Need To Take a Poll - What's your Experience With Outboards?

[Ike]

Of course now that I have voted I have to admit that my outboard is a 1980 2HP Jhnson that has never missed a beat. It starts on a few pulls every time and gets great mileage. burns about a pint an hour. It is rather noisy. The only thing I have replaced (other than the sparkplug) is the fuel shutoff valve that seized a couple of years ago. It cost about $12.00 to replace.

[Easy Rider]

Ike. OP says four stroke only.

Cat, I live in Alaska and that has a bit to do w it but when I bought my 2000 60hp Suzuki I thought it was the most sophisticated thing I'd ever seen on the water and had to have one. Now that I've had it and it's run perfectly and I'm amazed and pleased w it I also saw while doing maintenance on it how complex it is and when I needed a 40hp for my skiff I went w the e-tech Evinrude mostly because it was a 2 stroke and that made it a much less complicated engine. Now I'm realizing more about just how far out in the wilderness I live and see carburetors as more desirable. However I've run carbureted engines extensively on ultralight aircraft, outboards, motorcycles and cars having much to do w tuning and repairing carburetors so I'm WAY ahead of the average guy on that score. And if I'd not had quite a bit of trouble w the carbs I would'nt have learned as much. So I'd say if you're already comfortable w carbs ...go w them otherwise do the FI. As they do the same job I do'nt see how anybody can say they are'nt comparable. Diesels are different as they are the ignition system also and I believe they operate under much higher pressures. And most are mechanical. So I do'nt see the point in all this as the size of the engine will determine whether you get FI or carbs. Unless you're buying an old engine.

[CatBuilder]

Thanks, Easy Rider.

I'm buying a new engine. Two or them, actually. They are to power a 45' catamaran with 9 ton (max loaded to the gills) displacement. It'll be lighter than that though, since I keep my boats on a diet.

Unfortunately, I have too much experience with dissecting carbs as well.

The issue here for me is downtime. These engines will be my main propulsion and I run charters for a living. If my engine goes south, I will have to not only fix it, but probably make a financial adjustment to someone for a ruined charter.

Also, a week of downtime could cost me quite a bit (missed charter).

So, my main need is an outboard that starts up every time and just runs. I don't really care how easy it is to fix since I'm not all that far from civilization at any time. I do care that I don't have to fiddle with the thing or have power loss and all that stuff that comes with modern gasoline and carbs. I've never owned fuel injection (on an outboard), so that was the reason for this thread.

It just seemed like the way to go because everything else I've ever owned that was fuel injected started up instantly and ran well all the time. (cars, diesels - different, but still injected, etc...) I wanted to see if fuel injected outboards ran better than carbed ones, which, in my experience, run like crap due to fuel issues in the USA.

The Evinrude is a great choice. I was looking at those too, but they don't seem to make my size engines or have a high thrust type option. The Evinrudes are all oil & fuel injected, if I recall, right?

Engines sizes are a 60HP (high thrust) and a 9.9 (high thrust). Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have both fuel injection (60HP) and a carb (9.9) if I go Yamaha. Guess that'll be good for an experiment though. Same fuel, same filter/separator, one carb and one FI pump.

Lastly, looking at the survey, it would appear FI has less problems, as I was suspecting. Half the people with carbs had minor problems. About 25% of the people with fuel injection had minor problems.

[cyclops2]

You are very high thrust driven. I never heard of such a engine by any company.
Still. F I SHOULD be far more powerfull with weather changes. Caution. Check with each company IF their computer DOES actually adjust the mixture as weather changes. NOT all do change everything to maintain peak power & economy.
Temp
humidity
knock sensor...poor quality of gas. Retards or advances the timing.

[Easy Rider]

Cat,
When you want a high thrust OB do'nt pay much attention to it being a high thrust model. Look at the gear ratio of the lower unit and the clearance for propeller diameter. There is no OB made that has a lower gear ratio than my 40hp e-tech ..2.67-1 and it is'nt marketed as a high thrust model. My 60hp Suzuki has a gear ratio lower than most all "high thrust" engines. You probably would be good w carbs since you run all the time but if I were you I'd go w FI if I had the choice. What hp are you thinking of getting?

[CatBuilder]

Hey Easy. Thanks. I did notice the gear ratios on the Evinrudes were great! I was a little concerned because they didn't have big, 4 bladed props (that I could find) for the nicely geared down engine.

I'm definitely going with fuel injection, because I do sit for a few weeks at a time, even though the engines are used plenty chartering.

