(Rich Stern) wrote in message ...
Based on my experience w/ carb and EFI engines, the EFI will get basically
double the fuel mileage given your not running it wide open all the time.

For example - My Baker w/ a 2.5 carb 240 hp engine would get about 2 mpg on
any given day of riding and playing. My Mirage w/ a 2.5 efi 280 hp engine
would get about 4 mpg on any given day of riding and playing. And it was 4
mph faster.

Seen similar results on pontoons I have had.

--
Tony
My boats and autos - http://t.thomas.home.mchsi.com



OK, that answers the question: Differents hulls. Different weight. Different
balance. Different prop. Not a reliable benchmark, IMHO.

-- Rich Stern


Different motors, too.

240 or 280 hp is a lot from 2.5 liters in a "standard" outboard and I
didn't recall any standard outboards matching that description. So I
checked mercurymarine.com and found the 2.5 EFI 280 is a race motor
that burns 92 octane fuel premixed with oil @ 32:1. The biggest 2.5
carb motor for 2003 is 200 hp and not a race motor. I suspect that the
carbed 240 in question was a race motor in earlier years and that
there have been improvements beyond the simple addition of EFI to make
280 hp.

Based on the experiences of others that I have read about in
apples-to-apples comparisons, where they took the same "standard"
motor in carb and EFI versions, the overall imporvment in MPG for the
EFI was slight, not major.

%mod%

The question boils down to: How long will it take to recoup the
difference between the two?

Most people only use their boats 30 to 50 hours per year, unless they
keep them in the water.

Newer-more expensive outboards - with EFI are easier to start, but a
well maintained carb job starts just as easy. EFI will save 10 to 15
percent on fuel. Also a new engine has a warranty along with a hefty
price tag.

You may want to investigate Suzuki's line of 4 stroke units. They are
VERY quiet and priced about the same as some other manufacturer's 2
stroke units. The local commercial fisherman and crabbers use them a lot
and the local dealer (Advance Marine) tells me he has seen the 70, 90
and 115 hp engines with over 20,000 hours on them and still running
well. The 90 sips fuel with an eyedropper.

On a recent trip to Silver Glen Springs, I took my cruiser and had 2
other boats running with me. One, a 21' Pro-line CC w/ Merc 115 2 stroke
and the other, a Crest "Superfish" 26' pontoon boat with a Suzuki 90.

At the fuel stop, The Pro-line took on 35 gallons, the pontoon boat 24
gallons. Me, well..My Formula PC gulped down 85 gallons. But the other 2
boats don't have air-conditioning and a hot water shower grin

That is an answer you will have to determine for yourself. Good luck.

Capt. Frank

http://www.home.earthlink.net/~aartworks



djb wrote:

Hello all......I need help, the boat I am going to buy has a 1997 Evinrude
115 h.p., non EFI outboard engine on it.
The boat and engine are lovely and I wanna buy and keep this boat for many
years.
Should I wait t'till I can afford a boat w/ a EFI engine or buy the thing
and pay the little more for the gas that I am going to consume since it's
old-tech engine.
I need help, what are the big difference between EFI and NON-EFI
engines?????
Please help!!
DB

Newer-more expensive outboards - with EFI are easier to start,

I certainly agree with that. My merc 60 EFI starts with the first turn of the
key and idles out of the slip. No pumping the ball, no choke/enrichener, no
smoke. Just click-varoom. That's is 500 hours later with nothing but oil
changes.
I don't go fast very often but my fuel consumption seems to be about 2 GPH. I
am currently doing a more scientific test plotting it over a couple months use.