Yamaha F250
250 HP · Raw-water cooled with thermostatic control; water pump and impeller in the lower unit
The Yamaha F250 is a 250 hp four-stroke petrol outboard. Yamaha's current version is a 4.2-litre V6 sharing its block with the F225 and F300; earlier F250s were a 3.3-litre V6, which is why the oil filter and several capacities below are given for both. It is a common single on large centre-consoles and a common pair or triple offshore. Maintenance runs on a 100-hour or annual cycle after a 20-hour break-in service, with the external fuel/water separating filter on a shorter 50-hour clock and the timing belt on a five-year one. One thing sets this engine apart from the rest of the range: the 4.2-litre takes Yamaha's HD gearcase lube rather than the standard grade.
Specifications
| Engine type | Four-stroke petrol outboard, V6, 24-valve |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 4.2 L (current); 3.3 L V6 on earlier F250 models |
| Prop shaft horsepower | 250 hp @ 5500 rpm |
| Full throttle rpm range | 5000–6000 rpm |
| Bore × stroke | 96 × 96 mm (3.78 × 3.78 in) |
| Compression ratio | 10.3:1 |
| Fuel induction | EFI |
| Ignition | TCI microcomputer |
| Recommended fuel | 87 octane, 10% ethanol maximum |
| Recommended engine oil | Yamalube 4M FC-W (5W-30 or 10W-30; 20W-40 warm climates only) |
| Engine oil capacity | 6.3 L with filter / 6.0 L without (Yamaha model page); 6.7 US qt with filter (Yamaha brochure); 5.0 US qt with filter on the 3.3 L V6 |
| Spark plug | NGK LFR6A-11 |
| Alternator output at W.O.T. | 50–70 A |
| Gear ratio | 1.75:1 |
| Gearcase lubricant capacity | 35.1 fl oz standard and counter-rotation, HD grade only (4.2 L); 39 fl oz standard, 33.8 fl oz counter-rotation, standard grade (3.3 L V6) |
| Shaft length | 25" / 30" / 35" (35" on Digital Electric Control models only) |
| Weight | 250 kg (551 lb) / 254 kg (562 lb) / 265 kg (588 lb) by configuration |
| Mounting centres | 28.5" |
| Starting system | Electric |
Maintenance schedule
Yamaha's recommended service intervals for this engine. Most items are time-or-hours, whichever comes first — boats that sit still hit the calendar interval long before the hours.
Continuous use — at every fill-up and after every outing
- Add Yamalube Ring Free PLUS fuel additive at every fill-up
- Treat every tank with Yamalube Fuel Stabilizer & Conditioner PLUS
- Flush the cooling system after each use, especially in salt or brackish water
- Check the power trim and tilt fluid level, and top up with Yamalube Performance Power Trim & Tilt Fluid if the system will not hold a tilt
- Apply Yamalube Yamashield corrosion-protection spray
- Before going out, inspect the outside of the lower unit for damage and clear any fishing line or debris from the propeller shaft
- During wash-down, brush growth off the anodes — an anode covered by growth, paint or coating cannot do its job
After the first 20 hours — new-outboard break-in service
- Change the engine oil and replace the oil filter
- Replace the lower-unit (gearcase) lubricant, fitting new crush washers to the drain and vent screws
- Replace the external 10-micron fuel/water separating filter
- Replace the primary on-engine fuel filter element
Every 50 hours
- Replace the external 10-micron fuel/water separating filter — or sooner if you take on a bad tank of fuel
Every 100 hours or annually, whichever comes first
- Change the engine oil and replace the oil filter
- Replace the lower-unit (gearcase) lubricant — the drain and vent screw crush washers are single-use and must be renewed every time
- Replace the primary on-engine fuel filter element
- Pull the spark plugs and check them for colour and wear — they should be light brown with relatively sharp edges — and replace as necessary
- Check the magnetic gearcase drain screw while the lubricant drains: fine metallic dust is normal, but larger chips mean a dealer should look for internal damage
Every year — water pump inspection
- Inspect the impeller and water pump assembly, whether the engine runs in salt, brackish, turbid or fresh water
- Replace the impeller or the whole water pump assembly rather than attempting a repair, and never turn the crankshaft or drive shaft counter-clockwise while the pump is apart
