Re: Question on reliability and if motors built well to be worked on
But how do we explain the early Optimax's and Fichts. Good motors until they broke, eh? Truth is, if you have to ask the question about ease of maintenance, then you need to take a look at the engine and decide for yourself. Two strokes are two-strokes like they have been for decades. In that era outboards had one, two, three or more carburetors that can get gunked up and need rebuilding. They all have variations of stator type ignition and charging systems that can breed gremlins that make troubleshooting a bit difficult. Lower units are lower units and they either leak water into them, oil out of them, or the water pump fails as well as the gears and shift dogs saying "bye". If you are not mechanically inclined, buy whatever lights your fire and plan on having a service facility do the maintenance. If you are very mechanically inclined and can troubleshoot logically, have a basic understanding of outboard electrics, then it doesn't matter much what you buy. Most 80's and newer carbureted two strokes were pretty bullet proof motors. As is the case with all things mechanical, the care it has had in the past is a major factor in it's current condition and how long it lasts into the future.
