Recent content by thill

Grady22, Thank you so much for that information. You are the only 228 owner to give me real-world data across three message boards. I'm going to go out and lift the motor this morning, and then take it for a test run. I suspect the performance gain is going to be substantial. On my offshore...

I have a new-to-me Grady 228G that I bought with a blown 225 Johnson on the back. When I pulled the old motor, I did not check to see where the motor was mounted. I put a 200 HP Evinrude Ficht on the back, and not knowing the proper height, I put it at the lowest setting. It runs great, but...

I have a new-to-me Grady 228G that I bought with a blown 225 Johnson on the back. When I pulled the old motor, I did not check to see where the motor was mounted. I put a 200 HP Evinrude Ficht on the back, and not knowing the proper height, I put it at the lowest setting. It runs great, but...

Well, in the end, I am really glad I went with the Ficht motor. After getting past the initial fears, the motor is great. It is super-smooth and quiet, and virtually no smoke or smell, which my wife really appreciates! And the 200 jumps the boat right up on plane, no problem. Besides, I...

Brian, I'll gladly send you $20 for that. Did you get the socket off, too? -TH

Looks good! I always use amber lights when doing mine. They are easy on the eyes at night. Here is a pic of my 228: The lights on the left are LED, and are more "yellow" than the regular lights on the right, which I definitely like more. Enough light to walk around with, and even tie knots...

I had a set of Lenco trim tabs that I salvaged from an old boat. I've never used Lenco tabs in the past, but have installed plenty of Bennetts and Boat Levelers. So I installed the Lencos last night, with the "normal" amount of relief angle when fully retracted. Everything installed, I hit...

Dennis, Thanks for the reply. Yes, it seems do-able. I found an 8-gallon ATV garden sprayer setup with 12v pressure pump and everything on sale for $59. It should fit perfectly in the empty space behind the gas tank, which is where it was in my 208. Not sure if I'm going to tackle it now...

Update: After installation, the 200 was acting strange. So I called the dealer, and he sent the EMM off to be rebuilt. It turned the ground wire screw was loose, and the erratic ground killed the EMM. Two weeks later, I have a NEW EMM, as the old one was not salvageable. Motor runs excellent...

My 1999 208 Adventure came fully loaded, with all the bells and whistles, including the freshwater cockpit shower. Very nice to be able to rinse the salt off after swimming or if you need to wash your hands or whatever. My new to me 1987 228G Seafarer does not have many options. I have added...

So I bought two motors for $100 more than the 200 Ocean Runner. If I have problems, I'll come in on my 9.9 kicker and swap motors. But Dave knows this motor, and I think it is going to run great. Last night after work, I got the bug. Pulled the old motor off and mounted the new one. Took...

The next step was to go through the 225. Clean the carbs, replace the fuel lines and filters, service the lower unit, etc. But then I got a call from a fellow who owns a marina. He had a trade in motor I might be interested in. It was a 2001 Evinrude 200 hp Ram. (Ficht) I know what you are...

Gentlemen, Thank you for all of your well thought-replies! Sorry for the late replies, but I got no reply notifications, so I thought the topic had gone cold. Well, there has been lots of progress since my last post! First, I bought the 225 Johnson. Mainly, because it was $900, has perfect...

I appreciate the replies. It's got me thinking. Do the 225 Optimax really have a terrible reputation? I never heard that before. What goes wrong with them? I checked, and this one is listed at 518 lbs. The 200 and 225 OMC are listed at 448 lbs. So I'm definitely leaning toward using a 225...

As you get to know the boat, you will eventually learn the most efficient cruising speed and trim adjustments. My guess is that you will get 2 MPG once you do, in reasonable seas. -TH