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I know there has probably been a lot written about this, but I would like some advice on installing a kicker motor on my Montauk. Most of the trolling I do is on rivers with current. My main motor is a 96 Johnson V-4 two stroke. I entertained the thought of installing a four stroke kicker with another small fuel tank because of noise and trolling for hours and breathing cleaner air. Any advice would be apprciated with regards to HP, shaft length or brand of motor
1. Boston Whaler recommended the kicker motor on a Montauk be clamped or bolted right to the transom. NO bracket.
2. The shaft length is a Long Shaft, 20 inches
3. I never liked the idea of an extra tank as there are other ways to do it.
a. Your main tank(s) should run straight fuel if your V-4 Johnson has the oiler hooked up. This way you could run a 4 stroke right off the main tank with straight fuel.
b. You could add another oiler for a 2 stroke kicker and still run off of the straight fuel.
c. If your main engine does not have the oiler hooked up and you already run pre-mixed fuel, then a 2 stroke kicker could use the same fuel tank with the mixed fuel.
4. I would recommend an 8 hp Evinrude or Johnson 2 stroke, or an 8 hp Johnson 4 stroke in your situation, 1985 to 2004. This way you could use the engine if you purchased a larger Whaler someday. :-)
See this article I put together on kicker motor choices for most all Whalers 17 to 25 feet: http://www.whalercentral.com/readarti...ticle_id=7
My 1988 Evinrude 8 hp 2 stroke weighs 58 pounds and an OMC 8 hp 4 stroke weighs in at 88 pounds. I wouldn't want to go much heavier considering you already have the V-4 on the transom. There isn't enough smoke from my kicker to really notice any smoke or smell and I troll up to 8 hours a day for salmon.
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I had my prior Montauk setup with a 2 stroke kicker and its own oiler. The main engine was VRO so my tanks had straight fuel. No pre-mixing which is what I prefer.
See these photos: http://users.sisqtel.net/jkriz/Montau...ntauk.html
I also setup a friend of mines Montauk basically the same way but he did not have VRO on his main engine or kicker so he ran pre-mixed fuel from the main tank(s) for both engines. http://users.sisqtel.net/blewis/Monta...ntauk.html
Both the above boats and kicker motors were remote controlled from the console using the Dual Binnacle engine controls. The two engines were tied together with a connecting rod so they steered in unison with the steering wheel.
You might also want to read this article, which is located on this site in the articles section, on how I setup an Outrage 18' with a kicker, which is also the identical way I setup my Outrage 22' Cuddy. The same principal applies to all Whalers including the Montauk. http://www.whalercentral.com/readarti...icle_id=48
I like being able to control the kicker from the console for steering, throttle and shift. I don't think I would have my boats setup any other way. It's basically the same setup you would have for identical twins and controlling both of them from the helm.
Thanks for all of the great advice. I'm sure I would have done the wrong thing. What is your thought on a one cylinder vs. a two cylinder engine? Also - it makes a lot of sense to match the main motor. Do you know if an 8 hp Johnson 4 stroke is the same color as my 90? What could a guy expect to pay for a good used one? Where to look for one? Thanks again for the help.
Robert
ps trying to gear up for the speculated great salmon season....
There have been many reports that a 1 Cylinder engine vibrates too much, therefore, I do not have the 1 Cylinder engine listed on the Guide to Kicker Engine Choices.
As far as a 1996 Johnson two stroke 8 hp kicker matching your engine color, I am not sure. I know my 1985 & 1988 Evinrudes match though. A White Johnson kicker wouldn't be bad. The Johnson 4 stroke kickers were White only I believe.
I would look on Craigslist.org everday. Check SF Bay Area and the Seattle Area listings... I would say $500 to $800 for a 2 stroke would be in the ball park depending on condition. $1000 to $1300 for a 4 stroke.
I may be wrong, but I think your list contains several 1 cylinder options - I consulted it during my kicker research. The Bombardier (Johnson) 4 stroke 6hp, Honda 5hp and Mercury 4 stroke 6hp all are 1 cylinder engines. The Honda is a Honda, but the Merc 6 is a Tohatsu and identical to the Nissan I eventually went with. Not sure about the Johnson, but it may be a Tohatsu too.
I can confirm the anecdotal evidence that the 1 cylinder engine vibrates more than a 2 cylinder.
