Would have loved a quick summary at the beginning on how you go about problem solving two strokes.

[@patrickpeterson500]

I knew I heard the name I heard the voice before but you couldn't recognize I think I'd suppose to be in the water and working there's Boats On Land

[@EclipseWZ]

Hey Aaron. I’m replacing the water pump, the drive shaft seals and the gear shifter seal on my optimax 250 pro xs. I nothice that the paint around the lower unit paint under the water pump housing in chipping away. Do you recommend cleaning it back to the pure metal or the gaskets would prevent water to get inside?? Thank in advance brother. Everything I know about boat have learned it from Your channel. 🙏🙏🙏

[@BornAgainBoating]

Thank you! For sure, on the lower unit, we usually don't do much more than just clean it up and get all the corrosion and falling off paint from off there with a wire brush. Then just put it back together, but you can coat the metal with something to try and slow down the corrosion, grease or whatever, the gasket will seal it when you tighten the pump down, and it's all surrounded by water anyway, and doesn't really have that much of an effect on the functionality of the water pump :)

[@EclipseWZ]

@@BornAgainBoating beautiful, thank you brother 🙏🙏🙏