If all goes well I’ll be picking up a new Skeeter tomorrow with the new 2022 SHO. I’ve read over the break in procedure and I know my dealer will go over everything tomorrow, but is there anything in particular I should know about the break in from some Yamaha experts? This is my first Yamaha, coming out of my 3rd Mercury. Thanks!
2022 Skeeter ZXR20
Yamaha 250 SHO
Here is my take as I am on my second one. First one was good (on a Skeeter ZX20), current one is good (on a BassCat Puma).
You can break it in by the book and it will probably "make oil", meaning the rings aren't set and gas will get by them and contaminate the oil.
OR
You can do the first two hours by the book and then drive the crap out of it. Meaning take it to the lake during the week, let it warm up, trim it up and run it at 6000 RPM (or whatever it will turn) for 30 minutes so it gets hot, let it cool and then do it again. This will seat the rings and solve the gasoline blow by issue.
Bottom line, I would do what the dealer suggests as he's the one that will have to deal with Yamaha if something happens to it.
If you don't have the full 6 years of available warranty, google sims yamaha and buy whatever you need to get to 6 years. These puppies are quite expensive to fix.
Use Yamaha Ring Free per the directions in every tank and ethanol free fuel if feasible. If it's a 225 or 250 they require mid grade (89) fuel. I know the 250 requires it and I think the 225 does as well. I'm pretty sure the 200 can use regular 87 grade fuel.
Enjoy!
these have gasoline blow by issues?Originally Posted by printman71
I would follow the Mercury four stroke break in procedure.
why follow mecury procedure??
Because Mercury specifies running the motor at high power and at WOT and Yamaha does not.
It's a better procedure for seating the rings. The yamaha procedure is too easy on the motor to properly seat the rings with the plasma lined cylinders. You've got to get them hot to seat them which means actually running the motor and turning rpms.
The biggest thing to watch out for is to not lug the motor. Leaving it trimmed down running it at full throttle lugging the engine like we used to do with the 2 strokes is a sure fired way to make oil.
Run it according to the merc manual, trim it up so you don't lug it, then when you're past 10 hrs take it on a long wot run and it won't make a drop.
I did the 1st hr according to the yamaha procedure then ran it according to the merc procedure and it hasn't made a drop of oil since hr 3 or 4
Follow the Yamaha break in and when you get to the 3rd hour just run it hard at times but no longer than 5 minutes at WOT which is what Yamaha says and vary the RPMs. In fact vary the RPMs all the time. I was lucky and right after I got my new boat I took a trip to Wheeler lake and was able to make long runs varying the RPMS and within the first month I already had the 20 hour service done. Now on the other hand my 2018 SHO 200 "made oil" the whole time I owned it. Sometimes worse than others but it never stopped doing it. I did a lot of idling on my ZX200/SHO200 and that is not good either. If it "makes oil" you're just going to have to change the oil more often but when I sold my boat the motor had over 300 hours on it without an issue and it's still going strong.
2021 Skeeter ZX225
2021 Yamaha SHO 225 VF225LA
I would do what ever yam911 says. If he said to crank it in the yard I would listen. Lol. He definitely know a his stuff on Yamaha
I broke mine 2020 in per the Yamaha manual. You really should. No one posting on this page will accept your warranty claims if it blows up.
When I went in for my 20 hour, the dealer told me I had not been running it hard enough (Guess how he knew that. These computers record it all and Yamaha can see it.) and that I need to make some long (20 plus miles) runs at WOT. It was making oil.
I made a couple 30 mile plus round trips at WOT and presto, oil making problem solved. When I did the 100 hour, no issues.
