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I am repowering my 1963 16"7' whaler and am wondering what outboard company and horse power would be best. i am debating a 90 or a 70. definately a 4 stroke. I am a commercial fisherman and am going to have me possibly a another person and a 50 gallon barrel of water to keep my fish a live in on board. I was also wonder what is the deal with going through kelp. How does that work with the outboard. i need to go through the kelp to get to the spots i want to fish. Thanks for the help.

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Well, I personally would not go with a 4 stroke. To each there own. I would only consider a two stroke and if money is no object I would rig an Direct Injection E Tec. Since you are in California I think the E Tec is the only two stroke available for sale new. I could be wrong. With an E Tec the 75 is the same weight as the 90 so, I would rig the 90. The next step down in the E Tec line up is the 60. While I know someone who runs an old Johnson 60 on their 16'7" hull and says it is fine, they only use it for light cruising. If I am out in the open water hauling all kinds of gear, and people around, I would want as much power as I could get. While you may never run the boat wide open for speed there are instances when you want / need that extra push to get up on plane faster or to help climb a wave face.

Why a two stroke? Because typically two stroke weigh less than a four stroke of the same HP. Also, two strokes typically have a much stronger torque output over a greater RPM range than a four stroke. If you can, while shopping try and look at a dyno plot showing the torque and horsepower of each motor you are considering.

In the end though buying a new motor should also be about finding a good sales and service dealership. No matter what brand the motor may be, if you find someone that is trustworthy and knowledgeable that goes a LONG way in your satisfaction in that motor over it's life time.

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I agree with Jeff on the ETEC. The weight and the torque are 2 major pluses, but also the warranty. ETEC is offering one of the best warranties of any mfg at the moment. Another important factor is that the 4 Stroke has a lot more parts to malfunction and cause problems. You'll be surprised at the fuel economy of the ETEC also

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The only problem with the e tec is the closest dealer to my house is 2 hours + drive. i want to get my motor from a place i can easly take it back and get it serviced. There is a dealer of every other brand in my area

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Your are going to get a lot of options on this one. I have a 70hp Suzuki swinging a 14 inch propeller in cuts kelp no problem. Now at low tide there is a lot more kelp on the top and I don't think there is a out board big enough that would fit that small of boat that could power thru the kelp like a inboard v drive diesel There are kelp cutters made for outboard engines that mount on the front of the lower end. If you power thru the kelp you still have to watch the heat of the engine, backing down when needed. I had a two stroke and changed to a four stroke. I would never go back to a two stroke engine. The fuel cost is reason one, and reason two is the brute power of the four stroke. I think a 70hp is all you need, since you don't seem to be concerned about top end. I fish the kelp off Point Loma here in San Diego and this is my two cents. I'm sorry I just have to ask you...What kind of commercial fishing are you going to do with this set up? And What's up with the. [quote] 50 gallon barrel of water to keep my fish a live in on board.[quote] That's a lot of weight to have onboard with two people, gear,and fuel. I have fished commercial //one hundred fifty hook ganions with forty pounds of weight in deep water. I've fished jig boats and Bait boats for Albacore, and done some tending for sea urchins in the kelp.All these boats were in the forty to sixty foot range, except for the dive boat was under thirty foot.
This is from continuouswave, look at the post from "skiff "For kelp cutter.

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/016144.html

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bernard_123 thanks for the pm , I send you a reply

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Have you looked at our Current Engine Guide?

http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...ticle_id=5

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115 optimax

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Gents--

My .02 on engine choice is simple. Buy one from a manufacturer that you trust and have had solid experiences with in the past.

Sure weight and fuel are huge issues for everyone but peace of mind is worth more than gold.

I rebuilt my 1986 Johnson 90 VRO from top to prop and I trust the work because I did most of the work except for the lower unit. I run clean fuel and follow lubrication specs and use the best materials available.

Oh, and I run in fresh water. Love the big blue water but where I boat, we can drink the water. Lake Sunapee is rated as a Class "A" water source.

Just some thoughts from the Frozen White North during our "Hard Water Season."

Never got above 0*F today. I did visit my Newport out in the barn today while working on my John Deere tractor. Looking forward to another summer on the water.

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I have owned a 1969 16'7" "Skiff" since it was new. It originally had a Johnson 40 hp. Later it had a 25 Suzuki (not fast, just work) In 1985 it was updated to an 85hp 2 stroke Suzuki, and was used for waterskiing and watersports for my young family. In 2006 I repowered it with a 70 hp Suzuki 4 stroke, and truly missed the mid range torque. Last month I sold the Suzuki, and will install a 90hp E-tec. I am sure it will out perform any similar setup. As far as service being 2 hours away, no problem. Once you install the E-tec you do not need to get service for 300 hours or 3 years. By that time I bet you will have an Evinrude dealer close. Also that hull is rated for just 100 Hp, the 115 optimax won't work. And the 100 4 stroke makes it squat. I would even cosider the Nissan but the E-tec wins my vote, And I am putting money on it. :D

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Parts & Service....You want an outboard that has good "Parts and Service" support nearby, one that's open on "Sunday", I'm getting very good reports on "Suzuki" outboards however, parts and service are not near me. There is a very large Evinrude dealer near me that has been here over 40 years with a good reputation... they stand behind their engines, so we went with "Bombardier"

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I got s brand new 08 whi the binnicale conrtrols installed for 8,500. I called the the other dealer and he told me that thath the dealer was selling me the engine at coasat. and could not compete with the 2.5 hours of labor he was going to charge me. th eother guy siad it would take five. but i got all the cables battey and throttle cables wirring harness and a new prop.... installed for 8500 i think that is a good deal what do you guys think

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What is s brand?

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We definately need to consider the environment, My choice is 4 stroke. If you enjoy living on "drinkable" fresh water lakes you really need to consider the fact that a large majority of lube oil works it's way through and into the environment.

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RevengeFamily.

An E-Tec 2 stroke is just a clean as any 4 stroke.

Let's not confuse everyone by saying a 4 stroke is the only clean engine to use on clean lakes. Lake Tahoe in California allows E-Tec engines (and other CARB3 rated engines) because they are clean.

Everyone can view the Engine Guides in the article section and check them for CARB3 rating.
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...p?cat_id=4

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Great point Joe! (and if you believe the BRP data, they're even cleaner) Our Etec runs the XD-100 synthetic oil, burns super clean and uses very little.

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Not only does it burn the synthetic oil, but it only burns a very very small amount. I actually thought something was wrong with mine at first in that I almost never needed to add oil like I did with the old VRO system