1. Use the full 4 digit year for everything you are asking your question about. Example: 1962, 1988, 2000, 2011
2. Include the correct name of your Whaler model. Example: Montauk 17, Montauk 170, Outrage 26, Outrage 260
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New member---repower?
catndahats	#1  Posted on 06/18/14 - 4:41 AM
Member Posts: 6 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/14/14	Hi, This is my first post, so go easy on me. Live on Galveston Bay, and have a 1970 BW 16ft. Currituck to restore, and want to repower it. The original motor was an OMC 70hp from the early '70s. My goal is a super reliable, long lasting saltwater motor.... Without starting a which brand is best war, my questions are: 1. "Which new motors would be a good match for my hull?" What hp, etc... 2. Which older motors (less than 10 years old) would be worth looking at---again with reliability in mind? Thanks for any good input! Edited by catndahats on 06/18/14 - 4:49 AM
CES	#2  Posted on 06/18/14 - 8:50 AM
Member Personal Page Photo Albums Project Albums Posts: 2681 Comments: 7 Joined: 04/27/07	Etecs are an absolute favorite with Whaler owners! Cliff 1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker
Marko888	#3  Posted on 06/18/14 - 9:33 AM
Member Project Albums Posts: 413 Comments: 10 Joined: 05/26/08	http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...ticle_id=5
alan heckmamleper	#4  Posted on 06/18/14 - 9:42 AM
Member Posts: 79 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/14/13	Yamaha F70 at 260 lbs. it,s 60 lbs. lighter than the ETEC, gets great gas mileage and will push a 17 ft. Hull 38 mph.I just put one on my 1999 Alert 17 and it,s even better than I thought it would be,a great motor.
wing15601	#5  Posted on 06/18/14 - 2:48 PM
Member Posts: 699 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/14/12	You will find that there are proponents of virtually every engine brand and in reality, modern outboards are all very reliable and if properly maintained are usually trouble free. If you consider a used engine make sure that all scheduled maintenance was done by certified mechanics. Check out the seller's boat. If it's not very well maintained then he probably didn't put much effort into the maintenance of the engine he's trying to sell. Consider the power choices made by owners of boats similar to yours. If you buy new it may be worth traveling a little more to get a top notch mechanic to install your motor because there are, unfortunately, some business owners selling outboard motors who don't know what they're talking about. For instance, before re powering my boat I spoke to one dealer who reccomended an aluminum prop because if I hit something with a stainless steel prop it would ruin the lower unit of the engine. I used a dealer 80 mikes further away because that guy didn't know what he was talking about. I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
catndahats	#6  Posted on 06/18/14 - 6:37 PM
Member Posts: 6 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/14/14	Thanks for the quick replies and welcome guys! I've been out of the loop on motor developments for 20+ years. Even when I was racing tunnel hulls, our motors were 2 stroke OMC from the mid/late 1980's. And, thanks for the link to motor specs for the 16-17 whalers! Wish I had that in my hand when I went out today. So, looking for a re-power has a steep learning curve. Went to the Houston Boat show today to lay my hands on a few motors, get a few quotes, and listen to what the dealers have to say. The input there was all over the place. No one really had a "show special" that caught my attention, and I respect the guy that said "We don't sell motors only." That helps narrow the choices of dealers. Did not talk to one person that had experience with classic Whalers. Obviously, each brand says theirs is the best. There was no Tohatsu rep there, and I really wanted to talk to them since I have heard a lot of good things about their motors along the Texas coast. The E-tecs were impressive with their 300 hour no service warranty, but also were the highest priced by a good margin over Merc, Yamaha, and Suzuki. As I read threads, it becomes clear there is a weight -vs- power concern. Some of the dealers were saying go with a 90, but it sure sounds like a trade off in weight, boat handling, and cost. The old OMC motor weighs about 200-225lbs, these new bigger motors are almost double that. Kinda like having a large friend sitting on top of the old motor? I welcome any input, and will keep you posted.
Flounder	#7  Posted on 06/18/14 - 7:25 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 48 Comments: 0 Joined: 01/14/14	Thanks for the link Marko888. Edited by Joe Kriz on 06/18/14 - 8:15 PM
Joe Kriz	#8  Posted on 06/18/14 - 7:32 PM
Site Owner Personal Page Personal Album Photo Albums Project Albums Posts: 11447 Comments: 452 Joined: 03/18/05	My opinion and maybe my opinion alone on a Classic 16/17 hull. 1. Yamaha F70 or if you want or need more power 2. E-Tec 90 Look at the weights given in our link above that Marko posted. Hard to go wrong with either motor. 70hp is fine for almost everyone as you can't go as fast as a 90hp will produce most of the time. I know, I owned a Classic Montauk for 15 years with a 70hp on it and it was just fine 90% of the time.
