Then
Mercury Marine has been manufacturing the Mercury outboard engine since 1939. In 1961, Mercury Marine amalgamated with Brunswick Corporation of Lake Forest, IL, and in 1971, Marine Power Europe was established in Liege, Belgium, as the European division of Mercury Marine USA. Subsequent Marine Power Europe divisions were established in France; Denmark; Netherlands; and Norway, while the name was changed to Marine Power Europe in 1981. Marine Power went on to expand to Sweden (1991), Italy (1993), and Switzerland (1995).
Now
Over 70 years later, Marine Power Europe, a division of Brunswick Marine of EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), is the foremost manufacturer and distributor of both recreational and commercial outboard engines throughout EMEA and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States). In 2007, Brunswick Corporation (parent company of Brunswick Marine of EMEA) had reported sales of USD $5.67 billion with 19,760 employees worldwide as of July 2009. Marine Power Europe produces Mercury, Mercury MerCruiser, and Mariner outboard engines.
Customer Satisfaction
According to the 2009 Marine Engine Competitive Study produced by J.D. Powers and Associates, Mercury Marine ranked third in the Outboard Direct Injection (DI) two-stroke category as well as fourth in the Outboard Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) four-stroke category. Mercury Marine received 886 out of a possible 1,000 points and 878 out of a possible 1,000 point, respectively.
Makes & Models
Marine Power Europe manufactures three series of the Mercury outboard engine – Verado, OptiMax, and FourStrokes – ranging from 2.5-300 HP, all featuring the durability and reliability that a Mercury outboard engine provides. Mercury MerCruiser produces both Alpha and Bravo drives plus a series of stern drives ranging from 135 to 190 HP. Mariner models include the four-stroke Verado ranging from 135 to 300 HP; FourStroke series from 5 to 115 HP; and Optimax 115 and 225 HP outboard engines.
Parts & Manuals
Mercury, MerCruiser, and Mariner outboard engine operator and maintenance manuals can be accessed in PDF (Portable Document Format) through the ‘Download Center’ of the Brunswick Marine of EMEA website. Parts for Mercury, MerCruiser, and Mariner can be ordered through local Marine Power Europe dealers. The Brunswick Marine of EMEA website also offers a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and answers to topics that include electrical, fuel & fuel systems, general, OptiMax, parts, and winterization queries.
New for 2010
The most recent Marine Power Europe outboard engines to be released include the 70th anniversary two-stroke DFI (Direct Fuel Injection) Mercury 125 Optimax in September 2009; the catalyst version of an inboard MerCruiser Big Block engine (380 to 430 HP) was available January 1, 2010 with a non-catalyst version to be available mid-2010.
Dealer Locator
More than 3,300 Marine Power Europe dealers can easily be located by using the ‘find a dealer’ feature on the Brunswick Marine of EMEA website.
Established in 2000, the Zhejiang Shunfeng Power Machinery Manufacturer Co., Ltd., is located in the city of Jinhua, China. As manufacturers of various machinery including garden equipment, all terrain vehicles (ATV), snow mobiles, and boats, Zhejiang Shunfeng Power Machinery also produces Hyfong, Oshen, and Shunfeng outboards. With over USD $8 million in exports annually, Zhejiang Shunfeng Power Machinery is “one of the fastest growing names in the marine outboard market” with 12,000 Hyfong outboard engines manufactured and 300 staff employed in 2008.
Makes & Models
Zhejiang Shunfeng Power Machinery produces 23 models of Hyfong Outboards including a two-stroke series of 2, 2.5, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 9.9, and 15 HP engines (available in black or silver and long or short shaft); and a four-stroke series of 2.5, 4, 5, 6, 9.9, and 15 HP engines (also available in black or silver and long or short shaft). The cost for Hyfong Outboard engines are said to be up to 40% less than competitor models; all engines comply with EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and European CE (Conformité Européne) standards. All Hyfong Outboards feature a transistorized coil ignition (TCI) for easy starting; low oil gauge indicator; forward-neutral-reverse shifting; twist grip throttle control; and a thermostat controlled water cooling system.
Customer Satisfaction
Hyfong marine engines are quality built while customer service and satisfaction are the company’s main goal. Hyfong has an international network of worldwide locations including the USA; Canada; Mexico; Asia; Russia; Sweden; Finland; United Kingdom; Germany; France; Netherlands; Ireland; Australia; and South Africa. All Hyfong Outboard engines feature a one to two year limited factory warranty; They offers a toll-free customer service line at 1-888-471-9997 for its North American customers.
