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Yamaha 250 or 300?

You're right about having some corrosion problems with some of the bigger F series motors when used in salt water.  I don't think fresh water motors were any problem.  Again, Yamaha kept the problem very quiet to minimize the chance of lawsuits.  Most of these motors were out of warranty, but should have had plenty of life left in them had the corrosion issues not occurred.  This lawsuit is about that group of motors.

I think the corrosion problems have been solved since that time.  There has been a change of management at Yamaha Outboards in recent years, and they've gotten a little more aggressive in the sales department.  I do think they've also gotten a little conservative in the customer service department, however.  I guess the bottom line is profits, but there's still a responsibility to put out good products and back them up.

The F150 like on my boat has been out since about 2006, and it appears to be a really dependable, solid motor.  My dealer only had one warranty claim out of all the F150's he's ever sold, and it was a motor used in salt water.

I've had a Yamaha 115 hp outboard since 1985, and it's been a fantastic motor for these 27 years.  They really kicked the crap out of Mercury in those early days and made a bunch of Merc. dealers Yamaha dealers first.  But they should not ever put out any motor on the retail market before its fully engineered and tested.  And when someone spends $20K for a 250 hp SHO, it ought to last 10, or 20 years with little maintenance.
 
Well, I called the dealer a week and a half ago to upgrade the motor from the 3.3l 250 to the 4.2l 300. I didn't get a response so I called this past Tuesday and left another message. He called me back today at 6pm and said it was too late as the boat is going into production next week. Guess I'm "stuck" with the 250........
 
I wish I was in such a tough spot :D  . I think you'll be happy with the 250 don't sweat it.
 
Lol....that's why I put parentheses around "stuck"!!!
 
Am I missing something? If these are outboards my understanding is the dealer rigs them at the dealership that's why I had until the last minute to select the outboard to be placed on the boat
 
The SHO only comes in 20 inch shaft length so is a different transom. The offshore engines are 25 inch.
 
He wasn't getting the SHO, he was getting the normal F250 (3.3L) . Seems a little strange to me, unless it was the 20" shaft model of the F250. Not sure, or simply because the motor order was already in and they didn't want to change it. No answer for you there. The 250 is a great size, but yeah, a 300 would be sweet!! Haha
 
The 3.3l 250hp is a conventional cable controlled, non-digital rig. The 4.2l 250, 300 & 350hp motors are all electronically rigged (gauges/shifter). The 4.2l has stronger hole shot and torque from low to mid rpm range. Top speeds are only 2-3 mph different. However, the 300hp has better fuel economy over the 250hp. What this equates to for me is the 4.2l would be a little better for skiing/tubing and better fuel economy over the next decade. Of course the digital rigs come with higher cost.
 
Derrick I'm being told that the rigging (controls, shifter, gauges etc.) is what's already past the point of no return. I just think my dealer dropped the ball on this as I requested the change 2 weeks ago. He said because of a major marina renovation they've been busy and is just getting to this now. Was wondering if I should "squawk" to Bennington direct on Monday morning?
 
It's always worth a shot, biggest thing you have to ask yourself is what is it worth to you? I don't necessarily mean money wise either. If you now really have your heart and mind set on a 300, then I would be trying everything I could to make it happen. Sometimes a call directly is what may be needed. I know that dealers have a sign off sheet that before it goes into production they say, yup, that's the boat, (although this might have been more in my situation because I was a pain in the butt!! Haha, if it's possible, they will try their best in my experience ) we were going to stick with a 200SHO on this new boat to try and save a bit of cash, but my wife didn't want me to have anymore reasons to buy a new one! Good luck, the price of the call is cheap, the outcome may be expensive :D  
 
With all due respect, their "renovation" should not be an excuse. I bet they would have called you if you said "cancel my boat".

As Derrick said, the question is whether you feel the need to pursue this further.

My personal opinion is they gave you a poor excuse for not following through earlier.
 
SEMPERFI8387 said:
With all due respect, their "renovation" should not be an excuse. I bet they would have called you if you said "cancel my boat".


As Derrick said, the question is whether you feel the need to pursue this further.


My personal opinion is they gave you a poor excuse for not following through earlier.
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I was going to say the same. Call and cancel but tell them how sorry you are but it was their mistake and you shouldn't have to live with it for the next decade or two. They might not care as good as these are selling, but with winter coming fast, are you really going to lose out by starting over at this early stage? They will probably scramble to save the sale. It's really not that big a deal for them to make the change, they just don't want to and it creates a little more work for them. Too big of an investment to care about their feelings. The most important thing in ANY deal is that you have to be willing to walk away.
 
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