2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Optimizing the performance of Boston Whaler boats
Masbama
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2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby Masbama » Fri May 26, 2017 10:08 am

I am unfamiliar with Mercury engines. I am interested in a boat with [a 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE] engine. Are [2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE] engines reliable? Is this a good year for this model? Any input would be appreciated.

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Phil T
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Re: 2007 Mercury 135hp Verado questions

Postby Phil T » Fri May 26, 2017 11:18 am

I don't recall significant problems for this motor.

You can also get input from Glen's site, http://www.veradoclub.com. They are pretty hardcore.
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jimh
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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby jimh » Fri May 26, 2017 12:09 pm

Masbama wrote:Any input would be appreciated.


Here are some general comments about the 135-HP VERADO:

The Mercury VERADO line of their FOURSTROKE engines no longer has a 135-HP model. A c.2007 135-HP VERADO was likely based on the four-cylinder in-line block, and was probably the lowest horsepower rating for that engine.

I doubt there is any valid statistical data that could quantify the RELIABILITY of a 2007 Mercury VERADO 135-HP FOURSTROKE engine. That sort of data just does not exist in any meaningful form. In general when speaking about outboard engine reliability, the data that exists will only be anecdotal data which is likely to be extremely influenced by brand preferences.

In general the smaller displacement four-cylinder in-line VERADO engines lacked some features of the larger V6 VERADO engines. The in-line four-cylinder block design did not incorporate balance shaft to cancel the inherent vibrations of the in-line four-cylinder design, and accordingly these engines do not run as smoothly as the larger six-cylinder VERADO. The general sound signature, characterized by noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) of the four-cylinder VERADO is quite different than the six-cylinder. The six-cylinder engines are extraordinarily quiet and smooth, but I would not extend that observation to the four-cylinder. It is not in the same class of quiet and smooth as the six-cylinder VERADO engines. My impressions of the NVH of the four-cylinder VERADO come from several rides on Boston Whaler boats with those engines in comparison to several test rides on boats with the six-cylinder VERADO.

The four-cylinder engines also usually lack the electrically-boosted power steering used with the larger six-cylinder engines. It was an option on some models. You should verify if the engine under consideration has the power steering feature. Note that the power boost pump is external to the engine, so it does not affect engine weight. But the power boost option adds complexity to the hydraulic steering rigging and also adds considerable electrical power consumption.

The four-cylinder engines also lack the unusual engine mount employed on the six-cylinder engines. The four-cylinder engine mount is more or less a conventional mount using the standard layout for transom engine mounting holes.

I would expect the c.2007 135 VERADO to have a weight similar to the current four-cylinder engines, 510-lbs. For a 135-HP engine, 510-lbs is a substantial engine weight. I suspect that one of the reason for the withdrawal from the market and the end of production of the 135-HP model for VERADO was the very high engine weight at that power rating. Also, essentially there are no physical difference in the VERADO engine at 135-HP rating and 200-HP rating, so the cost to manufacture is the same. The selling price is highly proportional to horsepower, making the 135-HP engine probably the least profitable engine in the VERADO family for Mercury to produce.

For some time in the Mercury line of engines, there was quite a gap in their available engines using four-stroke-power-cycle design. Mercury had been depending on Yamaha to provide them with four-stroke-power-cycle engines in the horsepower range of 75 to 115, and at 225-HP. When Mercury introduced the VERADO, it was initially only a six-cylinder engine and in the power range of 200-HP and up. The four-cylinder Verado came later, and filled the power range from 135 to 200-HP. I suspect that when Mercury finally produced their 150-HP FOURSTROKE in c.2012, they ceased production of the supercharged VERADO engines in that horsepower range.

A general problem with the VERADO engines of all size is their fuel consumption. Due to the use of forced induction, all VERADO engines tend to consume more fuel at maximum throttle than other engines which use do not use forced induction. At lower throttle settings there is reduced forced induction, but the supercharger still remains as a parasitic load, consuming some engine power.

There was a significant change in the VERADO engine production around 2007, and engines made after June 2007 became known as the "Gen-2" Verado. I don't know that there is any particular way to identify the production epoch. The change that occurred around June 2007 was described by Mercury themselves in a press release. Here is the text of that press release:

Mercury Marine brings fuel improvements, power train upgrades to Verado line
(Jun 20, 2007) - This summer, Mercury Marine proves you can have both increased power and better fuel efficiency as the company unveils enhancements to its Verado outboard engine line.

In the most significant enhancements since its groundbreaking 2004 launch, engineers at Mercury developed an enhanced power train for the Verado line that gives consumers increased fuel efficiency and power without sacrificing reliability.