Hyfong Parts & Manuals
Hyfong owner’s, service, and parts manuals are available from Hyfong Outboard dealers. A full inventory of Hyfong parts is available to customers in the USA and Canada with savings of up to 50% over competitor parts; all major Hyfong Outboard dealers are required to stock a minimum parts inventory. In many cases, Hyfong marine engine parts are interchangeable and compatible with several major competitor outboard manufacturers.
If you’d like to ask a Hyfong Outboard engine question sooner than waiting for a manual to arrive, try the Just Answer website. For a fee ranging from $14 to $34, you can ask a Just Answer expert about a Hyfong Outboard motor and receive an answer within minutes from a certified marine mechanic. You can also browse previous Hyfong Outboard engine questions and answers free of charge.
Hyfong Outboard Dealer Locator
Hyfong Outboard engine dealers can easily be located by calling the toll-free customer service line at 1-888-471-9997 in North America.
Cobra Power Corporation is a Miami, Florida based provider of high performance gasoline marine engines. The company sells high horsepower engines for Cigarette boats and other high performance, high speed offshore style racing and pleasure boats.
Cobra Power has been providing marine propulsion solutions for over 30 years. Besides high performance engines the company sells drives, transmissions and propellers. The company will install and tune their engines to obtain the maximum performance from a boat. The company also sells performance boats and will take trades towards the purchase of one of their boats in inventory.
Cobra Power sells and installs high performance engines for high performance offshore speed boats. They offer a range from crate engines and parts through complete installation and tuning including a trade-in allowance for old engines. The company website does not provide a large amount of information so interested customers are advised to call at U.S. 305-893-5018.
Cobra Power’s complete address is:
Cobra Power Corporation
13353 NE 7th Ave.
North Miami, Florida 33181
The toll free telephone number is: 1-888-314-4167.
Cobra Power offers engines with power rating from 600 hp. to 1200 hp. Their website has the specifications for the 1000 horsepower model pictured above:
600 Cubic Inches
4.500 Inch Stroke
4.600 Inch Bore
9:1 Compression
1000 HP @ 6200 RPM
Super Unleaded 93 Octane
Twin 4 Barrel Holley Dominators
Blue Printing & Balanced
Fully Ported Alumimum Heads
17 Quart Custom Designed Oil Pan
Dart Block
Hydraulic Roller Camshaft
Marine Ignition System (potted)
Dual Cooler Bellhousing
14:71 BDS SuperCharger
The company’s online store lists two ratings of complete engines in stock and available for sale. The 650 hp. engine provides “clean reliable horsepower for your small to midrange size boat”. Gotta like the idea of 650 ponies for your “small” boat. The 650 hp. motor is yours for $24,500. Also available in the online store is the 1,050 hp. supercharged model for those seeking “serious horsepower for serious boaters who seek out speed & reliabilty (sp)”. The supercharged engines are $50,000 each. At the time of this writing the website shows 20 of each engine in stock.
If you already have a high performance cigarette boat and are looking for parts, Cobra Power has an extensive parts inventory including 16.75 in. to 17.5 in. high performance 4 and 5 blade propellers with prices from $2,500 to $5,000 per prop. The company offers the Cobra Propeller Program where buyers of sets of 5 bladed props can send them back for a different size until they are satisfied with the performance provided.
Commander Marine: History Built around Ford 351 Windsor
Commander Marine Engines of Elk Grove Village, Illinois was a manufacturer of gas inboard marine engines from the 1970’s into the 1990’s. The company produced marine engines on the Ford 351 Windsor V8 block and you can still find those engines for sale online today.
The Ford Windsor is a 90-degree, small block V8 that was first introduced in 1962. The 351 cubic inch version was introduced in 1969. The marine version of the 351 Windsor was the base motor for several marine engine manufacturers in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Unfortunately, Ford decided to stop providing engines for marine use in 1996.
The Commander Marine motors had power output in the 230 hp. to 250 hp. range depending on the year of manufacture. Another source shows engines with 289 cubic inch and 302 cubic inch displacements were also produced at some time in the company’s history. Here’s just a sample, partial list of boat and drive manufacturers that offered Commander Marine engines as propulsion units:
The widespread use of the Ford Windsor 351 in marine applications for the several decades it was available means that finding parts and repair facilities is relatively easy.
Marine Power, Inc. is headquartered in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and produces a diverse lineup of gas fueled inboard marine engines. The company is also a leader in JetBoat propulsion.
