V-6 vs in line 4 Yamaha 200hp

Just bought a uesed boat with a f200 Yamaha. So what is the difference between the v6 and the in line 4 that the new motors have? Other than the cylinder configuration.

A V-6 would have two more cylinders than a inline-4. Thus more working parts to maintain.

My sales man says the v6 is a better motor. Just wondering what anybody thought?

The i-4 is the newer version of their 200hp. Smaller and lighter than the older v-6’s.

Curious if the 4 has to run at much higher rpm’s to compensate.

Not sure. I know my i-4 maxes at roughly 6000 rpms. Been flawless for 3 years so far

bruce anderson wrote:

My sales man says the v6 is a better motor. Just wondering what anybody thought?

I’m assuming that is the motor he was wanting to sell you. ????

You can think of it in 2 ways. The 4 cylinder is going to have less moving parts thus less to maintain. But it’s not like you actually do anything to maintain 2 additional cylinders other than changing the oil which you’d do regardless. I see it as an inline 4 is going to have more strain put on 4 cylinders vs 6. Other than gas mileage, I don’t see where the 4 would be better. Think of it as if it were in a pickup. An 8 cylinder vs a 6. I can see the 6 being better built. They tend to put strain on unnecessary parts when making a 4 cylinder run with as much power as a 6.

I would assume the bigger displacement motor would have better hole shot and mid range. MPG should be similar but the I4 will edge it out i’m sure.

Both motors are very reliable.

The I4 will be lighter.

The only difference in cost to maintain would be the extra quart or two of oil that the 4.2L V6 needs.

The 200HP SHO is still a 4.2L V6 so it’s not like they did away with the V6 in the 200hp class.

rjthehunter wrote:

You can think of it in 2 ways. The 4 cylinder is going to have less moving parts thus less to maintain. But it’s not like you actually do anything to maintain 2 additional cylinders other than changing the oil which you’d do regardless

Pat McSharry wrote:

The only difference in cost to maintain would be the extra quart or two of oil that the 4.2L V6 needs.

I think of replacement parts as part of the overall cost of maintaining an engine. 6 cylinder versus 4 cylinder has 50% more injectors and coils (provided each cylinder typically have their own coil) also 50% more spark plugs. All these items are wear items and can be expected to be cleaned or replaced during the lifetime of an engine.