yamaha hpdi

[fisherboy]

im looking at a boat with twin 200 hpdi 2 strokes, does anyone know of any problems with these engines ?, I know the early 4 strokes had corrosion issues ,any thoughts or info would be appreciated

 

[profisher]

I',m not a fan of HPDI Yamaha engines...if they were carbed 2 strokes that would be much better. I would make sure that you get such a good deal on the package that the motors cost you next to nothing. Then if you only get a year or two out of them it won't be a big loss.

 

[Peahead]

I think Profisher is a good ol' pro-carb guy and loves the yami saltwater series due to the ease of working on them but I have to say I am very happy with my HPDI 200 (on a Grady 228G) and prior to getting it did a fair bit of research on it got good reviews. It got a very good review from the local certified Yami mech. here in my area. The 250 and 300HPDI had some issues as I recall but the 150 and 200 were good. Such good reviews in fact that the Yami 4 strokes corrossion issues (225 and larger in years up to and including 2005 models) and the widely known harmonic balancer issue with the F150 had me actually prefer the HPDI's in the year model I was looking at. A solid reliable motor with fuel efficiency close to the 4 strokes( not counting oil cost). I also had twin 150 HPDI's on another vessel.
They require filter changes as they are suseptable to dirty fuel issues so as long as you do regular maintenance and change the 3 main filters every couple years ( VST, canister and element filters) and keep O2 sensors clean youre good. After 8 years or so the 2 low pressure fuel pumps diaphrams should be changed and the 3 filters in the HP fuel pump eventually needs cleaning after many years of use but all this is maintenance and cleaning .
Many of these HPDI's are in the USA so be careful of Ethanol fuel issues if you get one from USA as I did experience some E10 issus down there with some motors - not a problem specific to HPDI's however.
FYI All 3 HPDI's listed above are year 2000 and have between 400-600 hours

 

[Sr SQ]

For the most part the small block hpdi were one of Yamis best motors.
As Peahead mentioned, keep up on the filters and run good fuel.

 

[fisherboy]

thanks for the info all, the hpdi's have 450 hrs , they seem to have been looked after, I will have them checked out as well before making a decision. how many hrs can be expected reasonably from these engines, assuming they are regularly maintained ?

 

[profisher]

I have never gotten over 1000 hrs on mine, which are the same engine, just a different fuel delivery system. All my hours are running hours not trolling. The 200 I have on the boat now is the first block to be rebuilt with Wiseco forged pistons instead of the cast Yamaha ones. Every Yamaha 2 stroke that I've owned have all failed or required a rebuild as a result of either a cracked or broken piston. When the engine was torn down the rest of the engine was very clean, no wear and looking like it could run on indefinitely. So I decided to get away from Yamaha cast pistons and go US forged. So far so good with the engine I have on the boat now...but it still only has about 200 hours on it, and counting. So I'm still a few years away from knowing for sure it will go beyond where none others have before. I run midgrade fuel and sometimes wonder if running premium might help the Yami pistons hold up better.

 

[Fins -n- Skins]

Hey Pro looking at a 1993 200 Yam Precision Blend.. Would that also apply to this engine or is there something else to look for ?? Hard to believe only a 1000 hrs as some guides where getting 2-3 thousand back in the day on those motors.. Also whats a rebuild ball park cost you ? Sorry for the hi-jack. Thanks.

 

[profisher]

The 93 would be a carbed engine so it should be fine. A rebuild now with new pistons, ring, wrist pins, big and small end bearings, reborn, gaskets etc is under $3500. Can't remember what the exact amount was I paid.

 

[MonkeyWrench]

The HDPI's were great motors, until of course you have a problem. The hard part with them is that the repair nowadays usually is more than the net worth of the engine so rebuilds are much less common now than in past years. Unfortunately with those engines when they had a problem it was usually the wrist pins that would go. They can be clearly heard when they weaken and gain extra clearance (rattle noise pretty clear at idle).

That being said, there are thousands of them out there that have a ton of hours and still running strong, they perform very well and if you don't mind the noise of a two stroke then they would suit any boat just fine.

I would always recommend having a Yamaha dealer perform a mechanical inspection on them before proceeding with the purchase if you haven't done so already.

 

[profisher]

When wrist pins wear it is a direct result of swinging to much prop for the weight of your boat.

 

[Trophy21]

Can these hpdi outboards run at trolling speeds? Or would they foul a lot of plugs?

 

[profisher]

They would troll as good as any larger 2 stroke. It is high speed operation that is the problem. They don't last long in most cases before they blow up.