Improvements to the power train give the Verado line world class fuel efficiency. Mercury tests show the new 150 hp Verado consumes 22 percent less fuel at wide open throttle and 18 percent less fuel on average at cruise speed than the 150 hp Verado introduced in 2005. In comparison to the competition, the new 150 hp Verado consumes up to 20 percent less fuel through the power band than the 150 hp Yamaha(1), up to 23 percent less than the 150 hp Suzuki(2) and up to 40 percent less than the 150 hp Evinrude E-Tec(3).

The enhanced power train features forged pistons, precision machined oil dams, eccentric grooved crankshaft main bearings, an all-new intake cam profile, and a new PCM (power control module) calibration.

Compared to a cast piston, the new forged pistons provide increased strength and resistance to temperature and wear, added durability and are lighter in weight.

The precision machined oil dams significantly reduce the amount of oil allowed to remain suspended in the crankcase. This is achieved by reducing the tolerance between the oil dam and crankshaft lobe and connecting rod.

"The eccentric grooved crankshaft main bearings deliver improved oil retention surrounding the crankshaft main bearings and reduce the amount of flow-through to the crankcase.

"The new intake cam provides better optimization of top end power. It significantly improves air flow and allows the engine to produce more power while working less.

The enhanced PCM calibration helps optimize fuel economy at full throttle and cruising speeds.

To showcase the enhanced power train, all Verados will feature a new chrome-polished graphics package. The new four- and six-cylinder Verados will be available late summer at authorized Mercury Verado dealers.


The most important element of the production change is the claimed improvement in fuel economy. The so-called "first generation" VERADO engines had rather poor fuel economy. Their brake specific fuel consumption at full throttle was much higher than comparable modern outboard engines. The "Gen-2" model was aimed at improving the fuel economy.

Fuel economy of the VERADO has been a long-running concern for owners. Mercury even went to the unusual step of designing new propellers, their ENERTIA and ENERTIA ECO propellers, specifically for use on the VERADO and to improve fuel economy.

Another aspect of the VERADO--really ALL Mercury outboard engines--is lack of support for NMEA-2000. Mercury uses their own, proprietary, closed system of engine instrumentation, called Smartcraft. Smartcraft has recently become easier to interface with NMEA-2000 thanks to the newer VesselView devices and some co-branding of displays with NAVICO. But it is still a bit of a nuisance for instrumentation compared to ALL other outboards, Evinrude, Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki, which support NMEA-2000.

You don't mention what boat has the c.2007 VERADO. It was most likely rigged as a factory installation, as use of VERADO engines as re-power engines for older boats is, even now, quite unusual, and in c.2007 was more or less unheard of.

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby Masbama » Fri May 26, 2017 12:26 pm

Well, that is quite a bit of useful info. Thanks!

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby jimh » Fri May 26, 2017 2:37 pm

I forgot to mention the VERADO and its digital throttle and shift or DTS. DTS is a very nice feature to have, and is particularly a huge improvement over the mechanically linked shift and throttle controls that Mercury was using. The DTS controls are very smooth and give excellent control over engine speed and transmission, again, particularly compared to the existing mechanical controls used with Mercury engines. The VERADO also has a much improved gear case compared to what Mercury was using. The new gear case was part of the approach to the new engine as "a propulsion system" instead of a new outboard engine.

Mercury hired German auto engineer Claus Bruestle from Porsche to take charge of their four-cycle outboard motor development program. Claus told this anecdote about his experience with Mercury outboard motor shift mechanisms during an interview he gave when the Verado motor was being introduced:

"When I joined Mercury, people were very nice to me and taught me how to drive and dock a boat. I remember one of my first experiences driving a boat, when I shifted and it made this great clunk. I said, "We are going to stop this--it sounds like a 1950s truck."

People said, "Why? It's always been that way."

I said, "Exactly."


The original ("Gen-1") VERADO six-cylinder engines came out with this new gear case design with "digital" (actually electrical) shifting. The smoothness when shifting in or out of neutral gear was improved dramatically. Mercury shift went from CLUNK to an inaudible click. This is a big advantage to the Verado engines.

I can't say for certain if the four-cylinder and six-cylinder use the same gear case any more, but I think they did initially. Since introduction, the six-cylinder gear case has evolved and there are a total of four designs: "Gen-1", "Gen-2", POSEIDEN, and POSEIDEN 1.5-inch-propeller-shaft-diameter. As far as I can understand, I think the four-cylinder engines do not use the POSEIDEN gear cases.

The new VERADO gear case was so much an improvement that it was next incorporated into the re-design of the OptiMax engine, in the "OptiMax The Next Generation" (or OTNG) as those engines were called very briefly by Mercury.

Also, Mercury abandoned the use of MODEL YEAR designators to identify their outboard engine products in c.2006. Because of that, there really is no such product as a "2007" Verado.

And when Mercury introduced their 150 FOURSTOKE (not VERADO) engine, I immediately predicted the end of the 135 to 150-HP class VERADO. That has occurred.

