New Yamaha F350 Outboard Hits the Water
For the 2024 model year Yamaha has introduced an all new F350 outboard.
There’s been a gap in the lineup since the V8 Yamaha F350 was discontinued, but for 2024 Yamaha plugs it with an all-new 4.3 liter V6 F350. This engine will fill in between the F300 and the F425 and greatly expands the options for boaters who want additional power without the weight gain necessary when moving from a V6 to a V8 powerplant.
New Yamaha F350 Tech
The F350 isn’t merely a remapped version of the 4.2L platform, but has a number of new features and a heap of new tech that bring additional power and efficiency to the table — while maintaining the known reliability of the existing 4.2L framework. Most of the changes that relate to Yamaha netting the extra 50 horses and tenth of a liter of displacement come by increasing the stroke and shifting to an 11:1 compression ratio, then improving the airflow with an 81mm electronic throttle valve. That’s an eight-percent increase in size over the F300’s throttle valve, and it’s paired with surge tanks that are 40-percent larger to maximize the volume of air hitting the intake ports. Adding to the whoosh of the engine’s internal winds, exhaust valve diameter is increased and a redesigned camshaft profile allows for higher valve lift. The F350 also utilizes iridium spark plugs for crisper ignition and improved longevity, while a new crankshaft design and alloy make for enhanced strength and that longer stroke.
Yamaha F350 Outboard Features
Along with these new developments, the F350 gets a complete suite of trademark Yamaha advancements that have been utilized on existing motors. Variable camshaft timing boosts low and midrange punch; valve lifters are carbon-coated for reduced friction and improved longevity; and cylinders are plasma-fused to reduce friction and better distribute heat. When operating in reverse, thrust is enhanced by channeling all exhaust so it flows north of the anti-ventilation plate rather than feeding bubbles to the prop. And up top the flywheel has an integrated fan as on the F425 and F450 XTO models, to reduce temperatures under the cowl.
The gearcase for the F350 is not interchangeable with the existing gearcase used on 4.2L model because the clutch dog has additional teeth to better transition power from the driveshaft to the propshaft. However, it is of the same dimensions and as one would expect, spins Yamaha’s SWS II stainless-steel propeller line with Shift Dampening. Note that this year Yamaha also adds several new propeller pitches in both lefthand and righthand rotations to the lineup.
Along with the techy stuff, another tweak of interest relates to the flushing system. The engine has been designed with a flush port attachment inside the rigging tube, so it can be permanently connected to an automatic flushing system. (An external flush port for manual attachment is still included as well).
Yamaha F350 Controls
As expected the F350 is designed to marry with Yamaha’s Helm Master EX system, which can now integrate not only multiple outboards with a joystick but also includes integrated bow thruster operation. Digital electronic steering is a standard feature, and all the previously introduced Yamaha fishing and navigational modes (like Fishpoint, Driftpoint, Pattern Steer, etc.) are in the mix.
The new Yamaha F350 will be available in 25-, 30-, and 35-inch shaft lengths, in three colors. Weight is 629 pounds — just 18 pounds more than the F300 — for the short shaft model (642 and 653 pounds for 30- and 35-inch shaft lengths), giving this motor the highest power-to-weight ratio in its class. Engines are expected to become available on the open market this spring; visit Yamaha Outboards to learn more.
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