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Have any readers knowledge of or experience with [2003 Yamaha F225 engines] and know any possible red flags?

I'm debating a purchase of a 2003 265 Grady White Express with 2003 Yamaha F225 engines with 900 hours. To me the 900 hours means things have been good. It impossible to get full repair or maintenance history. Nine-hundred hours are substantial, but the four stroke engines seems to last quite a while.

Any information would be appreciated or your opinions on engines with that many hours. I imagine the re-power would be $50,000.

The F225 has been mentioned as having corrosion problems, particularly engines operated in saltwater. You should perhaps search for more comments about that engine and corrosion.

Here is an article that was published in BoatUS back in 2012: https://www.boatus.com/magazine/2012/oc ... laints.asp

Here is the Yamaha repair kit: https://www.simyamaha.com/YAMAHA_EXHAUS ... -04-00.htm

Those [c.2003 Yamaha F225 engines] are prone to corrosion that is pretty serious. Yamaha made changes to their aluminum castings in later models to prevent that failure. If you still are thinking on a purchase, protect yourself by having the engine 'scoped by a Yamaha mechanic or a trusted mechanic. You should also not pay as much since those engines are not as valuable as the seller may think due to this history of problems.

D-

The Yamaha 3.3-liter four-stroke platform is a very solid engine with the one exception: an exhaust update is needed [to remedy the] inferior alloys utilized in the exhaust tuner section of the engine.

Compression should be 190-PSI, even, and with a 5-PSI delta across board. ECM data should show minimal over-heat and over-revs, and hours by RPM under 2,000-RPM should be 70-percent of total hours ideally. Literally no hours over 6,000-RPM ideally. Cruise RPM breakdown should be in the range 3,000 to 4,000-RPM.

Make sure the fluids in power head and lower unit are clean, not milked, and no debris. Make sure seals on trim units not leaking. Make sure propeller shaft has no wobble. Make sure no belt dust on top of powerhead.

Hope that helps.

Help greatly from everyone, thx.

As an aside, I wanted to add that the early 2000's Grady White 265 Express is an admirable boat. An exceptional cockpit and transom for fishing. Very deep-V hull. If I recall you are Pacific Northwest, and that boat is perfect for that area. I personally would put twin Yamaha 250 4.2 liter four-cycle engines on that hull. If it passes the Shad Burke test criteria, you're probably in a good place with the 225s.

I have the same rig, only 2004 vintage. The above comments are right on point but there's another thing to check- corrosion of the block at the thermostat. My port engine corroded through the block, squirted salt water into the air intake and I needed a new powerhead. Be sure to pull the tstats and check the block- both sides, both engines. Yamaha implemented a new tstat cover with an anode in 2006 to help with the problem. I found them on ebay and retrofitted to my engines. Easy fit.

Check Great Grady - do a search on thermostat corrosion and you'll find a lot of info.