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I did a search and it seems that a 25 HP motor is O.K. I just don't want to be disappointed.

I have an opportunity to get a 1988 25 HP Johnson 2-stroke "rebuilt" with controls, new cables, and a 3 month warranty (starting June 1st) for $1000.00. This seems like a great deal.

I just want to make sure that it is enough for my 1958 Whaler. I will have usually two people (maximum 400 lbs.) & possibly my 80 lb. dog.

ALL of you with 1st hand experience, will I be happy with this 25?

Again, thanks so much!

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What length shaft is it?
15" short shaft?
or
20 inch long shaft?

Your 1958 should use a 15 inch short shaft if you still have the notched transom that hasn't been filled in by prior owners.

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It will run 28-30 mph with two people. I would not take more that out in a 13 footer, maybe the dog though, or 8 cats, too.

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25 HP is a great combination with the classic 13 foot Whaler. Plenty of power for three adults.

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that 25 johnson is a good choice,weighs about 114 lbs.my last 25 tohatsu 2 stroke weighed 102 lbs compared to 175 lbs for the new 25 tohatsu 4 stroke.that weight on the stern makes a big difference handling rough conditions.you will be able to hold on plane at a slower speed.I have ran a 50 merc,35 evenrude,30 johnson,25 tohatsu and 8 tohatsu.you should be happy with the 25 johnson unless you want to pull a skier.

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I'm a 40hp guy. A 25hp may by sufficient for some however in my opinion it's not enough power for a typical adult user. With two grown men (220lb+ each) a dog and our fishing gear, my 1966 13' barely hits 26mph (GPS verified) WOT and I am running a 40hp Yamaha. I do pull skiers, tubes, kneeboards etc. and want that extra power.

There's many great opinions above but when it comes to horsepower on a 13', I tend to disagree with them.

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cliff,26 mph sounds kind of slow for a 40 hp even with some decent weight in it.the old catalogs say a 40 hp should go 34 mph with a light load.if your yamaha goes that fast lightly loaded my guess is your prop has too much pitch.they say a reduction in pitch 2" increases thrust 50% which would translate into a big difference pulling a skier out of the water or hauling heavier loads.my first motor was a merc 50 which would push it around 40 mph with a 17" pitch.with the 15" pitch it was a little slower 38 mph,but had much better power out of the hole and was not affected as much when weighed down.your 40 yamaha is probably the best motor available today for skiing and its not heavy.do you have a tach to check your wot rpm?tom from mass.

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Hi Tom, thanks for the information,.

To answer your question, no I do not have a tachometer installed in the boat. Installing a tach is on my "winter to do's" list for the Whaler and once I have it installed, I will be able to provide accurate numbers.

At one point in time I thought I might be over propped however I have no problem what so ever pulling a water skier, tube or kneeboard. Additionally, when fully loaded the boat easily gets up on a plane, but I'm just not seeing the 34MPH readings you're suggesting I should be seeing when lightly loaded.

I'm running a 1993 Yami and the thing seems bullet proof and is running very smoothly. I had it out on the lake during New Years day in flat calm water, no wind with just me and the dog and I hit 29mph WOT.

I have a Power Tech stainless prop on her and have had a difficult time reading the engraved numbers on it to determine the specifications so I am not sure of the prop pitch. I know these are parameters I should know about the prop, but until now I didn't realize I had a performance problem. If I should be running at least 34mph WOT with a 40hp and am only running 29mph.....I guess I need to look into what I have on her now and what I'll need to get to increase the top end speed.

Thanks!

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You could run the 25 hp for a while, and move up to a higher h.p. range if dissappointed, you'd still have "Boat use" while you saved up for a new engine.

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When I take our 13/40hp out on windy days it feels like the wind is going to grab that thing and launch it in the air.
And it would probably land on my head.
I think 25 hp is a good match for a 13.

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Either motor would be a good choice. I perfer the 40HP...if 25HP is GOOD.....40HP is BETTER..... :-)

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Ok, I went for the 1988 25 hp Evinrude for my 58' 13' Whaler. A prop of any pitch is included. All you experts, what pitch should I choose. Once again, thank you !!!!!

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And what shaft length did you buy?

15 inch or 20 inch?

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I had no choice, went with a 15"

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Davbro,

I'm currently running a 25hp Honda on mine. I couldn't tell where you are located, but I am at 5,000 ft elevation so I have lost an estimated 13-15% of the hp due to elevation. (I heard somewhere that you lose roughly 3% per 1,000 ft.) With that said, I am running a 9" pitch prop that I had re-worked to almost 10 1/2" for torque (3 adults + gear in boat), and an 11" pitch for speed (1 or 2 adults).
Both of my props mentioned above are stock aluminum Honda props.

If you are at a lower altitude, I'd probably look at a 13" pitch for speed, and a 12" pitch for torque. I haven't run my motor at any lower altitudes, so I'm not really sure.

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davbro,

There is another ongoing thread about raising the height of the transom with adapters. I guess you missed reading it.

http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/vi...;pid=56077

With the transdapter you can use a 20 inch shaft motor and also stops water coming over the transom when you stop quickly.

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Davbro, I have a 1964 13' with a 1989 Merc 25hp. She runs 30+ and gets out of the hole well with 2 or 3 adults. Unless you really want to jump out of the hole or go fast enough to scare yourself the 25 should suit you just fine. My .02

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Thanks Bottomfish, what prop do you have ? Those are good #'s