Petrus	#9  Posted on 06/18/14 - 11:37 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 179 Comments: 0 Joined: 10/08/12	Not many mention Suzuki, maybe they are not very commen in US? The advantage over Yamaha is that they have timing chain instead of timingbelt (which needs to be changed after some time and increase the maintanance cost). They are also known for reliability from what I have heard (only ten hours on mine so far so no personal experiance). If you are looking at 90hp (and also 80hp -same weight) it is one of the best 4-stroke weight/power ratio. For 70hp I believe Yamaha has the lowest weigth. (note, MY 2009 or later) See my personal page if you like to see how the hull sits in the water. Edited by Petrus on 06/18/14 - 11:47 PM 1997 Montauk 17, Suzuki DF90A
alan heckmamleper	#10  Posted on 06/19/14 - 4:22 AM
Member Posts: 79 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/14/13	Before I repowered I had 386 lbs.of motors hanging off the back of my 1999 Alert 17. After the repower with a Yamaha F70 and a Tohatsu 6 hp. Kicker the total weight is just under 320 lbs. The back of the boat sits 1 1/2 to 2 inches higher in the water than it did with the heavier motors and the overall handling and performance of the boat is MUCH better. I also ran the boat with the Yamaha F70 only on the back before I put the kicker on, with only 260 lbs on the back and I can say that I do not notice any difference with the 58 lb.Tohatsu added.I think the boat runs pretty much the same with 260lbs. Of motor as it does with 320 lbs of motors, I don,t think I would go above 320 lbs. though. Good luck with your decision as it,s a hard one to make these new motors are great.
Geo	#11  Posted on 06/19/14 - 5:23 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 104 Comments: 4 Joined: 11/05/08	See if you can find yourself a nice used Yamaha 90 h.p. 2-stroke. Light weight and powerful.
Silentpardner	#12  Posted on 06/19/14 - 11:48 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 593 Comments: 1 Joined: 06/12/11	In 2013 I purchased 4 Yamaha 4-strokes for my 2 Boston Whalers. I did a LOT of research before my purchase, at least in my opinion. I think yours is the first post I have ever read that indicates that new Evinrudes are more costly than any other brand. I did not find this situation last year when I made my purchases, things must have changed since then. They were practically giving them away, and they were still not getting many takers in our area. I notice you are in Seabrook. I looked around at the boats on the water, I noticed that almost all the boats in our area were powered by Mercury or Yamaha. When I asked about Evinrude, the locals all seemed to know someone that had tried an E-Tec, they generally just shook their head and used the southern phrase "bless his heart" a lot when discussing this person's experience. Older Evinrudes and Johnson engines go for a premium in our area. The V4 "loopers" are all considered to be bulletproof. None of the people I talked with that felt this way about the old Evinrudes thought the E-Tec was a good motor at all. I keep my Whaler 27 FC at Surfside Marina dry stacking facility. I have a couple of photos of the inside of this facility. https://www.flickr.com/photos/9978785...6920686884 https://www.flickr.com/photos/9978785...6920686884 Count the number of white engines you see in this full facility. hmmmm. There was one set of E-Tecs being sold at the time of this picture, that boat was sitting outside with the E-Tecs hanging on the transom. The motors were for sale, the boat was not. I assume, since you are located where you are, that you are aware that the boats kept at Surfside Marina are there to enable fast access to the Texas gulf for hardcore fishermen. In any case, no matter what engine brand you decide on, I recommend new engines over used unless you know the person that used the engine before you buy it. Even if you know them well, there is a reason that someone sells there boat motor and replaces it, they feel they need a new one for some reason.
catndahats	#13  Posted on 06/20/14 - 7:02 AM
Member Posts: 6 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/14/14	Thanks for the Texas version Silentparder! I'm still getting motor quotes, and listening. The pictures say a lot don't they. Your photos are worth a 1000 words. My first choice is a new engine, and I agree for the same reasons over used. I'm leaning towards the 70hp range over the 90 due to weight and somewhat cost. The way we use the boat doesn't justify the higher hp (or that's what I am thinking at this time).
