I've shared this on another board and thought I'd do the same here.
I have gotten a lot of private IMs and emails asking about my experience to date with a pair of 175hp ETECs that I've been running for a couple months now. It's been a bit of challenge to keep up with all of the requests so I think a post on the open forum makes more sense.
I have a Mako 254 and, until this season, I've been pushing it with a single 250. I repower each year through the BRP guide program so my power is always fresh and current technology. The boat has handled and performed very well with the single but I really wanted a little more from it. This season, I decided it was time to overhaul the boat and step up to twins. A pair of 175 ETECs would put me pretty close to the max hp rating of 370 that my hull carries. To handle the extra weight and torque, I determined that the transom would need to be replaced. That and several other improvements were completed in mid April - just in time for the release of the new mid range ETECs.
The engines were installed in early May and put into full time service by mid May. The boat really came to life with the extra horses. That and the fact that I'd converted her to a full transom with a bracket yielded a boat that really did perform like a "new" boat. I was exceptionally pleased to say the least.
The engines have been superb but I can't and won't make the claim that they've been "perfect" (but they're close!). Early on (within the first 10 hours), I had 3 low oil pressure alarms on the Starboard engine. In each instance, the EMM did its job and limited the rpms to protect the engine. Thinking that the alarms were caused by air bubbles in the oil lines/system, I simply shut the engine down, gave the oil primer bulb a few pumps, restarted and continued on. My mechanic consulted with BRP and the initial diagnosis was that a harmonic was believed to be setting up at certain rpms thus causing the oil pressure sensor to toss a false alarm. The sensors were tie wrapped to hold them a bit more firmly in place and the problem disappeared.
About a week and a half ago, we completed the first 300 hour service. The plugs were changed (replaced this time with new Iridium plugs), the gear oil was changed and a new software map was installed in the EMM. I have ran XD-100 oil from the start and the engines have consistently oiled in excess of 100:1. I have used between 4 and 5 gallons of oil per 100 hours of use. Other than the low oil pressure alarms, the engines had performed as advertised.
After the service was completed but before returning the boat to duty, we did a short run check. Since I'd had low oil pressure alarms early on and a new MAP had just been installed, BRP wanted to assess the low oil pressure situation again. Almost immediately, we got low oil pressure alarms on both engines. BRP believed the issue to reside with a compatibility issue between the original oil pumps and the new software MAP. As a precaution, they decided to install new oil pumps on each engine. They were overnighted, installed the next morning and the boat was returned to service. I've put about 40 hours on them since with no problems.
My overall take on the engines is extremely favorable. In the grand scheme of things, the "problems" I had were very minor. The maintenance requirements were a dream - I didn't have to touch them for 300 hours. The fuel economy is very good. The oil consumption is exceptionally low - requiring the oil tanks to be topped off twice in each 100 hour period. The engines start instantly. At idle, they are very quiet. At cruise they are very, very quiet. Until now, I have not been able to carry on a conversation without trouble while at cruise. Now, the sound of the air rushing past my ears is the only hinderance.
In short, I'm really, really enjoying my new ETECs.
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