Please let us know of 1 time Yamaha denied warranty because of not following their poor break in procedure. I am not trying to be a jerk. I just want to know if there has ever been a issue. Now as far as their break in, well the proof is in all the problems with it. It is just wrong. Any engine that I have ever rebuilt or built from scratch has NEVER been idled in the first 1/2 hour and has been run at full power within 30 min of startup with different loads and RPM's. And all of them have had great ring seal and minimal to no blowby. I have fixed a few that were broken it "easy" by tearing them down and rehoning and scuffing the rings and then loading the H--l out of them, with great results and a long life afterwards with just the cost of labor and a gasket kit. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. As far as I am concerned and I believe yam911 will agree the Yamahas break in procedure is about the worst thing you can do especially with the hard flame sprayed cylinder walls. Rings have to have side load [aka engine load] to seat! and you will NOT do that at idle. The first few hours of a new engines life are the most critical and they have to see a load with the proper fueling [not too much or they will wash and not seat] or they will glaze. Rings are basically the only thing left in a engine that have to break in not that we have roller lifters, so do it right! Follow Mercury's break in and your engine will be happy as long as it was assembled correctly. CJ
2002 X19 200HP OX66 HO Vmax,HPDI lower, it lives, thanks Hydro Tec.
When the BASS AOY tourney was at Lake Chatuge, I spent the week over there, as we had a condo on the lake. Yamaha had a booth at the event and I stopped in to talk shop. I mentioned the break in procedure to one of the guys there. He promptly informed me there was no problem with the procedure and all the issues was just talk. I realize I was talking to a sales rep, but still, acknowledge the problem. Another story involves my dealer friend when he got his first one in on his Skeeter demo. He broke it in by the book and the powerhead failed within 20 hours. When he replaced the powerhead, he was told to drive it like he stole it from hour one. That motor is still going strong today. The Yamaha method, by the "book" just doesn't work.
Follow the book for first ten. Then run 30 minutes or more at wide open throttle trimmed up. Only way to get block temp high enough to break it in properly.
I've got 5 hours on it so far. I checked my oil last night and it's a couple inches above the top hole. I broke it in per my dealers recommendations which is basically blended between the Yamaha & Mercury specifications from what I've read. He told me only to idle for 20-30 min and it needed to be a hard idle, and then the second 30-min period of the first hour to get on pad and run between 2500-3500. The second hour run just on pad from 3500-4500, varying the RPMs. And for the third hour run up to WOT for no more than 5 min in two separate 30-min intervals, letting it cool down in between.
I'm calling the dealer tomorrow to see if I should go ahead and change the oil and how to run it from there.
2022 Skeeter ZXR20
Yamaha 250 SHO
I would change the oil and then do 2 - 30 minute runs, trimmed up, at WOT, with a cooling period in between.
I'll speak with my dealer first, but from what I've read it seems like this will stop the oil making issue early on.
2022 Skeeter ZXR20
Yamaha 250 SHO
When you do the WOT runs. I would very the rpms some.
Will do!
2022 Skeeter ZXR20
Yamaha 250 SHO
Put a lower pitch prop on, run it with enough trim to get to around 5700-5800 wide open. Don't lug it as was stated. No way I would idle a engine for a half hour, Idle until it starts to warm up then proceed out just above idle for a few min, then pop it up on plane for a bit and be sure it is warmed up before opening it up. I do warm them up at idle or just above and cool them down the same way after a hard run. IMHO this is one of the most important things you can do after it is broken in along with oil changes. CJ
2002 X19 200HP OX66 HO Vmax,HPDI lower, it lives, thanks Hydro Tec.
Thanks. I've heard that I need to be running it at 6000 RPMs though instead of 5800 to make sure it gets hot enough to seat the rings. I've got a spare prop but it's a Tempest 25 which is the same size as my T2. But I do have a hydraulic plate so I'll raise her up high enough to try and max out the RPMs.
After the initial 3 hour break in I fished a tournament and made a 25 mile run (one way) at blast off. I varied the RPMs but opened it up 5-6 times for a few minutes each at 5900 - 6000RPMs. Did the same thing on the drive back. I though after doing this on hours 4-5 I would have seated the rings and wouldn't be making oil. I was wrong.
2022 Skeeter ZXR20
Yamaha 250 SHO
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