What year optimax is it?

When they first came out, they had some major problems, but they have been corrected. I've got a 225, and only service it gets is the regularly scheduled maintance at 100 hours.... then 200 hours, etc...

I think mostly it has to do with how you use your motor. I don't run mine wide open all the time, and the motor has over 100 hours on it, like I said, so far... so good.

Plus it gets twice the gas milage than my old Evenrude 150 Intruder.

Tight lines and God Bless

Danny