Every 300 hours — authorised Yamaha dealer
- Have an authorised Yamaha Marine dealer replace the Vapor Separator Tank (VST) filter
Every 1000 hours or five years, whichever comes first
- Replace the timing belt
Dealer-performed checks — interval per your engine's owner's manual
- Have an authorised Yamaha Marine dealer check the valve clearance
- Have an authorised Yamaha Marine dealer inspect the timing belt
On condition — anodes
- Replace the anodes when they are about half gone — this is owner-serviceable on most models
- Never paint or coat an anode, and brush growth off it at each wash-down: a covered anode cannot protect the engine
Before winter storage or lay-up
- Change the engine oil and replace the oil filter
- Replace the lower-unit (gearcase) lubricant
- Replace the external 10-micron fuel/water separating filter and the primary on-engine fuel filter element
- Treat the fuel with Yamalube Ring Free PLUS and Yamalube Fuel Stabilizer & Conditioner PLUS
- Fog the engine with Yamalube EFI Engine Storage Fogging Oil
- Flush the cooling system and apply Yamalube Yamashield
Genuine service parts
Yamaha part numbers for the routine service items on this engine. Several vary by build date or cooling type — check the note before ordering. Genuine parts are stocked by the Yamaha dealer network; where a cross-reference is shown, an aftermarket equivalent is also available.
| 100-hour service kit | 6CL-W006B-00-00 Yamaha's second-generation 100-hour kit for the 4.2 L V6 family — it fits F250NSB, F250XB, F250XCB, F250XSB, LF250XB, LF250XCB, LF250XSB, VF250LB and VF250XB, along with the F225, F300 and F350 models on related blocks. One box holds the oil filter, the engine oil drain plug gasket, the primary fuel filter element and its O-ring, two lower-unit drain plug gaskets and a propeller cotter pin. Check your model code on the clamp-bracket label against that list first: the kit does not cover the older 3.3 L V6 F250, which takes a different oil filter. |
|---|---|
| Oil filter | N26-13440-02-00 / 69J-13440-03-00 This is the one part number on the engine that changes with the powerhead, so get it right before ordering. The current 4.2 L V6 F250 takes N26-13440-02-00, the same filter as the F225, F300 and F350. The earlier 3.3 L V6 F250 takes 69J-13440-03-00 instead. Identify yours from the model code on the clamp-bracket label, or from the displacement on the engine's own data label — not from the horsepower, which is the same either way. |
| Engine oil | Varies by configuration Yamalube 4M FC-W four-stroke marine oil. Yamaha states 5W-30 and 10W-30 are correct for all climates and 20W-40 is for consistently warm climates only. Capacity depends on which F250 you have: the current 4.2 L V6 is 6.3 L with filter and 6.0 L without on Yamaha's model page, and 6.7 US quarts with filter in the maintenance brochure; the older 3.3 L V6 is 5.0 US quarts with filter. Fill to the dipstick, not to a number off a web page. Yamaha publishes no part number for the oil itself. |
| Primary on-engine fuel filter element | 6P3-WS24A-02-00 The see-through filter with the water trap on the powerhead — replace it every 100 hours. Yamaha lists the same element for both F250 powerheads, and notes that other fuel filters may also be fitted to a given engine, so check yours against the manual for your serial. |
| External 10-micron fuel/water separating filter | Varies by configuration Yamaha specifies its 10-Micron Fuel/Water Separating Filter, plumbed into the fuel line between tank and engine, and gives it the shortest interval on the engine — 50 hours, or straight away after a bad tank of fuel. Yamaha names the product but publishes no part number for it on its public pages; order it by name through a dealer. Fill the new filter about three-quarters full with fresh stabilised fuel before fitting to make priming easier. |
| Spark plugs | NGK LFR6A-11 Yamaha's model page and its maintenance brochure agree on this plug, and it is the same plug for both F250 powerheads — six of them, since both are V6. Yamaha publishes no plug gap for this engine; do not carry one across from another model. |
