This motor only has about 26 hrs on it. At 9 hrs it needed an oil change due to gas in the oil. At the 20 hr service it also had gas in the oil and was changed again. The motor started acting like it was not getting enough fuel. I would run to a spot and fish and then when I would re start and try to get on plane it acts like it is not getting enough fuel, it sputters when you put your foot in it and will not get up or even past about 1200 rpm's. However If I put it in neutral and rev up to about 2300 rpm's when I put it in gear it runs fine. I had to pay for 2 of the oil changes at about 200.00 a piece. Since the problem has started we have had to cut a hole in the deck to modify the pick up tube that was not the problem at about 250.00 cost to me. I changed the fuel water separator and cartridge and this did not help.

The Yamaha tech flew out and found fuel in the oil for the 3rd time before the thing had 30 hrs on it so they changed the oil and filter and tried some different props. I had been running a 26P Bravo 1 and top speed was 73 mph @ 5500 to 5600 rpm's with an incredible hole shot. Yamaha now believes that I am running the wrong prop and it looks like they are buying me a new one. I am hoping it will be a 27p T1 that was designed for the VMAX motor but it may be something else in a 26, they will not tell me what it is and although it is sitting at my mechanics shop they will not let me put it on or show it to me. They say the Yamaha tech has to come out and put it on and test it with his computer hooked up to it. The Yamaha manual for this motor says I should be running at 5500 to 6000 rpm's at WOT and my current 26P Bravo 1 runs 5500 to 5600 rpm's. I just find it hard to believe that I can not run my current prop as this is a 4.2 L motor and has much bigger displacement than a 3.1 or 3.3L motor that I used to be able to run a 25P 4 blade on and the motor was a 91 Yamaha 225 TLRP. Yamaha believes that this current prop is my problem and is causing gas to push past my rings to the oil in my crank case as well as causing the stall / sputter problem.

This motor has been nothing but problems since day one and they are the most expensive 250 out there. They do not have the best warranty. I am starting to wish I went with a 250 Pro XS. If I can not keep the fuel and oil separated I might as well run a 2 stroke with a better warranty that is a less expensive motor. I find it hard to believe that a 4.2 L motor will not turn a 26P Bravo 1 without causing internal problems with the motor when it is running in the recommended range for WOT. I have not heard of any TSB's on this issue and am looking for any and all input. This motor is on a 99 TR-21 and she likes to chine walk a bit, a 4 blade prop settles her down and makes it easier to control. I am beginning to feel like I am going to lose my incredible hole shot and be lucky to get the problem solved at all. Yamaha says they had a similar problem with the VMAX 2 stroke motors. Any help or input is appreciated. I will let you know how this works out but as of right now I can not recommend the Yamaha VMAX SHO, I was happy when I first got it but that has all changed.

Rich Lund