more "reliable"?

[cedwong]

I thank all for the feedback on 4-strokes vs. 2-strokes! Lots of great opinions.

I have heard the 4-strokes are like auto engines, and as such are more reliable and less prone to breaking down. any thoughts? I wonder because I have some buddies who used to ride motorcycles alot tell me about this issue with motorcycles, and how they have all gone to 4 strokes now. it took a long time, but the reasons were for those above.

Or is the 4-stroke technologies in outboards just not up to snuff yet?

ced.

[crawdaddy]

I am sure there are varied opinions on this but here is mine. 4 stroke and 2 stroke outboards do the same things basically. There is a powerhead that generates the horsepower and the lower unit where that horsepower is translated in rotations of the propeller. Since they both run at very high rpms the opportunity for breakdown is greater than in automobiles and since outboard motors function in water the opportunity for other problems with lubricant breakdown due to water invasion. Reliability in an outboard motor has many variables just like an automobile. Ones that are well maintained and used regularly tend to last much longer than the ones that are irregularly maintained and run infrequently. Less use leads to seals that dry up and shrink decreasing output. I don't think it is a simple as saying a 4-stroke is more reliable than a 2-stroke and vice versa. The engine that is maintained better and used more often will most likely be the more reliable engine, but in some cases engines fail due to manufacturing issues which is why they have warranties.