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Anyone out there have any info on the 2001 Merc optimax 225? I have an opportunity at a leftover boat that has this engine. I have heard horror stories and am unsure. I also heard bad things about 1999 Evinrude Fichts. I purchased a '99 225 Ficht and could not be more pleased....perhaps I lucked out. Any input on the Merc would be much appreciated...ejb
You will hear a good deal of "bashing" by some people regarding the Optimax engines.
You will also hear a great deal of positive input!
Me? I couldn't be happier with my Optimax. It pushes my boat out of the hole like no other engine I've ever had and the fuel economy is equal or better than a 4 stroke. And to date, I have not had a single problem with it.
My best bud has a pair of 2000 225 HP Optis.
He had some issues with them, and Merc stepped up to the plate, replaced the injectors, thermostats, and a few other things I can't recall at this time.
They've been fine since, no problems for about the last year and a half. They have over 700 hours on them.
You may want to check with the selling dealer as to whether or not the engine you're considering has had the upgrades Merc had to do on most of the 2000-2001 225 Optis.
My opinion is if it's been upgraded, you should have a really good engine.
Best of luck.
There were some problems with the 2001's. I actually passed on a boat that had them on it, but it is still a "one at a time" scenario. Best bet is to have a Merc mechanic run a history of the engine off the serial numbers, and then give it a good going over. If it's a 2001 and still in use, the original problems that the engines had are probably history... but spend the $ on a checkup before diving in...
I am looking at an 01 boat with the 200 Opti. This is what I have found so far. The injectors in the first Opti sucked big time. Merc thought it was a thermostat problem at first and rebuilt thermostats and re-did the ECU. Didn't work. The injector in #6 (sometimes #2 or #4) would crap out, and that cylinder would run lean and seize. Merc then redid the injectors and ECU and a lot of siezed powerheads. From what I have read and discussed with various Merc shops, I THINK that this has fixed the problem.
I would have it looked at by a factory authorized Merc guy, who can find out from Merc exactly what upgrades have been done. Also, the factory authorized repair shops can download the run history and let you know if the motor was abused. A lot of Opti's from that time have low hours on them. Most likely since they were in the shop during boating season while waiting for parts from Merc!
Good luck and at the least, make sure it has new injectors and ECU. I have heard a lot of good things about Merc trying to fix these motors.
I am looking at what I consider to be a good deal on a boat with the Opti. It has 30 or so hours on the motor after the new injectors and powerhead with no problems. The current owner is just tired of it because of all he has been through the last couple of years. Can't say I blame him. Hopefully the motor is fixed!
Just my opinion, and welcome any comments. I still haven't inked my deal yet.
Anyone out there have any info on the 2001 Merc optimax 225? I have an opportunity at a leftover boat that has this engine. I have heard horror stories and am unsure. I also heard bad things about 1999 Evinrude Fichts. I purchased a '99 225 Ficht and could not be more pleased....perhaps I lucked out. Any input on the Merc would be much appreciated...ejb
Anyone out there have any info on the 2001 Merc optimax 225? I have an opportunity at a leftover boat that has this engine. I have heard horror stories and am unsure. I also heard bad things about 1999 Evinrude Fichts. I purchased a '99 225 Ficht and could not be more pleased....perhaps I lucked out. Any input on the Merc would be much appreciated...ejb
To all that replied...Thank You for your input, comments and suggestions. I am still unsure whether or not to purchase the boat. It is still on a dealers lot and the only hours on the engine are "demo" hours so I have not asked if they had any upgrades performed on the engine. I will make inquires. Best of luck to all. ejb
It's either a hit or miss with the '01 3.0 Liters. After the updates, MOST ran fine, but there were still some that had problems (like Jacko's motors). Send me the serial #s and I'll have a look see at the warranty record and let you know what comes up.
It's either a hit or miss with the '01 3.0 Liters. After the updates, MOST ran fine, but there were still some that had problems (like Jacko's motors). Send me the serial #s and I'll have a look see at the warranty record and let you know what comes up.
2001 Merc optimax 225 
