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It's time to repower my 1989 (hull) Montauk. Does anyone have the new 90HP Honda on their boat? I waterski alot so out of the hole torque is critical, hence looking at 4 cylinder four strokes. Is the weight of the Honda at 360 pounds an issue? How's the reliability? How do you like the motor? Where is the motor made?

Mercs to heavy. Evinrude ETEC only 3 cylinder. Yamaha 4 cylinder 4 stroke twenty pounds heavier then the Honda.

Every Harbor Patrol and shore boat at Catalina Island (west of Avalon Harbor) is running the Hondas and they love them but, they don't waterski behind their boats.

Thanks for your time,
John

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From what I understand, 2 strokes have the best hole shot and top end. 4 strokes are more efficient cruisers, smoother for trolling, and make less noise. The 2 stroke 90 will shoot your Montauk out of the water.

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John,

Have you ever operated an E-TEC 90 on a Montauk? It has far more low end torque than the four strokes, four cylinder or not. For waterskiing, the E-TEC is what you want.

Nothing against the Honda, a great brand of outboard which I think would be a superb fit for the classic Montauk at only 360 pounds, but for yanking skiers up, the E-TEC will outperform it.

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I miss the days of the 2 strokes: inexpenve, easy to maintain, reliable and can fix something mid-channel without taking the entire motor apart. Can't buy them in CA anymore. Also, like to do my part to keep the waterways clean.

Tom, talked with a guy who skied behind a 90 ETEC then decided to put a 115 ETEC on his own boat because he dragged so long behind the 90HP. I'm worried about the insurance issues or I would go with the 115HP and stick with Evinrude (I currently have a 90HP 4 clylinder FICHT).

Really in a quandry. Typically have two to three guys in the boat, a kid or two and don't feel like dragging forever.

Opinions and insights are greatly appreciated.

John

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John -

The "guy" could have an inappropriate sized prop that is causing his poor performance.

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John - You and a couple of pals skied all around the eastern half of the country behind a Johnson 90 right? An 86 Johnson 90 is what I have on my Montauk - and the hands-down preference of this group for a repower on this hull is the Etec 90. If Yamaha would drop their prices, I might be tempted, but I think this group would stone me.

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Okay, now you guys are getting me excited. My choice would be to stay with Evinrude, I have had great success with the Evinrude/Johnson brand. I use a standard 17" prop on my 90 FITCH. Do you recommend the same for the ETEC or would I need to drop a size for skiing?

Thanks

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I've not heard a single thing negative about the Etec. Hands down probably the best motor on the market for a Whaler.

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John,
Not sure there is really an insurance issue with the 115HP, there are plenty of agents that will insure a 115HP on the back of a Montauk. If you need a name, PM me. As for the ETec, it has great get up an go when proped correctly. It is also CARB 3 and considered clean for CA. With 3 years, no maintenance you can't get much better than that for todays technology.

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John,
If I were to re-power with a new outboard on my 17 I probably would go with an eTec primarily due to weight. But something to investigate (if you have not already) is the blast feature available on Honda mid range models. Not sure how it works but this sounds interesting especially if you that extra umph in your hole shot...

"BLAST™ System
A quick movement of the throttle control activates the BLAST™ system, advancing the ignition curve aggressively. "Hole Shot" is vastly improved as more horsepower gets the hull up on plane quicker"

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I have a 1985 montauk with a 1996 Honda 90hp that replaced a johnson. For 13 yrs this engine has been unbelievable. Yearly service is all it takes. Four stroke is the only way I'd go. And yes, it's great for skiing.

goudy
85 montauk 90 honda
88 22 outrage 225 yamaha four stroke

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I have no personal experience with a Montauk/Honda combo, but my old Outrage jumps up onto plane with my 135. People are always surprised how much low-end torque that the Honda has. I can only imagine how peppy my boat would be with an E-TEC on the transom. I went with the Honda because of their dealer network in my area.

Go with whoever has the best network in your area.

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Before I started this redo I ran my 2001 Honda BF90 on my Montauk for 3 years. It was mounted too low and the performance and hole shot are great. We usually run with at least 500 + lbs of people + gear. Almost no bow rise and great milege. It is now mounted 2 holes up and I hope it will only improve. I am very happy with the Honda.

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John,
Why any discussion about a Honda always ends up w/a diversion to E-Tec is beyond me. They're both good motors (though locally I seem to hear more about E-Tec problems than Honda), so personal preferences (e.g., 4-stroke, fuel efficiency, etc.) play a big part in the decision. There's only about a 40lb difference, which is why I moved our batteries forward. Since we got it we've had no problems and she still runs "Like a Bat out of @#$%" out of the hole.

Here's a post I did back in 2007 regarding our Honda on our 89 Montauk:

Well, it's happened! I have the new Honda BF90D installed and running on A Little Madness. The "D" is the designator for the 2007 version with the Fuel Injection, VTec, Lean Burn, BLAST, etc. vs. 2006 w/Carbs. I have the Honda 3 blade S/S prop w/15 pitch. There is next to no break-in on this motor. With the supplier on board we kicked it flat-out to 5800 rpm's (Tech rep said top-end is actually 6300). I thought our 17 Montauk was going to flip over backwards the bow got up so fast! Everything they say about the new "Blast" for an improved hole-shot is TRUE! WOW! Anyway, I know I'm going to be baraged w/technical questions on performance, etc., and I will do my best, but understand and bear with me....this is my first power boat (yes I'm an ex-blowboater) and it came w/a very tired Yamaha 90, so this weekend was incredible. A few other quick notes. 2 Gel-Cell batteries & Selector switch moved to a star-board reinforced center console floor was very smart. Didn't have to change the waterline and the bullet does not rest in the water. Sea Star hydraulic steering is wonderful. The Lowrance LMS-527cDF iGPS is incredible. At 40 mph I get accurate depth readings in the ICW. With the 27 gal Tempo we've got great cruising ability as well to enjoy.

See our Personal Page. Good Luck w/the decision!