2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

[Expidia]

My Daughter is buying a 2001 15 4 stroke. I don't have the model # yet but it was supposedly the first of their 4 strokes. It's a one owner outboard and he has two boats so the smaller one did not get as much use. Freshwater use.

I've read a few threads here with a few issues.

I'll run it when it gets here on the muffs, but if it runs OK, what should we be aware of with this particular year?

I can do the simple stuff myself and I plan to change the gas filter (if it has one), plugs, impeller, the lower gear oil and the oil check the anode and then bring it to an Evinrude dealer for a go over like a compression test and clean the carbs.

Can a dealer hook it up to check how many hours on it with this model like the can the newer ones?

Anything else I should ask the dealer to do?

Worst case is I'd sell it on Craigslist ASAP if it's a problematic model and she could buy a newer one.

Bottom line is if it runs OK . . . Ya or Nay on this model?

Thx for any input

 

[JB]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

OMC built JohnnyRude 4 strokes in 8, 9.9 and 15HP in the late 90s, Expidia.

I had a '97 Johnny 9.9, which was essentially the same as the 15 but might have had a different cam and a different carb. The Service manual covered the 9.9 and the 15. It was a sweet li'l engine (about 107lb.) and I liked it a lot. Smooth and quiet at low speeds, easy to start.

Now, if what your daughter is getting is really a 2001 I don't know if that is the same engine or a Suzuki-built engine. I know nothing of the Suzi 15.

We need a model number.

 

[Expidia]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

OMC built JohnnyRude 4 strokes in 8, 9.9 and 15HP in the late 90s, Expidia.

I had a '97 Johnny 9.9, which was essentially the same as the 15 but might have had a different cam and a different carb. The Service manual covered the 9.9 and the 15. It was a sweet li'l engine (about 107lb.) and I liked it a lot. Smooth and quiet at low speeds, easy to start.

Now, if what your daughter is getting is really a 2001 I don't know if that is the same engine or a Suzuki-built engine. I know nothing of the Suzi 15.

We need a model number.

Ya, I asked her to get model and serial #'s before he delivers it.
Thx for the quick response.

 

[pukindog51]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

I have a 15 hp 4 stroke Evinrude long shaft.
Bought it new in 2002, electric start with remote shift and throttle.
I use it as a trolling kicker on 22 foot Crestliner Eagle.
Motor cover makes vibration moise no mater how tight you make the latch.
Other than that, it is quiet and smoke free.
Throttle is hard to get to adjust to just the right speed when your going from slow to just a touch slower or faster but I think all motors have that hysterisis problem. Sorry, I'm an engineer and that's how we talk.
It is really a Susuki with an Evinrude paint job.
Motor is expensive to fix, if you can find parts.
I already replaced fuel pump $102.
Very hard to change lower spark plug. You need to remove fuel pump to replace lower plug, which will foul if you troll at low speed exclusively.
I've heard this complaint of all 4 strokes.
I replaced power pack last fall. Over $400 with dealer labor.
Motor would refuse to troll after 2 hours.
I haven't tried it out since new power pack, so I don't know if it is fixed yet.
If I were you I would look for a Honda or a Yamaha.
I am trading mine in on a Honda if it is still screwed up.
Honda has a 5 year warranty. Evinrudes 1 year.
Evinrudes aren't what they used to be (when they were made in America).
Good luck but I've cursed at my Evinrude 15 many times.

 

[Expidia]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

pukindog51, thx for your candor. This is great info. It's what I suspected anyway. I never buy used outboards myself.

I know from experience that people don't sell good outboards as they either never part with them or they get handed down to a family member or sold to a friend.

And I know what happens when you need to order a part and then wait around for a dealer to get around to installing it once it finally comes in.

I showed her your post and she said we should sell it and buy another one.

This boats already cabled for the evinrude, but I have not seen it yet and the cables might be shot anyway.

What I'll do is at least take the boat out for a spin and see how it handles with a 15 on it. I don't want to get another 15 if it's underpowered in the first place.

Last month I just sent my extended warranty in on my 2007 which extends it to 6 years. I'll look to have her get a Merc or a Yammy. I think Yammy has a 20hp. Merc only has a 15 and a 25.

I believe in going with the boats max rating from past experiences. So I'd like to go with the lightest 4 stroke we can find. I know Yammies are heavy in the larger models. I think my Merc 40 hp is the lightest in it's class. But I don't know the comparison with the smaller models yet. Many are the same body anyway like the Merc 9.9 being the same body as their 15, so we might as well get a 25 which is the boats max if it's the same weight as a 20.

With these small boats (it's a 14 Lowe side console) as soon as you put a third person in it's really too much for a 15 to handle in my experience

 

[4.0l sahara]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

I have a 15 hp 4 stroke Evinrude long shaft.
Bought it new in 2002, electric start with remote shift and throttle.
I use it as a trolling kicker on 22 foot Crestliner Eagle.
Motor cover makes vibration moise no mater how tight you make the latch.
Other than that, it is quiet and smoke free.
Throttle is hard to get to adjust to just the right speed when your going from slow to just a touch slower or faster but I think all motors have that hysterisis problem. Sorry, I'm an engineer and that's how we talk.
It is really a Susuki with an Evinrude paint job.
Motor is expensive to fix, if you can find parts.
I already replaced fuel pump $102.
Very hard to change lower spark plug. You need to remove fuel pump to replace lower plug, which will foul if you troll at low speed exclusively.
I've heard this complaint of all 4 strokes.
I replaced power pack last fall. Over $400 with dealer labor.
Motor would refuse to troll after 2 hours.
I haven't tried it out since new power pack, so I don't know if it is fixed yet.
If I were you I would look for a Honda or a Yamaha.
I am trading mine in on a Honda if it is still screwed up.
Honda has a 5 year warranty. Evinrudes 1 year.
Evinrudes aren't what they used to be (when they were made in America).
Good luck but I've cursed at my Evinrude 15 many times.

most of the new evinrude/johnson outboards are great motors. They are still made in the usa and maybe the problems with this one are that they wern't made by johnson/evinrude?

 

[pukindog51]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

Still own the POS Evinrude 15 4 stroke.
Last failure was stator. That cost me another 500 bucks and took me 6 weeks to get a new one. But it ran after that.
Dam thing wouldn't start. I tried a new coil first and that didn't fix it. By the way, you can't buy an Evinrude coil anymore. You have to buy a Suzuki coil and the spark plug wire ports are female, not male like the Evinrude coil. I should have sold it when I had the chance.
My local Evinrude dealer won't even take it on trade for a new E-Tec because they know they can't get parts anymore.

 

[boobie]

Re: 2001 Evinrude 15 4 stroke ? good outboard

My only comment would be, stay away from the Johnson or Evinrude Four Strokes. JMHO.