MarinePower started in the 1950’s by producing engines for local shrimping skiffs. The company built it’s reputation in the commercial market by providing reliable engines to meet the demands of commercial fishing in tough environments. In 1984 the company was purchased by new owners whose goal was to expand the Marine Power name into the recreational boating market. The company produces engines for OEM manufacturers in the tow boat and jet boat industries. The company also offers several engine packages for easy and reliable inboard and stern drive repower applications.
The Marine Power engine lineup is based on the well known GM Vortec engines. The engine lineup consists of these models:
2.4L 4-cylinder Vortec with multiport electronic fuel injection (MEFI)
3.0L carburetor fueled 6-cylinder for inboard and stern drive repower
4.3L Vortec V6 with carburetor or fuel injection options in repower packs
5.7L Vortec V8 with MEFI, ski boat, jet boat and repower applications
6.0L Vortec V8, MEFI for ski boat, jet boat and repower
6.2L LS3 high performance V8 for ski and jet boat applications
6.2L LSA supercharged V8, 530 hp. racing and high performance boating
7.4L V8, classic Big Block, pre-Vortec GM engine
8.1L Vortec Big Block V8 for jet boat and repower applications
8.2L 502 cu. in. Chevy V8 for inboard and stern drive repower
Marine Power provides repower packages that allows boat owners to easily retrofit their boats with more modern Vortec engines providing all of the necessary parts for a complete replacement. To enhance the drivability of their engines MarinePower introduced Digital Throttle in 2006 and will be adding Digital Shift in 2010 after two years of testing.
Marine Power made a name for itself in the jet boat industry in the 1990’s.
MarinePower has a 50 year history of providing reliable, high power engines to the commercial fishing industry, then moving into the recreational boating arena providing the same levels of performance. The company continues to work on technical innovations to keep their products at the forefront of the industry.
MTU stands for Motoren- und Turbinen-Union and is a German diesel manufacturer that provides diesel power for luxury yachts. The company does manufacture a wide range of diesel engines for marine use.
MTU is 100 years old in 2009. In 1909 the company started by producing engines for lighter-than-air airships, the Zeppelins. MTU built the world’s first large, turbocharged, high-speed diesel in 1934. In the 1950’s MTU moved into marine propulsion. The company’s history is broadly diversified in large diesel power applications including ferries, workboats and yachts as well as heavy agriculture, rail, military and oil and gas. MTU also provides complete propulsion systems for many of the industries it serves. For recreational marine MTU declares the following benefits to their diesel engines:
Years of experience and excellent references in demanding naval applications as well as in yachting
System expertise for maximum performance and maximum comfort
State-of-the-art technologies
Best power-to-weight ratio
MTU’s range of engine offering for recreational marine use is very broad, ranging from a 2.8L 4-cylinder model producing 207 hp. up to 35L V-16s putting out over 2,400 hp. Some of MTU’s featured engines are the Series 60 with 12L displacement and up to 600 hp., the Series 2000 which comes in V-8, V-10 and V-12 configurations and power from 960 to 2,000 hp. and the Series 4000 with V-8, v-12, V-16 and V-20 setups providing up to 5,700 hp. The company also offers diesel-electric and gas turbine propulsions systems for mega-yachts looking for the most efficient and powerful engine systems. MTU focuses their yacht offerings into three categories:
Performance yachts: fast vessels with low load factors
Displacement yachts: larger yachts that spend a significant amount of time at sea
Megayachts: vessels that may require different propulsion systems than the typical high speed diesels
MTU provides German engineered marine propulsion systems for the most advanced yachting applications. If you are interested in this type of marine diesel application, download the company’s Yacht brochure. It is worth taking a look at the brochure just for the outstanding yacht pictures and the amount of detailed information the company provides about their products.
John Deere is better know as one of the world’s oldest and largest manufacturers of agricultural equipment. Deere and Company as it is officially known has branched into many areas of equipment and marine diesel power including a lineup of marine propulsion, auxiliary power and generator drive units.
Deere and Company started and a one-man blacksmith shop in 1837. Headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa, the company is now a worldwide provider of agricultural, turf, construction, forestry and power equipment. John Deere has been producing power units for commercial and recreational marine applications for over 30 years. Personal side note: my father worked in the John Deere Waterloo engine foundry when I was a very youngster.
John Deere claims there engines are some of the most powerful available for marine applications. Here are the features the company attributes to their engines:
Low noise & vibration
Compact design for easy installation
Excellent fuel economy
Easy to rebuild inside the hull
In recent years, John Deere has added new engines to their lineup in 6.8L, 9.0L and 13.5L displacements bringing the total number of engine sizes to 6 and different models based on power rating, aspiration and emission certification to 49. Most of the Deere marine propulsion offering meet Tier 2 emission standards (44 of the models) now.
