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Repowering 1979 17 Montauk
warming123	#1  Posted on 10/30/17 - 5:01 PM
Member Posts: 1 Comments: 0 Joined: 07/04/17	I currently have three options.. A new 90hp Mercury for 8k installed. (concerned about weight on transom) or I found a guy that restores old evinrude/johnson motors. 80s-90s $2500 or Freshwater 2000 70hp Johnson with controls $2000 (warrantee negotiable) I would be trading in the current 1988 88spl on all of them Thoughts? warming123 attached the following image: [51.96Kb] Edited by warming123 on 10/30/17 - 5:56 PM
Vances Revenge	#2  Posted on 10/30/17 - 7:29 PM
Member Posts: 91 Comments: 2 Joined: 03/15/14	Couple Questions: Which Evinrude/Johnson motor do you currently have? Have you been happy with the power of your current engine?
Walt Krafft	#3  Posted on 10/30/17 - 7:54 PM
Member Posts: 168 Comments: 0 Joined: 06/16/14	I have a 1985 Evinrude 90. It only has 175 hours on it as I put it in storage for 25 years after a career change. It has plenty of power and is much better than the 80 Merc the boat came with. If I need to repower it will be with an Etec 90 or 90HO.
JRP	#4  Posted on 10/31/17 - 4:43 AM
Member Posts: 755 Comments: 2 Joined: 08/29/14	warming123 wrote: I currently have three options.. A new 90hp Mercury for 8k installed. (concerned about weight on transom) or I found a guy that restores old evinrude/johnson motors. 80s-90s $2500 or Freshwater 2000 70hp Johnson with controls $2000 (warrantee negotiable) I would be trading in the current 1988 88spl on all of them Thoughts? That Merc 90 Fourstroke should be fine for the Montauk 17. It weighs about 354 lbs. But if weight is a big concern to you, why not consider the Yamaha F70 four stroke? It weighs about 100 lbs less than the Merc 90, yet is still a 4-cylinder engine and by most reports performs very well on a Montauk 17.
Jay Fitz	#5  Posted on 10/31/17 - 7:05 AM
Member Personal Page Posts: 343 Comments: 0 Joined: 09/08/10	Agree w/ JRP, just sold my Montauk, but when re-power time came I was going with that Yamaha F70. But, how you boat and what you need for power, etc is key. How many passengers do you usually carry? What are the uses of the boat...fishing, cruising, tubing, skiing??
Blue78Montauk	#6  Posted on 11/01/17 - 10:09 PM
Member Posts: 2 Comments: 0 Joined: 11/01/17	I'm trying to answer a similar question. I'm new to this type of boat, grew up with a small pontoon. My wife and I purchased a 1978 Montauk 17, which came with a 2001 100hp Yamaha fourstroke, which runs fine and has given me no problems. Several people at our marina have told me that motor is too heavy for my boat and that I need something lighter. Is there any truth to this? If so, trying to figure out if the Etec 90 or YamahaF70 is a better choice. Any thoughts?
wrangler	#7  Posted on 11/02/17 - 3:56 AM
Member Posts: 264 Comments: 0 Joined: 03/14/08	As stated before, 70 HP and 90 look at the alternator amp rating. Do you need more electrical power? Edited by wrangler on 11/02/17 - 3:58 AM
Sharky1	#8  Posted on 11/02/17 - 9:57 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 30 Comments: 3 Joined: 03/29/10	Don't waste your money rebuilding anything even with a warranty. Check local marinas who sell new underpowered boats and take low engine hour trade-in's. You'll still get what you're looking for at a reduced cost and most still have some warranty left on the engine. You'll love the newer engine fuel economy and the quietness of a four stroke. If your time on the water is cruising around all day and you need to get there quickly go for a 90hp but if you don't care about getting there so quick the F70 is awesome and you will be amazed at the fuel consumption.
Finnegan	#9  Posted on 11/03/17 - 12:24 AM
Member Posts: 1926 Comments: 16 Joined: 05/02/08	I just happen to have a 1979 Montauk also, that needed repowering when I bought it 6 years ago. So I got rid of the engine that came on it. I decided a classic Whaler in nice like new condition needed a classic American outboard in similar condition. So I purchased a remanufactured Mercury "tower of power" classic in-line-6 115 HP, weighing in at only 300#. Six years later it's still running strong and looks new. And it will blow the doors off any 70 or 90 Hp engine on the market today. And the cost was considerably less than an underpowered Yamaha F70, which is built on the same block as the Mercury 60 4-stroke. http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/l...jM=/?ref=1 At the ramps or docks, or in the marina, the engine gets the boat five times the attention of spectators compared to a Montauk with a vanilla, modern looking lower hp engine, where the ultra-modern overdone shapes (try G-2 Evinrudes?) just don't cut it on a classic boat. It's not for everybody, and not for those looking for a "commuter car", but the total classic package does add value to those who appreciate boats/engines from the past that are still in beautiful condition today.