| Gearcase (lower unit) lubricant — HD grade on the 4.2 L | Varies by configuration The current 4.2 L V6 F250 is one of the models Yamaha restricts to its HD gearcase lube rather than the standard grade — Yamaha marks the capacity “HD only” for both rotations, and lists the 200-250 hp, 4.2 L Offshore and XTO engines as the HD applications. Capacity is 35.1 fl oz for both standard and counter-rotating (LF250) gearcases. The earlier 3.3 L V6 F250 takes the standard grade, 39 fl oz standard rotation and 33.8 fl oz counter-rotating. Buying the standard lube for a 4.2 L is the mistake this item exists to catch. Yamaha publishes no part number for either grade on its public pages. |
| Gearcase drain and vent screw crush washers | Varies by configuration Commonly sold as drain plug gaskets. Yamaha is explicit that these are not reusable and must be replaced every time a drain or vent screw comes out — a flattened washer put back is the usual reason a gearcase weeps after a lube change. Two of them come in the 6CL-W006B-00-00 service kit above, which is the only manufacturer source that supplies them; Yamaha publishes no standalone part number. If you do not see one on the screw, it is probably still stuck to the outboard; pick it free. |
| Engine oil drain plug gasket | Varies by configuration The easiest part on the engine to forget, because it looks reusable and is not. Yamaha includes one in the 6CL-W006B-00-00 kit for every oil change and publishes no standalone part number for it. |
| Water pump impeller / water pump assembly | Varies by configuration Yamaha's published guidance is to INSPECT the impeller and pump assembly every year and to replace the impeller or the whole assembly rather than repair it — it publishes no fixed replacement hours and no part number on its public pages. On an outboard the pump sits in the lower unit, so this is a gearcase-off job. Never turn the crankshaft or drive shaft counter-clockwise with the pump apart. |
| Sacrificial anodes | Varies by configuration Yamaha describes its anodes as “a blend of high-quality alloys” and does NOT publish the fresh/brackish/salt material split that circulates elsewhere — there is no Yamaha magnesium-versus-aluminium-versus-zinc choice to make here. The rule Yamaha does publish is a condition, not an interval: replace them when they are about 50% gone. They sit on the lower unit just above the propeller and on the bottom of the engine bracket. Never paint or coat them. |
| Timing belt | Varies by configuration Yamaha recommends replacing four-stroke outboard timing belts every five years or 1000 hours, and routes the inspection to a dealer. The belts are cogged and Kevlar-impregnated, so they do not stretch and give little warning; do not try to flip a belt to extend its life, and keep lubricant and spray-on products off it. No part number is published on Yamaha's public pages. |
| Vapor Separator Tank (VST) filter | Varies by configuration Attached to the electric fuel pump inside the VST, filtering fuel again before it is pressurised into the injection rail. Yamaha routes this one to the dealer at every 300 hours, and notes that the interval assumes the external 10-micron and on-engine filters have been serviced properly and the fuel treated. No part number is published on Yamaha public pages. |
| Power trim and tilt fluid | Varies by configuration Yamalube Performance Power Trim & Tilt Fluid. Yamaha publishes no change interval for it — the guidance is to check the level and top up if the system will not hold a tilt with the engine stored or running. Order by product name; no part number is published on Yamaha public pages. |
What owners watch
The 4.2 L F250 takes HD gearcase lube, not the standard grade
Yamaha marks the lower-unit capacity for the 4.2-litre V6 “HD only” in both rotations, and names the 200-250 hp, 4.2-litre Offshore and XTO engines as the applications for its HD gearcase lube. An owner who walks into a dealership and asks for Yamalube gearcase lube for a 250 will usually be handed the standard grade, because that is what most of the range takes. The earlier 3.3-litre F250 does take the standard grade, which is exactly why the question has to be answered per engine rather than per horsepower.