The John Deere marine engines start with a 4.5L inline 4-cylinder with power ratings from 80 to 150 hp. (135 hp. max for emission certified motors). The 6.8L, 8.1L and 9.0L inline 6 engines are all turbo-charged available no aftercooling or with water jacket or seawater aftercooling. These smaller 6 cylinder engines have power rating from 230 to 500 hp. The big 12.5L and 13.5L offerings are also inline 6 configurations and power ratings go from 340 to 750 hp. John Deere offers a lot of options in their marine engine stable. For a comparison of the different power ratings check out this nifty specification sheet. It is fun just to mess with whatever technology allows you to zoom and scroll the document!
John Deere marine offer a very wide range of displacements, power options and even choices in turbo charging aftercooling. All Deere engines are equipped with wet cylinder liners, which makes future engine overhauls much less expensive and time consuming. The engines also produce high torque at low rpms allow the engines to turn larger propellers at lower speeds. This promotes increased fuel efficiency.
MAN Marine Diesel Engines are produced by MAN engines is business unit of MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group of Germany. MAN marine diesel engines has a history that goes back to Rudolph Diesel himself, who developed the first serviceable diesel engines at MAN from 1893 until 1897. 85% of the engines produced by MAN go into the groups own lines of MAN trucks and buses and NEOPLAN buses. MAN marine diesel engines are marketed to the fast motor yacht boating segment. Besides yacht engines MAN also has marine engines targeted at workboats and auxiliary and emergency generators.
Here is the lineup of MAN marine diesel engines for yachting applications:
R6-730 and R6-800 are 12.8 liter displacement I-6 engines weighing 1,305 kg (2,870 lb.) rated at 730 hp. and 800 hp. respectively. Fuel consumption is 145 liters/hr (38.3 gal/hr) for the 730 and 158 liters/hr (41.7 gal/hr) for the 800.
V8-900 is 14.6 liters of V-8 power rated at 900 hp. This engine weighs 1565 kg (3,440 lb.) and burns 179 liter/hr (47.2 gal.hr) of diesel fuel.
V8-1200 is another V-8 displacing 16.2 liters with a 1,200 hp. rating. Engine weight is 1,875 kg (4,125 lb.) and fuel consumption is 226 liters/hr (59.7 gal/hr).
V10-1100 is a V-10 block, displacement of 18.3 liters rated at 1,100 hp. The engine weighs 1,855 kg (4,080 lb.) and fuel consumption is 217 liters/hr (57.3 gal/hr).
V12-1224 and V12-1360 and V12-1550 displace 21.9 liters with power ratings of 1,224 hp and 1,360 hp. The engines weigh 1,965 kg (4,320 lb) and have respective fuel consumption rates of 233 liters/hr (61.5 gal.hr) and 264 liters/hr (69.7 gal/hr).
V12-1550 als0 displace 21.9 liters and is rated at 1,550 hp. This engine weighs 2,165 kg (4,760 lb.) and the fuel consumption rate is 307 liters/hr (81.0 gal/hr).
V12-1800 is a 24.2 liter V-12 putting out up to 1,800. The MAN website does not provide any additional data on this engine.
A not too recent press release announced a new engine the R6-550 with 6.9 liters of displacement and 550 hp. The regular marine listing page on the website does not currently list this engine.
All of the MAN marine diesel engines are turbocharged, intercooled 4-stroke diesels with 4 valves per cylinder. The V-8s are all 90° blocks. Fuel is provided through electronically controlled, common rail direct injection. MAN provides what they call their Gold Standard certificate for engine installation in private yachts. The certificate is provided when the installation meets the company’s standards of installation and engine tuning. The Gold Standard certificate comes with a 2-year comprehensive engine warranty and an additional 3 years of warranty coverage on specific engine parts.
MAN has representatives worldwide, from Algeria to Vietnam. MAN marine diesel engines are designed for yachts in the 50 ft. to 90 ft. range. The German quality, compact V-block sizes and responsive power should put MAN marine diesel engines on any prospective yacht owners prospective powerplant list.
Pleasurecraft marine engines herald from Pleasurecraft Engine Group, the parent company of PCM Marine Engines and also Crusader engines. Pleasurecraft Marine Engines now goes by PCM Marine Engines.
