You also have to remember, it takes a whole lot less power to push that hydro rocket than it does to push one of the bigger lead sleds like many of these large boats, so fuel consumption will not be comparable between something like a Bullet and heavy Nitro. If you want to get true comparisons they have to be similar style boats.

I can tune my 325 hp hot rod motors to only burn eight gallons per hour at 45 mph on my Javelin Renegade 20DC, which is actually a little less than my Evinrude DFI, but that motor has had over 100 hours of port work to make everything match and burn properly. That also changes to about 23 gallons per hour when I'm start feeding all 325 of those horses, but then you are running 80 mph so that's not as bad as it sounds.

The newer motors are built with a lot more quality control in the casting design to make them more efficient than the older motors. That's why I can take a mid to late 90s 225 Johnson and not change even one factory installed part, and with a die grinder, make it burn a lot less fuel and make 290-300 horse power, and still have more bottom end torque than when stock. I can do the same with the 200, but with most of those you have to change carbs and intakes.

NO! I will not do anybody's motor that happens to read this. I'm not in the business of working on others stuff.

My point was more about running WOT, not hull design and weight, which is also true. You want to run and gun full throttle, you're going to pay irrespective of hull weight.

Sorry, wasn't trying to step on toes.

All I meant was, it may only take 75 horse power to push a Bullet at a 45 mph cruising speed, and it may take 100 hp from the same motor to push a Nitro at the same 45 mph. It just simply means it's going to take more fuel for that motor to make 100 hp to push that Nitro, than its going to take to push a Bullet. It's also goiing to take a lot more fuel to get the Nitro on plane than its going to take to get something like a bullet, so just jumping from spot to spot a 1/4 mile apart will burn way more gas if you do that many times a day. That's why I was simply saying if you want to find out approximately how much fuel a certain motor is going to burn, it just needs to be from similar style and weight boats.

Now, if you throw out the speed and compare rpm to rpm, then fuel consumption is going to be about the same in gallons per hour once it's up on plane, it's just one boat is going to be covering a lot more distance than the other for the same amount of fuel burned, assuming both are propped to turn the same rpm at WOT. At WOT, you might be running 80 and him running 68 but the motor is going to be using the same amount of gas. You are just not going to run as long to get there.

No, I get that. No toes crushed. At WOT, I can burn through a tank in less than an hour in my boat. Big difference in gas consumption, but not a huge difference in speed. WOT = ~78, where as most of my cruising around is about 45-55. Speed limit on the Bay's here is 25, BTW.

Decided to go with a newer boat, with an Optimax motor.  I'll post details after I pick up the boat.

Congrats!

Thanks, just signed the paperwork, now I wait. Using a out of state lender and we are overnighting paperwork back and forth.

From my research the 225Optimax is much more fuel efficient than its competition and especially older motors. I know its still a beast, but I'm not a speed freak and think the way I run it I'll be fine.

Thanks, just signed the paperwork, now I wait. Using a out of state lender and we are overnighting paperwork back and forth.

From my research the 225Optimax is much more fuel efficient than its competition and especially older motors. I know its still a beast, but I'm not a speed freak and think the way I run it I'll be fine.

Sounds like a winner. Just remember to warm it up before taking off & let it cool down before hutting it off. If it has a smartcraft gauge it will give you engine temps.

Sounds like a winner. Just remember to warm it up before taking off & let it cool down before hutting it off. If it has a smartcraft gauge it will give you engine temps.

  I have a 225 Optimax.  With any motor I've ever had I warm it up in the morning. But I've never heard anyone say let it cool down before shutting it off. Now I never run it wide open and shut it off. I normally idle into a spot. Never have watched the temp on when to shut it off. Just wondering if others do that.

  You will have a break in period with a new motor. With mine they told me to trim it all the way down and plow at different RPMs for so many hours. I've had mine for five years now and love it. Most of my lakes around me are smaller lakes so I only run it for short bursts. A 50 gallon tank will last me for a month or better.

On 3/14/2015 at 9:42 AM, Trek said:

  I have a 225 Optimax.  With any motor I've ever had I warm it up in the morning. But I've never heard anyone say let it cool down before shutting it off. Now I never run it wide open and shut it off. I normally idle into a spot. Never have watched the temp on when to shut it off. Just wondering if others do that.

  You will have a break in period with a new motor. With mine they told me to trim it all the way down and plow at different RPMs for so many hours. I've had mine for five years now and love it. Most of my lakes around me are smaller lakes so I only run it for short bursts. A 50 gallon tank will last me for a month or better.

 

 

Let your engine get up to operating temp before WOT for me that's about 120 degrees. The advice about cool down for a minute was directed to guys who run at WOT to their spot, kill the motor & immediately trim it up out of the water to proceed with their electric trolling motor. The lack of water circulation can lead to premature failure of a hot engine. I have a 2008 250 pro xs still running strong with about 520 hours.

Well for me to run a motor like that would be asking for trouble. It just wouldn't make sense to do that.