Sharky1	#10  Posted on 11/03/17 - 6:23 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 30 Comments: 3 Joined: 03/29/10	I checked out your tower of power on the link you provided. What a work of art you have there. First Class, and kudos to you. Lets say the gentleman wanted to purchase such an engine. What are we talking about on cost and warranty? And where do you get an engine like that? I agree that a classic deserves a classic. I have a 1972 13' smirk/blue interior with a 1972 20HP tiller Mercury and love the package. It took quite sometime finding an old outboard mechanic that knew how work on it to dial it in. It took some time and patience to gather the correct parts. If someone would purchase an engine like yours, he better at least know if there is a master mechanic who knows how to work on it. I guess it all boils down to what you're into. Maybe the difference is like owning a classic car, or a new car. One more thing, if you ever want to compare fuel consumption, the 4 stroke will out perform the gas guzzler tower hands down, any day of the week, I can hear the carbs sucking gas from here.
Vances Revenge	#11  Posted on 11/04/17 - 10:43 AM
Member Posts: 91 Comments: 2 Joined: 03/15/14	I see that you currently have an 88 Special two stroke. Nothing better than two stroke power during those years! If you switch to a smaller 4 stroke to adjust for their heavy weight l feel you will be disappointed with the Power. If you go with a 90 4 stroke you will still not have the same throttle response and a heavy transom. If you are at seal level those older two strokes run great and a good "older" mechanic from that era and knows those motors can rebuild them to be very reliable for not too much $$. I would stay with what you have and rebuild it without any shortcuts...Less money, more power and what that boat was originally designed for....And you can buy a lot of gas for the 8K you didn't spend on a new motor. My .02 cents Vance
alan heckmamleper	#12  Posted on 11/04/17 - 4:21 PM
Member Posts: 79 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/14/13	I've had all kinds of outboards in the last 45 years including an old 140 Mercury tower of power,loved that motor and so did the gas station. I can still hear that thing throttling up, what a sweet sound. I didn't even care how much gas it used. That being said I now have a 1999 Boston Whaler 17 with a Yamaha F70 on it and it is the best motor I've ever had and I've had a lot. This is my first 4 stroke,it's quiet, it starts like a car, and is the most fuel efficient outboard I've ever owned. If you are going to keep your boat long term and can swing it I would go with a newer 4 stroke outboard. The Yamaha F70 will top out at 36-37 mph on a Montauk 17 and is light enough that it will not have an adverse effect on your boat. If you feel the need for 90 hp the Etec 90 at 320'lbs would be my choice. Personally I would never put more than 320 lbs of motors on the back of a Montauk 17. That 88 special was also a great motor.
alan heckmamleper	#13  Posted on 11/05/17 - 1:22 AM
Member Posts: 79 Comments: 0 Joined: 04/14/13	I just saw this on another site. 1974 Johnson 70 in near perfect condition, fresh water only and never rebuilt. The guy said he had it was a spare motor for his boat that had twins. He is in Maryland. Call Jim 443-553-5900. I know nothing of him or the motor, just passing on the information . His listed price is $2000. I had a 1970 Johnson 70 and it was a great motor.
Sharky1	#14  Posted on 11/06/17 - 10:16 PM
Member Personal Page Posts: 30 Comments: 3 Joined: 03/29/10	Finnegan, please tell us readers where you can get a rebuilt tower of power and how much it will cost. I'm very curious and really wanted to check it out. Is there a website? 😳
Finnegan	#15  Posted on 11/11/17 - 6:48 PM
Member Posts: 1926 Comments: 16 Joined: 05/02/08	Sharky - Here in the Great Lakes region, there are two operations that re-manufacture Mercury in-lines. And you are correct, an owner of one of these engines needs to find shops that still have the knowledge to work on them. Parts seem to be readily available. This is who I used for the engine on my Montauk. Total cost was about $5500. He used to be located in Suburban Chicago, but has relocated to northern WI. As you can see, he does beautiful work. See his link for completed engines: http://classicmercuryoutboards.com/homes.com/home This fellow, I believe is an ex-Merc employee, and a re-manufactured in-line 6 runs about $5000-$5500 I believe. He is located outside of Milwaukee http://mercrestor.com/ Also, around this part of the country, where summers are cold and short, and the water is fresh, there are still good condition used in-line 6's to be found, not needing too much work. You may have to buy a junk boat along with it, to be resold cheap, to get it, however. There seems to be lot of them in Wisconsin. Since you like these engines, you may want to see my other boat, sporting two of them! I bought them new, and have kept them in like new condition ever since. http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/l...TE=/?ref=1 http://photobucket.com/gallery/user/l...Gc=/?ref=1 For that 13 you have, a four cylinder Merc 50 would be nice. I used to have 1958 Hull #11, and I had a 1970 version of that engine on it. Here is a photo. Finnegan attached the following image: [36.96Kb]