2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

[erosenwinkel]

I have an opportunity to purchase an 02 Yamaha 115 hp motor. 3rd owner. Current owner says engine runs perfectly and controls operate correctly. My current 19 foot Bayliner has a decent 125 hp Force (1985) on it now and I am looking to upgrade to a used 4 stroke. What if anything can anyone tell me about this motor? I don't have any more info than what I gave you. I assume no salt water, boat is in Northern Illinois, but I guess you never know. Motor is mounted on a 19 foot Bayliner also and he said it tops his boat out at 37 on a calm river. He wants $4500 for boat, trailer, motor and controls. Glass, transom and floor of boat are solid. Not looking for the boat but I am sure they won't separate. Is the motor alone worth the asking price? Is it a deal or do I walk away?
Thanks, Eric

 

[erosenwinkel]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

Anyone? Not looking for an in depth answer. Just looking for a "good motor" or "crappy motor" or "paid 6k" or "run" or whatever. Please?

 

[99yam40]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

Just like any other set up, run it to see how it holds up to all RPM ranges, that way nothing will surprise you. Do some forum searching on F115 to see what all problems anyone has had

 

[erosenwinkel]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

Boat out of water, still cold up here in Northern Illinois. I have searched the posts. All the posts are people with problems. That can be two things. One, Yamahas are pieces of crap or two, people only post when they have problems. Are Yamahas good motors? Are they quiet? Are they expensive to maintain? Do they require a lot of tinkering? Are they good on gas? I can only run motor off a hose, boat not in water. Been watching motor with boat and trailer on Craigslist for a couple of months. Started at 5k, now down to 4k. Looking for advice.

 

[99yam40]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

You can go here to see performance of motor on a boat like you are looking at.
http://www.yamahaoutboards.com/owner-resources/performance-bulletins
4 strokes are quiet and fuel efficient and the bulletins should show that also.

But without being able to run it you will have to trust the seller, which I would never do unless they give a written garrontee, and even then it could be a problem forcing them to give money back it it does not run properly.

Yes people come here when they have problems, but you can see what kind of problems and what it took to fix

 

[erosenwinkel]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

If I am able to do a compression test, beyond the 10% rule, what numbers should I be looking for? If compression is good, and it starts and runs smoothly, pumps water, starter sounds good, shifts appropriately and doesn't grind, doesn't shutter at higher rpms . . . . what else could be an expensive issue? Asuming the lower unit isn't toast.

 

[smitty477]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

"what else could be an expensive issue?"

We owned a 2002 Yamaha 115 like this for 6 seasons after buying it used with about 600 hrs on the clock. We used it for cruising and skiiing on a light boat that was properly propped for another 800 hrs with no issues at all.
These motors are quiet , good on fuel, and have reasonable power if loaded correctly for your intended use but they do require some maintenance along the way - we do all of our ourselves which affects the costs greatly.
Yo do not say how many hours are on the motor but perhaps ask yourself which one of these tasks you can perform yourself:
- Timing belt
- Water pump
- Filters and fluids
- Vavle adjust
- Zincs and tune ups

And whatever you do not figure on doing yoursefl go out and price ahead of time and there is your budget.
FWIW - it is easy to look up the owners manual on the Yamaha website to get the required items and intervals.

Hope this helps

 

[erosenwinkel]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

I don't know how many hours are on the motor. Because of where we are in Northern Illinois. Boat is not on the water. Weather being what it is, I cannot imagine that there is more than 750 hours on the motor. What is this motor worth? Don't even know what to offer or negotiate to. The seller wants approx $3000, given that the boat and motor and trailer are for sale for 4000. (84 Bayiner Capri with galvanized trailer, new tires, vests, good glass, good transom, so-so seats) Not looking to keep the boat, just want the motor. How much is it worth? Top end and low end. please.

 

[sschefer]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

The 115's are well known as a great motor. They do have a small vibration issue at around 800 rpms but goes away at about 1200. A little anoying if your trolling fast. The 150 does not have that problem and is generally the more sought after motor. What makes these motors last is the excellent cooling systems and of course, Yamaha engineering. Merc wouldn't be consulting with their engineers if they didn't want some of what Yami has.

 

[smitty477]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

You want an opinion on what a motor is worh , sight unseen, no hours, unable to test and gained from strangers on the internet.

So this is one opinion - I can get a new leftover one for less than $8,500. So I would be willing to pay about 1/2 of that for a 3-4 year old one with about 200-400 hrs on board in great shape. You are looking at a 10 year old motor with only question marks for condition, hours and maintenance history so why not find a used one which has a more well known background. Just one opinion.....

Hope this helps

 

[SparkieBoat]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

I just sold a 2003 F115 with 360 hours for $3000...in my opinion they start needing a lot of maintenance after about 8 years old, parts are pricey..I would rather have the 125 force with carbs.

 

[erosenwinkel]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

A lot of people trash the Forces but they are easy to work on and are very simple. If you have a manual and a set of SAE wrenches they are not a bad motor. My dad wants something different, quieter, oil injected. I don't why it matters, he's nearly deaf and I always mix the fuel. I can't complain, he pays.

 

[Triton II]

Re: 2002 115 hp 4 stroke questions?

I have had two four-stroke Yams, a 2003 carburetted FT60B and a 2009 F115. The 60 did 600 hours or so in the six years I owned it and never missed a beat. It ran as well the day I sold it as it did when I bought it new. The F115 is a different beast, being EFI, DOHC and having a more complex T&T set up. However, I have serviced it as per the manual and she has been just as reliable, she's fuel efficient for the power, although she has some "idiosyncracies" such as a definite whine at 3900 rpm. I'm with Smitty above, if you can do your own servicing then the F115 is inexpensive to maintain, however go for a newer fresh water use motor if you can find one.

TII