advice on choosing 4stroke motors for houseboat

[oinkjackson]

hi, was wondering if anyone could help me choose new 4 stroke motors for houseboat. i currently have old 2stroke 60hp johnsons on my 1983 50ft boatel houseboat.(and only one is running) i have decided to repower with 4stroke motors somewhere around 75-100 hp.. boat will only be used in fresh water,,(lake powell utah) i would like to get the most dependable motors that require the least amount of maintenance. i know its kinda of a crazy question,,which motors are best. but i thought i would just throw the question on this forum just to see if i get any feedback.. as for myself i am cluless? hope some people who have had experiences with 4 stroke motors will reply........thanks

[redtech]

lots of ways to go here
evanrude/johnson (yes its two stroke) the e-tec 75 some basic motor as what you have but fuel injected, quite, no smoke, and turn key. plus here it can be rigged onto the houseboat with an adaptor harness less work, still three years on the warrenty
yamaha good motor dependable and the 60-115hp engines have been around for years now (down side new control box and harness) great engine, lots of techs know them, customer service is great, and most of all reliable
suzuki good warrenty, lots of torque, down side still not as populor as other engines less techs around to work on them (70hp I still say is the same as the 4-stroke johnson but suzuki thinks if the paint is differant so is the engine) suzuki made john/rude four strokes for awhile
heres a start let the _ _ _ fly (it's ford vrs. chevy vrs. dog)
good luck on what ever you deside there all good motors in the end

[marshmat]

There aren't many crappy outboards out there these days. They're all pretty comparable.
The service network is one of the biggest factors in picking a new outboard. Picking something that's popular in your area can save you a lot of money when it does need work. For instance, if you have four Merc dealers in your city, a Merc is a good pick. If you have a Suzuki dealer who's really helpful and friendly, everyone will be running Suzukis. Buying something that nobody near you can fix is a bad bet.
For a houseboat you will be swinging a large, shallow prop. Look for a big, beefy lower gearcase that can handle a large-diameter propeller.
Another good tip when you're looking for an engine that will run continuous-duty is to look at what's right above and right below your prospective motor in that maker's range. A 50, 60 and 70 from the same company might share the same block, gears and housing, with different ignition and fuel systems. The lowest engine of the set is much less stressed and will handle continuous duty better than the highest of the set.