Hope you made out OK in that big storm. Heard it was pretty fierce!

Cyclops: Nearly every major outboard manufacturer has a high thrust model: Honda "Power Thrust", Yamaha "High Thrust", Mercury "Bigfoot", etc... etc...

[cyclops2]

Cat
You are right about H T by higher gear ratios.
I assumed
If Evinrude did not offer it no one else did. Have to start reading ads more often.
Actually I am a thrust person also. Love it ( thrust ), in rough water with a full load of people.

[wolfenzee]

My outboard is a 1.2hp "Game fisher" pulled up in a crab pot, fuel tank replaced with brass tank from alcohol stove. It has no water pump (air cooled), no fuel pump (gravity feed w/ primer pump), carburetor has one moving part (venturi type). I did have a clogged fuel filter once, because it uses so little gas I forgot to refill it and goo in bottom of tank clogged the filter. It was originally manufactured by Tanaka for Sears and they used the same power head a s their brush cutter. Weighs about 10lbs including a full tank of fuel, has quite a kick for it's size.

[keysdisease]

As I have mentioned on another of Cats threads I had a pair of 9.9 yamaha 4 cycle hi thrust motors on my old McGregor 36 cat. Awesome motors and I would do it again. That said Honda is off the chart on all the CSI reports. If they make something 60 something hp in hi thrust that would be my first choice today. Steve

[Easy Rider]

Steve,
Honda's are generally the least "high thrust of all" re the gear ratios. Most are considerably less than 2-1 about 1.85-1 I think. Good engines though.

[rasorinc]

Just looked this up. Both Honda and Yamaha 60 hp high thrust engines have the same gear ratio 2.33:1 Tohutsu offers a 75 hp engine with the 2.33"1 gearing and it will swing up to a 21" prop but they do not call it high thrust. Does high thrust require a special prop or pitch???

[CatBuilder]

Yes, I looked at these ratios as well. Very confusing the way some companies have pretty bad gear ratios, but still call the engine "high thrust" while others have favorable ratios and mention nothing.

I have to 2nd rasorinc's question about the props. At least you need the largest diameter possible, but are they pitched any differently on high thrust units? I mean, maybe they aren't, but I'm only just getting my footing in prop theory at this time.

[keysdisease]

Hi thrust props typically have very hi blade area what we used to call elephant ears As far as marketing claims they make the motors and feel as if they can call them whatever they want. As long as it sells em


Steve

Originally Posted by CatBuilder

Yes, I looked at these ratios as well. Very the way some companies have pretty bad gear ratios, but still call the engine "high thrust" while others have favorable ratios and mention nothing.

I have to 2nd rasorinc's question about the props. At least you need the largest diameter possible, but are they pitched any differently on high thrust units? I mean, maybe they aren't, but I'm only just getting my footing in prop theory at this time.

[Easy Rider]

I think we're talking about two kinds of "high thrust" OBs. The most obvious is the small OBs used on sport fishing boats that fishermen troll with. Other boaters use the same engines frequently called "kickers" as a get home engine. Quite another type is the prime mover (main engine) used on heavy and slower boats that need a lower gear ratio and bigger prop that the 30 mph crowd. I have such a boat. A 19' fiberglass runabout normally equipped w a 100 to 150hp engine. I wanted to go 15 to 18 mph and get the best economy so I bought a 60hp Suzuki w a gear ratio of about 2.5-1. Most of the other makes were offering "high thrust" engines for pontoon boats ect that had gear ratios of 2.33-1. Most of these brands had regular engines that had ratios of about 1.85-1. So my Suzuki and e-tech Evinrude are in my opinion more high thrust than the high thrust engines. I do'nt know much about the small high thrust "kickers" w the four blade props but high thrust is all about gear ratios and prop clearance.

[CatBuilder]

I'm looking for the same thing you have, Easy. A 60HP high thrust (good gear ratio and huge prop) as main propulsion.

Looking to motor at like 10 knots wide open, maybe. Or 8. I don't really know what my boat will do with 60HP.

There is a sistership in the Caribbean with a pair of 18HP Yanmar diesel outboards and they are happy with 36HP. I'd have 60 on one side, plus a 9.9 on the other.

The 60 is main propulsion and the 9.9 is there to help me do "catamaran turns" when docking in tight areas, or as backup if the main goes down, or as a prime mover when I'm feeling cheap and want to go very slow.

So yes, I was looking at the ones like your prime mover.