The E-TEC 140 G2 is an in-line three-cylinder engine that follows two earlier G2 V6 engines. The initial V6 74-degree G2 arrived in June 2014 and has a 3.4-liter displacement with a 3.85 x 3.00 bore and stroke. The second V6 G2 was revealed in June 2016, and used a 66-degree V6 with 2.7-liter displacement and 3.39 x 3.10 bore and stroke. The three-cylinder G2 was announced in June 2019, and uses the 3.85-inch bore of the 74-degree engine but lengthens the stroke 0.25-inch to 3.25, giving the engine 1.9-liter displacement, or 55-percent of the displacement of the big V6 engine. The big V6 can produce 300-HP, and at 55-percent of that displacement we might expect 165-HP could be possible. On that basis, a three-cylinder 1.9-liter engine rated for 140-HP seems quite reasonable. There is also a 150-HP model, which adds several performance enhancements. (The 150-HP three-cylinder will be discussed in a separate article.)
The initial E-TEC G2 engine was said to have been in development for five years, which would mean the project began c.2009. After the reveal in 2014 the engine went into full production a month or two later. The second G2 models came in June 2016 (about seven years into the project) and were immediately available. This third variation arrives in 2019, or about ten years after the initial G2 project began.
A major innovation in the 74-degree V6 E-TEC G2 was the design of the combustion chamber based on extensive and innovative computer modeling, which allowed almost perfect fuel-air mixing and total fuel burning, producing three significant improvements:
- greater power production from the fuel,
- more fuel efficiency, and
- lower exhaust gas emissions
Those were three terrific enhancements to the legacy E-TEC engine, and they are continued in the new in-line three-cylinder E-TEC G2 models.
The three-cylinder in-line E-TEC G2 engines are available with or without the E-TEC Dynamic Power Steering (now called iSteer DPS) option. Their engine weight varies by shaft length (20 or 25-inch) and steering options. A 20-inch shaft engine with basic steering ("Remote") weighs 390-lbs; a 25-inch shaft with iSteer DPS weighs 426-lbs.
All model use electronic shift and throttle controls, called ICON II EST. This means any existing mechanical cable remote controls would need repaclement, which may add expense to a re-power. Note that I refitted my E-TEC legacy engine with ICON EST controls, and I love them. The world of outboard engines is modernizing, and electric/electronic throttle and shift is really the new normal in modern marine engines.
In additional to sustaining the many improvements already seen in the E-TEC G2, the new L3 E-TEC G2 engines add additional refinements. The illustrations below will show some of these.
EXTERIOR VIEWS
Unlike the earlier G2 engine the side panels do not have a removable smaller segment. To add accent color a new “skin” panel snaps into place over the existing center portion of the larger panel. The skin panels are available in various color or as unpainted skins to be customized as desired.
The reversion to an all-white color scheme will be appreciated by many owners of more classic boats who were put off by the dark base gray color in the other E-TEC G2 models. The white color scheme may be migrating to other E-TEC models.
The first outward element of the new in-line three-cylinder E-TEC engines I noticed was a new and much different lower engine mount and suspension. Evinrude has given renewed attention to noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) in this new G2 design.
The engine gear case is a new design, designated the SLX2 (Straight Leading-edge). The water pick-ups have been moved farther forward on the gear case bullet, as can be seen in Figure 4. above.
Now that we have seen the engine exterior in several views, we next remove the top cover. It is easy to take off; no screws required.
The next disassembly was to remove the Starboard side cowling. [Article continues in next post.]