The oil filter is the part number that moves between F250 powerheads
Most of an F250 parts order survives not knowing which engine you have: the on-engine fuel filter element and the spark plug are the same for the 4.2-litre V6 and the older 3.3-litre V6. The oil filter is not. The 4.2 L takes N26-13440-02-00 and the 3.3 L takes 69J-13440-03-00, and the two are not interchangeable. Read the displacement off the engine's data label before ordering, and be wary of any listing that offers one filter for “Yamaha F250” without asking which.
A 30-inch or 35-inch shaft is a Digital Electric Control option only
Yamaha offers this engine in 25-inch, 30-inch and 35-inch shaft lengths, but the longest is restricted to the Digital Electric Control models. That matters when an owner is repowering a deep-transom boat and pricing a mechanical-control engine to save money — the configuration may simply not exist in the length the boat needs. The model code on the clamp-bracket label carries both the shaft length and the control type, so check it before comparing quotes.
Two jobs on this engine are dealer work, and one has a calendar deadline
Yamaha names valve clearance and timing-belt inspection as procedures to leave to an authorised dealer, and recommends replacing the timing belt every five years or 1000 hours. The five-year half is what catches people out: a lightly used boat can reach it at a few hundred hours, so the calendar arrives long before the hour meter does. Yamaha does not publish a valve-clearance interval on its public pages, so that one comes out of the manual for your serial number.
Manufacturer documentation
The figures above are summarised for quick reference. For the full operator's manual and illustrated parts list, go straight to Yamaha — they keep the current revision, so you always get the right version for your engine.
Yamaha's own maintenance hub. The replacement-schedule chart here uses ● to mean “refer to your Owner's Manual or consult your dealer” — it is not the same as a tick, and several 100-hour rows carry it.
Yamaha's own bulletin for the three second-generation 100-hour kits: what each kit contains and the exact model codes it fits. It is also where Yamaha states the cadence in its own words — every 100 hours or each year, whichever comes first.
The bulletin for the four earlier 100-hour kits, which cover model codes the second-generation kits do not. Worth reading if your clamp-bracket code is missing from the April 2026 list: the first-generation kits hold a different set of parts — impeller, thermostat, anode, trim tab and plugs rather than the oil filter and drain-plug gaskets.
Yamaha serves the manual against your engine's Primary ID (model code, shaft length and serial number), which is on the label on the clamp bracket. Intervals Yamaha does not publish publicly — valve clearance is the one that matters here — are in that manual.
Other engines in this range
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Specifications are transcribed from the 250 HP block of Yamaha's own F250 (4.2L) model page (yamahaoutboards.com/outboards/350-150-hp/v6-4-2l/f250-(4-2l)), read September 14 2026; Yamaha leaves the C.A.R.B. rating field blank for this engine, so no emissions row is shown rather than one carried over from a neighbouring model. The oil filter and on-engine fuel filter element part numbers, the spark plug type, the 6.7 and 5.0 US qt oil capacities with filter, all four gearcase capacities and the HD-grade restriction are from the Capacities & Specifications table on pages 34-35 of Yamaha's Maintenance Matters brochure (© 2024 Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., hosted on yamahaoutboards.com), read structurally rather than through a summariser; the 4.2 L figures come from its F300/F250/F225 row and the 3.3 L figures from its F250/F225/F200 row. The 100-hour service kit part number, its contents and its model-code fitment list are from Yamaha's 100-Hour Service Kits bulletin dated April 15 2026, also hosted on yamahaoutboards.com. Maintenance intervals are from the pages where Yamaha states them in prose — lower-unit lubricant at 20 then 100 hours, the 50-hour, 100-hour and 300-hour fuel filter intervals, the annual water pump inspection, the five-year / 1000-hour timing belt replacement and the anode replacement threshold. Yamaha publishes no valve-clearance interval publicly and no part numbers for either grade of gearcase lubricant, the drain washers, impeller, anodes, trim fluid, timing belt or VST filter; those fields are deliberately empty rather than filled from a retailer. Figures are for reference only — always confirm against the manual for your engine's serial number before ordering parts or carrying out service.