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I saw a '95 Montauk with a 90hp Evinrude (I think it was an Oceanpro) that was original to the boat, so I'm guessing that the motor is either a '95 or a '96. Im concerned: is this one of the infamous ficht engines that everyone screams about? What year did the ficht come out? I've seen different years posted reflecting different hp ranges. For example, one internet blog says the ficht came out in 97, another says it was produced in 96 for model year 97. Another says that's true, but only for the 135hp, everything else came out after that. Yet another says that the problems with Evinrude ficht engines is with the RAM models, and only then for engines larger than 130hp.
I think I may be in the clear, but does anybody know the scoop here? The boat/motor is coming from a well known dealer and so far the motor has stood the test of time, but I'm thinking that I'd still prefer not to have ficht.
If it's an Oceanpro, it's not a Ficht. A quick look at the powerhead will tell right away as the injectors at the back of the powerhead are unmistakable.
The 1997 FICHT was the first model which was a 20" shaft 150hp. It was introduced at the 1996 Miami Show in February of that year. It was available to dealers about August of 1996. Back then tournament bass boats were limited to 150hp engines.
The Ficht story in nutshell.
The issues were mainly with the 150-175 Motors, due to carbon fouling. They were made to run at WOT, and when run at less than that, the carbon built up, eventually broke free and took out the motor.
Thank you; this has been very helpful and I feel more confident. However, I should note that on other websites people have insisted that they have Oceanpro FICHT motors. On a couple of these sites people also noted that if it's an oceanpro its not a ficht; that lead to another blogger to talk about Johnson oceanrunners that were ficht and that Johnson subsequently abandoned the technology and transferred it to evinrude oceanpros. Another blogger insisted he had an oceanpro ficht 90 prior to '98, but for some reason (that is not clear to me) everybody - including the Johnson Oceanrunner ficht people -- seemed to agree that that particular guy was a bit off the wall. Just Googleing the words, which is what I did, comes up with a litany of examples; but I trust this site alot more than those!
I guess the carbs would be a tell-tell sign, but I'm one of those guys that goes to the full-service pump at the gas station because, let's admit it, unscrewing the gas cap is not as easy as they make it look on TV!!
All that said, any additional comments on the motor now that we've pretty much established that it's not a ficht?
OceanPro was a marketing slogan, not an engine type, that came out first in the 1993 models as the motors had all stainless steel exposed bolts, special coatings in the exhaust passages, a redesigned mid-section, a stainless steel "tilt tube" and a cast stainless steel steering arm. These were designed for salt water use and were the 25 and 30" shaft engine models.
It was a year or two later that Yamaha and Mercury followed with their versions of a saltwater motor.
