Outboard dilema

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Marin

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I need to replace the old (1978) 6-hp Evinrude trolling motor on our 17' Arima with something more reliable in preparation for our upcoming halibut fishing trip to the north end of Vancouver Island.* The Evinrude has served us well but it's not without its intermittent problems and we want something more reliable that we can depend on for a get-home engine in case the boat's primary 90 hp Yamaha develops a problem.* Where we will be fishing is not a place we'd care to be caught out without a source of propulsion.

My initial inclination was to go with a new Yamaha 7hp 2-cycle motor.* The Evinrude is 2-cycle and the retractable mount on the boat is not intended for heavier, more torquey 4-cycle motors.* Plus 2-cycle motors are cheaper.

However they are getting harder and harder to find, particularly the Yamaha in this area.

Based on our experience, I have always been a devotee of Yamaha motors and have dismissed the Mercury-Johnson, etc. crowd as being too unreliable and short-lived.

I am curious if anyone has had experience, good or bad, with any of the current generation of low-power (6-8 hp) 2-cycle outboards of any brand still on the market.
 
I know that you're looking for a 2 stroke but I ended up going with a 9.9 Yamaha 4 stroke for my 21' Mako. I ditched the adjustable bracket and put on a solid aluminum mount. Works way better and is I feel more confidant with the attachment to the transom. I love the four stroke for trolling. Quiet and no stink. Runs off my main tank as well.
With the tides up here I don't think you can have to much motor.
Don't feel you need to go North Island for Halibut. Just off Victoria in the straight was great fishing. Lots of 100 lb flatties. One 300ish lb off of Port Renfew.
 
Thanks for the info. I, too, would prefer a 4-stroke for the reasons you list-- we have one on the dinghy on the GB--- but given that we don't use the Arima all that much it doesn't seem cost effective to make any changes other than to get a new or newer motor. Given the current mount and the power needed, 6 to 8 hp, that seems to dictate another 2-stroke.

We go north (Telegraph Cove) for both the halibut and because we love the country up there. In fact the trip is almost more about getting away and boating in the islands and inlets up there for a week-plus than it is about the fishing
smile.gif
 
All the out board I have owned have been Merc 2 stroke.* My 1970, 140 hp Merc still runs.* I would not have any other engine.* A 2 stroke is a lot lighter and not as complicated a 4 stroke.* I will not buy a 4 stroke until the stop making 2 strokes.


*
Also I would check if parts and service are available in the area you are going to use it.* ***
 
Thanks Phil. I'll look into the Mercury models and their availability. I'm not too worried about parts and service for the major Yamaha-Honda-Mercury brands in this area as all these motors are common from here on up into SE Alaska.
 
Marin wrote:

Thanks for the info. I, too, would prefer a 4-stroke for the reasons you list-- we have one on the dinghy on the GB--- but given that we don't use the Arima all that much it doesn't seem cost effective to make any changes other than to get a new or newer motor. Given the current mount and the power needed, 6 to 8 hp, that seems to dictate another 2-stroke.

________________________________________

Marin, I had had a series of 2 strokes, 4hp to 8, but always had issues with them because of the petrol/oil mix , fouling plugs and other related issues like hard starting etc, & always worse if not used regularly.* Recently I bought a 2hp 4 stroke Honda for our dinghy, and am over the moon with it.* Fuel same as used in car. So if a bit stale just dump in car and get fresh.** Starts about 1st pull every time.* No oil mix, no fouled plugs.* In the case of the 2hp, air cooled as well, so not even any flushing.* I would never now go back to a 2 stroke, no matter what.* There's a Honda 5 or 8 hp out there (possibly on eBay), with your name on it already, I'll wager.

PS. Recently means ~ 4 yrs ago, so plenty of time to find out any negatives - there aren't any.* They are even quite light.* The old rule of 4 strokes being much heavier is old hat.

*

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-- Edited by Peter B on Saturday 27th of March 2010 04:21:14 AM
 
I would attempt to locate either a new power head for the old motor , or a good shop to completly rebuild it.

I think the old stuff was made to be serviced , is far less finikey about operation than a new watch fob.

A set of over sized pistons and anything else is EZ to come by.

Much of the Jap crap changes models 3 times a year do an old engine (2 years) will have 6 variants , and parts ordered , eventually, perhaps from somewhere.

FF
 
I have a 4 year old 9.9 Nissan. It has been a disaster. The smog devices on the carb are a seriouis detriment to starting and performance. The fuel check valve was installed backwrds at the factory and it cannot be started by my wife as the cord pull is way too hard.

