2000 Evinrude 115hp FICHT - good motor?

[Gryph]

Hey guys I'm about to pull the trigger on a 2000 Larson Flyer 166 with the 2000 Evinrude 115hp motor, my marine mechanic raised some concerns and said to check if it is a FICHT engine because they are problematic - seems reviews are mixed but there is generally a stigma, does anyone have any insight/personal experience?

Thanks,
Craig

 

[Faztbullet]

Some of the earlier fichts where problems but the V-4 model didnt see as many problems. Only thing is BRP is not supporting the older engines and fuel parts are starting to diminish...

 

[racerone]

It has to be cheap.----And check with your local shops to see if they want / will work on that motor.

 

[Roj115]

Think of the motor as a disposable. The cost of fuel injectors and lift pumps, etc. on the FICHT and DI engines are astronomical. That's because BRP wants nothing to do with them and wants them all to just go away. If you get the motor really cheap it might be a good deal but just throw it away if anything goes wrong with it.

If you're looking to get a motor cheap you would be much better off going for a later (i.e. 2003-2005) BRP Direct Injection motor. By that time, BRP's engineers had worked out most of the bugs in the FICHT design and was able to get the engines to be somewhat reliable. They're still FICHT motors and still don't have any market value and parts for them are also outrageously expensive as many of them are common to the FICHT engines. As such, they should also be regarded as disposable but they are a lot better than the OMC FICHT engines and will probably last a lot longer.

 

[emdsapmgr]

The Ficht engines up thru around 1999 were OMC engines. Starting at least at 2000, they were Bombardier engines. Much better quality. The OMC's were the problematic ones.