I think you can find the VERADO four-cylinder engine on the transom of many Boston Whaler boats. Boston Whaler was reluctant to offer the OptiMax engines as factory-installed engines, based on historically low demand for them, and when a Mercury-brand four-stroke-power-cycle engine was available, it became either the standard or optional engine on many Boston Whaler boats.

I am sure there are plenty of very positive first-hand endorsements of these engines. They seem to have been quite popular up to the time of the introduction of the 150 FOURSTROKE (not VERADO) engine.

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby jimh » Fri May 26, 2017 3:34 pm

Phil T wrote:You can also get input from Glen's site, http://www.veradoclub.com. They are pretty hardcore.


I have no problem at all recommending VERADOCLUB for information about the VERADO, even though Glen no longer considers CONTINUOUSWAVE to be a website to recommend to others. Glen was almost at the ground floor of the VERADO engine. He has done a nice job of supporting the VERADO with his website. Of course, you should expect that content on VERADOCLUB is likely to be somewhat enthusiastically favorable. Comments there about the VERADO will be akin to comments here about the Boston Whaler boat: generally very positive.

The VERADO first actually appeared--after years of rumors--in 2004. At that time, Mercury--a brand of Brunswick--was like most big, hierarchical companies, just about completely unrepresented on the internet by any sort of presence in what would now be called "social media." When Glen created VERADOCLUB, it instantly became THE website for promotion and endorsement of the VERADO. (By the way, Glen's background is in marketing management, and he has done a very good job of that, both in his professional life and as a website host.) I think Mercury found him to be a very valuable adjunct to their own VERADO marketing assets, which, again in 2004, were rather feeble in the nascent internet world of corporate involvement in things like hosting a discussion forum.

Although I am certain that VERADOCLUB has a lot of information about the VERADO, there is plenty of information on CONTINUOUSWAVE about the engine, too. You can find over 1,500 articles in the archives with this search:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sou ... gle+Search

The first article in the search results should be interesting for you:

VERADO Opinions: Reliability, Maintenance, Performance Factor
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022982.html

I also would suggest you read my initial article about the VERADO. This was published on February 15, 2004. See

VERADO: La Verdad
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/006715.html

If you find any content on VERADOCLUB that predates that, let me know. I also published a photo-layout about the VERADO the next day, February 16, 2004. See

CETACEA Page 77: Miami Boat Show
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetace ... age77.html

You can also read my impressions from a test drive of a Boston Whaler with a four-cylinder VERADO. See

Verado 175-HP: First Impression
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/005650.html

I would also make this suggestion--and I make the same suggestion about buying any outboard engine of any model and any brand--be certain you have a local authorized dealer who has a service department with factory-trained technicians who are totally qualified to perform service on the engine you plan to buy. This is especially true about the VERADO because not every authorized Mercury retail dealer is going to met that criterion. Many do not have the tools, the part inventory, the training, or the experience to provide service for the VERADO engines.

Masbama
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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby Masbama » Fri May 26, 2017 6:38 pm

Great stuff!
Thanks again!

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby Jefecinco » Sat May 27, 2017 10:10 am

Masbama--We have a 2008 on our Montauk and really like it. Ours is a Gen 2 model which had some upgrades. I'm unsure which year the Gen 2s were introduced but Glen's site will have that info.
Butch

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby jimh » Sat May 27, 2017 4:27 pm

I'm unsure which year the Gen 2s were introduced...


You don't need to go to VERADO club to find that information. See my earlier reply:

There was a significant change in the VERADO engine production around 2007, and engines made after June 2007 became known as the "Gen-2" Verado.

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby Jefecinco » Sat May 27, 2017 7:24 pm

Thank you, Jim.

The Mercury Marine data tag on our Verado provides the month and year of manufacture.
Butch

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Re: 2007 Mercury VERADO 135 FOURSTROKE

Postby jimh » Sat Jun 03, 2017 9:24 am

Another way of determining if a VERADO FOURSTROKE engine belongs to the "Gen-2" category is mentioned by Mercury in their press release (which is reproduced verbatim above):

To showcase the enhanced power train, all Verados will feature a new chrome-polished graphics package.


I don't know precisely what visual cues will reveal the "new chrome-polished graphics package. I assume, by inference, that the legacy VERADO cowling was not trimmed with as much chrome as the second-generation engine. There does seem to be some basis to distinguish the legacy and Gen-2 engines by their appearance.

Also, I believe the term "dry sump" is also used to describe the changes in the engine for the second-generation VERADO FOURSTOKE engines. These engines operate at crankcase rotation speeds of 6,000-RPM or higher, and, apparently, by eliminating a cloud of oil particles in the crankcase area there is a reduction in friction created by the spinning crankshaft hitting those oil droplets in the air. This dry-sump technique is believed to be used in many racing engines where the crankcase rotates at very high speeds.