I wish I had a Honda.
 
40 years with Merc 2 stokes with very little problems except having to change the spark plugs on a regular bases and run the fuel out of the engine if left/stored for long periods of time.* The advantage the 2 stroke has over a 4 stroke is less weight and it has more power/torque.* Also I tend to mix the oil on the heavy side which seems to have prolonged the live.**
 
Can't go wrong with Yamaha!!!
 
FF wrote:

I would attempt to locate either a new power head for the old motor , or a good shop to completly rebuild it.
Click to expand...
We have had the Evinrude overhauled and serviced a few times by a good shop in Seattle (Jacobson in Ballard) and they've kept it running all these years.* But given its age and the intermittent running problems we've had with it in the past, we just don't trust it anymore.* It is also very hard to start.

For fishing down here in Puget Sound I wouldn't be concerned.* There are plenty of other boats around and the VHF coverage is good if the big motor broke down and the Evinrude decided to be temperamental.** We've used this motor up north, too, of course, on all our previous halibut fishing trips.** But this time we're going to have some friends with us, we plan to go farther afield than in the past, and the radio coverage in the area is not great, particularly with a low-mounted antenna on a boat like this.* Both my wife and I feel that it would be prudent on this trip to have a kicker/get-home motor we can rely on.

*


-- Edited by Marin on Saturday 27th of March 2010 10:33:37 AM
 
But given its age and the intermittent running problems we've had with it in the past, we just don't trust it anymore. It is also very hard to start.

A standard Evinrude Johnson hassle is the coils have a limited service life in years , not hours.

NAPA sells the most common E parts and is cheap!

When it was new it was great! All it takes is a couple of bucks to have an encore!
 
We have had a lot of outboards in the past... and our best by far was a Yamaha 9.9. we had fo over 10 years and in never failed us. We flipped the dinghy and immersed it 3 or 4 times in Mexico and the s. pacific, we even sunk it overnight in a lagoon in the pacific at the end of a 15' painter and a 10' dinghy ( 25' deep!)... we hauled it on deck, rinsed it with fresh water... pulled the plugs and rinsed the inside of the motor... sprayed it with wd40 and started it on the 3rd or 4th pull!. I was totally sold on yamaha's after that episode. That being said I have a 40hp johnson in our avon currently and am looking for a 25hp yamaha to replace it. The johnson runs fine most of the time.... but it has left me stranded twice.... and I dont trust it anymore.... find a late model yamaha... you wont regret it!
LD
 
Hollywood, the 25hp 2 strokes are out there. You better hurry though, they quit making them in December.
 
Yea, you just have to search for them. Think used as well. My 25 2 stroke Yamaha is for sale, but it's attached to a Boss Boat 10' that is part of the sale.

If I had to pick an outboard, I'd go with Nissan/Tohatsu first, Yamaha second. Both are great! The reason I have the Yamaha is that Nissan/Tohatsu didn't make a 2 stroke 25 at the time I bought it.
 
Keith, Why would you go Tohatsu??? Those things are trouble. Doug has one and I hate to say it......nothing but trouble and it has to do with what another poster(Sunchaser) on this thread was talking about. A 3 cylinder Nissan/T has 3 carbeurators ....that alone should scare you away...

-- Edited by Baker on Tuesday 30th of March 2010 09:49:46 AM
 
Honda 4 stroke - nothing else comes close in my view, and I've used a few.
 
I had the exact opposite experience. Nissan and Tohatsu are the same motors. My 5 hp Nissan 2 stroke started every single time on the first or 2nd pull, even after sitting up over the winter. It was the most reliable outboard I've ever seen. The only reason I have a Yamaha now is that Tohatsu didn't make a 25 hp 2 stroke at the time.
 
And it may be unfair to judge "now" vs "then" because of the crappy gas we get now....has been causing issues with many an outboard.
 
Marin old friend,
8hp Yamadog 2 stroke is the best choice. 2hp more and 2lbs more. Run premo oil at 50-1 and you'll never be sorry. Yes I have one, and it replaced a 6hp Johnson that I still have (my wife won't let me sell it) but I don't have enough hours on it to rave about dependability. Many many others do though.

Eric Henning
 
I've found a dealer here in Seattle that has a number of new 8hp 2-stroke Yamahas in stock but none of them are long shafts, which I think we need (the existing 6 hp Evintrude is a long shaft). We're going to take the boat down to the dealer on Monday to see what our options are. I'd like to be able to use the 8hp Yamaha if we can.
 
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