Silentpardner	#14  Posted on 06/20/14 - 8:00 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 593 Comments: 1 Joined: 06/12/11	I'm leaning towards the 70hp range over the 90 due to weight and somewhat cost. The way we use the boat doesn't justify the higher hp (or that's what I am thinking at this time). I agree 100%. I have opted for a 115 4-stroke on my 1986 Outrage 18 in order to insure that I have enough weight capacity for the 9.9 Yamaha kicker/trolling/skinnywater motor I am also putting on the transom. That hull is actually rated for 150 HP, but I don't need that much! These new motors are replacing the old V4 Looper that was installed on the boat originally. It was a 140 HP Johnson, and is currently in use powering a different boat with no problems right here on the TX coast. I have the new Yamahas on the boat at this time, but we are still getting all the details completed on the boat, so I have not had it in the water for testing and breaking in the motors. We still have the new LED lighting to install, and my new console wood parts supplier, (Mike Stennet, Nautical Lumber, Michigan), really screwed me on delivery of the parts for my super console, so we are having to refurbish one of the wood parts instead of having a new one to use. I should be ready for the motor break in and dial in really soon, and I am pretty excited about this. I will be posting here about it, and there will be pictures! :) I found the best pricing on Yamaha engines at LMC Marine in Houston. They also deal Mercury. I do pay cash, no financing, so I don't know about the financing end of their operation. If you decide on Yamaha or Mercury,drive out just north of beltway 8 on 45. Take the airline road exit, LMC is on the feeder on your right about a block up. Set an appointment with Jill before driving up there, I'm sure she will help you get the best deal on a Yamaha or Mercury in Houston, they are, by far, the largest distributor. Good Luck! I'll see you around in the Texas waterways! Edited by Silentpardner on 06/20/14 - 8:08 AM
Silentpardner	#15  Posted on 06/20/14 - 8:17 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 593 Comments: 1 Joined: 06/12/11	One more thing....If you plan on financing ANY brand of engine, be sure and negotiate the deal BEFORE you mention that. If asked directly if you are going to finance or pay cash, I would reply as having not made up my mind yet. See what they offer both ways. Sometimes it can pay to actually borrow the money elsewhere, if you don't have it in hand, and use the cash quote, especially if you are avoiding sales tax. In Texas, you really don't have to title a repower as long as you have the certificate of origin. You could always wait and title it with TPWD if you ever resale it, (after a considerable depreciation, of course :) Also, ask Jill if they happen to have an end of year 2013 F-70 there in stock that they want to sell. Sometimes, they have fantastic deals on in-stock inventory left overs. :) Also, there is another member here down the coast from us that recently replaced his motors. His handle here is Duf, and he is located in Corpus. He went with a pair of 115 Mercury's and has been very happy with them. I am not sure where he did his deal, but I am sure he will help if he can. Also, as far as Mercury goes, another member here with the handle Finnegan is the absolute expert! He would also be a GREAT guy to get an opinion from, even if he's from Illinois :) (HEHE, sorry LHG, I just had to throw that in, please don't take offense :) For E-Tec support, obviously CES is your Texas go-to guy! (Bless his heart:) Again, sorry CES, just joking :) There is another guy here in our area that repowered with a Suzuki 140 a couple of years ago, as I recall, he's in Galveston. He is a member here also, but his handle escapes me. He was VERY pleased with his Suzuki. I am sure he could be located for comment here with a search. There is also another guy on here that bought a new Honda right down there somewhere in Seabrook last year, might want to seek him out as well if you choose Honda. Edited by Silentpardner on 06/20/14 - 1:07 PM
catndahats	#16  Posted on 06/21/14 - 7:23 AM
Member Posts: 6 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/14/14	Lot's of good information here. Thanks Silentparder, and others. Financing isn't an issue, and I am looking for a good price, and great service (when needed).
jharrell	#17  Posted on 06/21/14 - 8:51 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 77 Comments: 0 Joined: 08/26/09	I can also recommend the Yamaha F70. I recently repowered my 1986 Montauk with one and a matching F6 kicker. I debated long and hard between it and a E-TEC 90 or Suzuki DF90a. In the end weight, warranty and local service swayed me to the Yamaha. My F70 and F6 together weigh 2 lbs less than a E-TEC 90. I had a old Mercury 90 "Tower of power" and was worried about going down in power. Now I realize how unimportant that is for the way I use my boat compared to the advantages of this new lightweight motor. Load carrying and hole-shot are still very good, if not better in some ways (probably due to the new prop). Top speed went down from 43 to 38 mph, which in normal conditions is almost never used anyway as I spend most of my time cruising in the mid 20's. Mileage and range more than doubled while cruising from about 4 to over 8 mpg. The F6 kicker is worth mentioning as well. It is a light relatively smooth four-stroke single cylinder with integral fuel tank. It has a selector switch for external tank having the same fuel connection as the F70. It also has an optional fully regulated 6 amp charging kit which I installed. Plus I think the Yamaha's look great on the Classic hull, but of course that is subjective: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...directlink https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...directlink
catndahats	#18  Posted on 06/21/14 - 2:05 PM
Member Posts: 6 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/14/14	Jharrel.....those pics make me drool!!! Boat and motor look great, and thanks for your input. The more I look, the better those Yamaha 70's sound for this application. Thanks!