New Technology In High Gear

Boat/US Magazine, May, 1999 by Caroline Ajootian

Ever since marine outboard engines became a reality at the beginning of this century, the main challenge to engine makers has been to deliver more and more horsepower without adding significantly to engine bulk and weight.

Now, as the century draws to a close, pollution considerations that weren't even a gleam in engineers' eyes 100 years ago also must be factored into new engine design.

Revisions to the Clean Air Act of 1990 mandate that hydrocarbon (HC) emissions from new gasoline outboard and personal watercraft engines be reduced by 75% by 2006.

That engine makers have already been able to achieve partial compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency standards and anticipate continuing improvements in emissions reductions is due in large part to new technology. It has transformed boat propulsion systems from the domain of the do-it-yourself tinkerer to the realm of highly trained mechanics whose tool of choice is more likely to be a laptop diagnostic computer than a socket wrench,

Indeed, without such innovations as direct fuel injection, two-stroke engines, catalytic converters and improved-performance four-stroke engines, the EPA's goals would be next to impossible to achieve.

BOAT/U.S. recently spoke with marine engine experts and others to learn more about how environmental considerations are affecting new engines.

We were interested to learn what consumers can expect from this new breed of engines, especially since they cost 15% to 25% more than their predecessors. For example, Mercury's two-stroke 135 hp V-6 OptiMax is priced at $9,450, Suzuki's 140 hp electronic fuel-injected two-stroke is $8,900 and Honda's 130 hp four-stroke weighs in at more than $11,000 retail. With prices like these, we wanted to know just how much bang consumers are getting for their bucks. The new engines maybe better in terms of decreased emissions, but what about fuel efficiency, power, performance and reliability?

According to EPA data, the new technology will enable engines to start more easily, accelerate faster and respond better to throttle adjustments, in addition to burning gasoline more efficiently and emitting less smoke, fumes and noise.

"The new technology engines really are better," according to Dennis Banks of Mercury Marine. Banks is senior vice president of outboard engineering and the Fond du Lac, WI, engine maker's chief technology officer.

"The reliability of these engines was a big concern three years ago," Banks told BOAT/U.S. "They're definitely more reliable and cleaner than the older engines."

Even so, BOAT/U.S. has heard from a few Mercury OptiMax owners who have experienced problems. Several told us that their engines shut down unexpectedly and the internal diagnostic computers were unable to determine what caused the failures. All complaints involve 1998 engines.

Many owners of 1997 and 1998 OMC Ficht outboards have also experienced excessive spark plug fouling, powerhead failures and oversensitivity of the engines' electronic "brains" which in turn cause stall-outs and idling problems.

The Waukegan, IL, engine maker provided us with a description of how certain engine parts have since been modified to overcome Ficht problems. Despite these "application-specific" issues, Gary Beckett of 0MG says the company is firmly committed to the two-stroke, direct fuel injection Ficht brings to the waterfront.

"This is still the preferred engine because it brings the benefits of four-strokes to two-stroke technology," Beckett said. "It's better for the environment and it's better for the boat owner because it's reliable and efficient."

The relative scarcity of complaints about Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki outboards may reflect either that the Japanese engine makers have had new technology designs in place longer to work out "bugs," or that they sell far fewer marine engines than U.S.-based OMC and Mercury Marine.

Perhaps to reassure consumers and also in recognition of the bugs inherent in new designs, Mercury and OMC, like the Japanese engine makers, now offer two and three-year warranties on their new technology engines.

This is a welcome change from the traditional one-year warranty on older engines. Due to the complexity of their computer-driven brains, boat owners can do virtually no troubleshooting and only minimal maintenance.

In 2000, Mercury Marine, followed by OMC, will introduce "smart gauges" that will give boat owners a full readout of engine performance and diagnostics right from the helm station. While owners may not be able to make repairs, he said, they will know what's happening and why.

"You really do need a trained technician to work on these engines," said Mercury's Banks. "Someone with the instrumentation to figure out what's going on." This, of course, means that consumers who used to work on their engines themselves will end up spending a lot more in the future to have a mechanic perform non-warranty service. With this in mind, reliability is crucial.

What's New

To understand the new engines, it is essential to understand the three features that make the new technology so different.