For over 32 years, PCM has produced inboard gas engines for the watersport and tow boat sector of the boating world. The company has a history of innovative firsts including the original pyramidal exhaust manifold, the first transmission developed just for water sports and the first computerized engine management system. PCM’s ski boat manufacturing partners include Nautique, MB Sports, Tige Boats, and Wakecraft in the U.S. and Canadian manufacturers SVFARA Marine and Liquid Ride.
PCM’s engine offering consist of a trio of highly massaged GM small blocks. All of the engines have multi-port electronic fuel injection and a choice of right or left prop rotation. Here is an outline of each motor.s performance specs:
Prosport EFI: 5.0L / 305 c.i.d., 275 hp. at 4600 rpm and 305 lb-ft of torque
Excalibur 343: 5.7L / 350 c.i.d., 343 hp. at 5000 rpm. over 430 lb-ft of torque
ZR-409: 6.0L / 363 c.i.d., 409 hp. at 5600 rpm and 492 lb-ft torque (a screamer!)
The ZR-409 features an new high output exhaust system, high performance aluminum heads and is fresh water cooled.
PCM backs all of their engines with a 3-year warranty and a network of factory trained Premier Dealers. Engine features include: Adjust-a-Flex engine mounts that are larger and more robust than the competition. PCM’s patented Fuel Control Cell insures proper fuel delivery in all conditions and eliminates the possibility of fuel starvation. The Power Plus Transmission is specifically designed for tow boat applications. Digital Throttle control is standard with all PCM engines and the exclusive Catanium clean exhaust system helps keep the marine environment clean.
It appears these desirable, high performance engines are only available from the OEM boat manufacturers. Sounds like a good reason to go buy an new ski boat!
MerCruiser is the inboard engine division of Mercury Marine. The division offers both gas and diesel powered inboard and sterndrive propulsion units.
Mercury Marine is a division of publicly traded Brunswick Corporation. The division generates more than $2 billion in sales and has over 6,200 employees. Mercury Marine headquarters is in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, with regional headquarters in Belgium and Australia. Mercury Marine began as the Kiekhaefer Corporation in Wisconsin, when Carl Kiekhaefer sought to design and produce the best possible boat engine. The company is 70 years old in 2009. In 1961 MerCruiser introduced the first production stern drive generating over 100 horsepower.
MerCruiser has a very broad product range broken into several different categories: engines and stern drive units, inboard engines, tow sports inboards and Cummins MerCruiser Diesel. The company builds its gas engines on the proven General Motors marine units but adds a lot of their own technology to set the MerCruiser power offerings apart. Here is a little about the different categories:
Engines and Sterndrives
For sterndrive applications MerCruiser offers both carburetor and fuel-injected models ranging from 135 hp, 4-cylinders to 430 hp. V8 Big Blocks, 13 different engines in all. The engines can be matched with over 20 sterndrive models in four major classifications. The different sterndrives can be set up as single, dual or triple drive units. MerCruiser has a sterndrive engine and drive setup for any boating application. The SeaCore sterndrive systems have extra corrosion resistance for salt water boating.
MerCruiser Inboard Lineups
The MerCruiser lineup of gas inboards consists of nine different small block and big block offerings. Horsepower rating go from 260 hp. for the 5.7L carbureted TKS model up to 425 hp. coming from the 8.2L H.O. The multiport fuel-injected models offer optional Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS).
Tow Sports Inboards: MerCruiser offers a lineup of small block V8 engines designed specifically for tow sports. These engines provide the power and torque when it is needed. The top of the line Black Scorpion tow engines have their own website at www.black-scorpion.com.
MerCruiser has formed a joint venture with Cummins Diesel to provide state-of-the-art diesel propulsion systems. The partnership provides diesel powered inboard, sterndrive, pod drive, auxiliary power and genset systems. Inboard diesels are available up to 715 hp. Sterndrive systems provide up to 480 diesel ponies. The Zeus pod propulsion system is available with units producing up to 600 hp. The pod system delivers up to 30% better fuel economy, 15% faster cruise speed and 15% faster top speed. Another unique offering from the Cummins MerCruiser team is the highly maneuverable Axius Sterndrive system. The joystick controlled Asius system allows boats to move sideways, at an angle or rotate in place.
As a part of the world’s largest marine engine company, MerCruiser has a very large portion of the inboard market covered. Inboards, sterndrive, pod systems, gas and diesel, the company covers the gamut for recreational boating. MerCruiser continues to develop innovative products like the Zeus and Axius drive systems. The company warranties MerCruiser products for up to 4 years on top of the line engines and drives.
