Engine review - Evinrude E-TEC 130

Wave energised E-TEC

Released on the Aussie market in October 2008, the long-awaited E-TEC 130 now provides anglers and family boaters with an alternative to heavier four-stroke outboards in its power range.

The 130 weighs the same as its standard 115 counterpart, but has a 35mm higher profile to allow for the revised air intake. Like the 115, air is inducted through an opening in the aft end of the upper cowl but instead of finding its way to the engine intake via the powerhead, it’s directed via a plastic shroud atop the flywheel directly to the air intake. This ensures air stays cooler for higher density and better combustion efficiency.

ENERGY WAVES
The other main feature over the 115 is the dual-stage tuned exhaust system. The tuned exhausts of V4 engines use the energy waves created in the exhaust system to increase power and torque. When an exhaust port opens on one cylinder bank, the energy wave raises the pressure in a cylinder on the opposite bank just before the exhaust port closes. As pressure waves travel at the speed of sound, their speed is fixed and arrival time depends on the distance travelled.

To gain the maximum benefit from these waves, the 130 has an electronically controlled flap in the exhaust passages. Below 4500 revs the tuning pulses travel a relatively long distance to increase bottom-end torque, but above these revs the flap alters position and the exhaust pulses travel a much shorter distance to increase top-end power. The effect is like variable intake valve timing in a four-stroke.

The 130 uses a combination of stratified and homogenous combustion to provide a blend of incredible trolling fuel efficiency with typical two-stroke performance.

Mounted on a Cruise Craft Explorer 575, spinning a 17in Viper stainless steel prop and pushing 1650kg, including four adults, the demo extra-long 130 was almost as fast as a 2.4lt Honda BF135 tested four years ago on this hull. It started instantly hot or cold with no oil smoke appearing at any time, although when backing upwind there was a slight oil smell.

Using the I-Command instrumentation, trolling at 600rpm (with the same low vibration and noise levels as its 115 counterpart) the 130 averaged 3.9kmh and 0.7lt/h, while at 2000rpm the averages were 12.2kmh and 5.5lt/h. A clean plane was achieved at 3200rpm and 25.4kmh, and cruising effortlessly at 4000rpm, the averages were 40.5kmh and 24.1lt/h. Through a full-lock figure of eight turns at these rpm no prop ventilation occurred.

As the throttle opening was increased, there was no perceptible jump in rpm past the 4500 mark, but when the throttle was floored from 4000rpm, there was a slight lag followed by a rush of power right out to WOT. The effect was very similar to the Honda BF150 when the V-TEC cuts in at 4500rpm.

At my maximum recommended cruising rpm of 5000, the averages were 51.4kmh and 31.9lt/h, and at WOT and 5600rpm - slightly overpropped for this engine - we averaged 62.4kmh and 41.1lt/h with noise levels slightly higher than the Honda BF135/150 at WOT.

E-TEC EDGE
In comparison, spinning a 17in Solas four-blade prop and mounted on an Outsider 575 pushing 1650kg, a Honda BF135 averaged 4.1kmh and 600rpm using 1.6lt/h, and 11.9kmh and 6.4lt/h at 2000rpm. The cruising averages were 44.2kmh and 20.6lt/h at 4000rpm, and 65.1kmh and 50.6lt/h at WOT of 5500rpm.

So clearly the E-TEC 130 has the fuel efficiency edge at trolling and WOT speeds, losing out only at midrange rpm, which is usually the case with DFI two-strokes compared to four-strokes. However, the Honda had nowhere near the holeshot or midrange acceleration.

Powerhead access is tight although for full access, the lower cowl can be removed with the spark plugs and throttle/gearshift linkages easily reached.

Bombardier Recreational Products states that servicing is not required for the first three years or 300 hours, but Evinrude dealers recommend changing gear oil once a year.

The E-TEC 130 has much lower hydrocarbon, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide emissions than its DFI competition. The warranty is three years for recreational usage.