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I've finally decided to bite the bullet and get a new engine for my 13-footer. I'm currently running an '88 Yamaha 15-hp 2-stroke, but between issues with the carbs/ethanol, and with my kids getting older and wanting to be pulled behind the boat, I need more engine. Where I live there aren't many used engines that turn up, and I'd rather start fresh than risk taking on someone else's problems. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there are that many short shaft, remote control options out there at 25 or 30 hp. The E-tecs look attractive, but only offer a tiller option. Same with Suzuki. It looks like Mercury is the only one offering a remote. I don't really want to raise the transom in order to use a long shaft, but it's looking like that may give me the most flexibility. Am I missing something?

John K.

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John,

Aside from raising your transom, your options are limited. Moose runs a Nissan 40hp with a 15' short shaft. Binkie is using a 25hp Mercury short shaft for his classic 13' too.

I have a 1966 13' with the 15' transom too and if I repower, it will be with a 20' motor which will require me to raise the transom. This kent Fab Trans adapter is what I'd use to raise the transom.

http://www.kentfab.com/Transdaptor%20...r%2013.htm

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If you are wed to the 15" shaft length idea, then the Tohatsu MD40 is the obvious choice.

40 HP
Direct Fuel Injection
15" shaft length
Power trim & tilt
only 205 pounds

http://tohatsu.com/outboards/40tldi_s..._spec.html

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I always like to see the old Whalers as original as possible. Personally I would stick to a short shaft.

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Same here... second that.

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Agreed here too. Try a 35hp evinrude/johnson, probbly can pick one up for not much and do the usual plugs, wires, water pump, gearcase oil and be on your way ~ just a thought.

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I used a TH Marine Hi-Jacker Fixed Jacking Plate. It was rather inexpensive under $150. If you look at the last couple of pictures on my personal page you will see it. I used a piece of stainless on the inside of the boat as like a big washer. The engines are not that heavy so with some measurements you can figure out where you need it to be. It worked great for me with the 20" shaft, and i don't think it looks too obvious.

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Yamaha makes a 15" Remote 25 hp 4 stroke. It does not have trim & tilt though.

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Thanks for the replies.

I know about the Yamaha. The only concern there is that it's carbureted, and I don't know if I'd run into the same gelling issues as with my current engine.

The Transdaptor looks interesting, but at $400 I think I'd rather put the money into an engine.

John k.

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I'd take a second look at the trans-adaptor. I've had Eric Kent fabricate some things for a couplee of my boats and I know he used to do BW's custom work. He does excellent work. I believe he is still located across from the old Norwell factory. I just wish he came up with the Idea when we had our "68" 13
Mike

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The pros and cons of short shaft motors as far as I`m concerned. I like to use SS motors on SS boats, but it is getting harder to near impossible to find new ones. I`m running an `08 25hp Merc/Tohatsu 4 stroke on my 13 footer. I have put 20 hours on it since new almost 2 years ago. I love the motor, and for my purposes it works very well, its not really a Mercury, as Tohatsu makes Mercs in the 25-30 Hp range. Its built in Japan. It will run 28-29mph GPS with one peron, and a mile or two slower with two. I never take more than one person with me, so it has enough power for my uses. However if you bring 2 or more folks with you or pull a skier, this motor isn`t for you. My 25 weighs 157lbs, and I carry a 40lb trolling motor on the transom so total weight on the transoms 197lbs. close to the weight of the 40 Tohatsu. I think the 40 Tohatsu is a 2 stroke. When I come down off plane I always pull water over the cutout in the transom. Not really a big deal. I am running a 6" jackplate so the motor is actually mounted 2-3" higher than it would be mounted on the transom. I installed a small bilge pump in the splashwell, and keep both holes corked up, and I pull the bilge pump switch for a few seconds when I come off plane.
Here is the setup in my 13 footer.
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c19...HALER3.jpg

If 2 stroke isn`t a problem the best motor for a 13 footer, far and away, is the 31.8 cu inch Evinrude or Johnson. Most were Evinrudes. It was built in 20-25-30-35hp configurations from 1978-2005. These motors with electric starting weigh 115lbs. That is the weight motor this boat was built to handle. The only difference between the 25 and the 35 is the carburetor. There is no difference at all between the 30 and 35hp.
It might be worthwhile looking for a cherry freshwater one from the northern Great Lakes region where the boating season is very short. There are thousands of these motors around, but of course, most are longshafts.
Another option is a new Yamaha 25 or 30 shortshaft with electric starting and a tiller. The dealer you buy it from can convert it to remote starting,

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Well said Binkie. in my opinion, the pro's to raising the transom to a 20' transom far outweigh the cons. As Binkie mentioned, with a 20' transom you reduce the splash back when coming off a plane to quickly and you also open yourself up to a wider range of newer motor selections.

From experience in my 13" with the 15' transom, while the boat is beached it gets swamped all the time due to passing boats and choppy lake conditions. I've had to change to way I beach the boat now due to the swamping problem. I now point the boat out and away from the beach. I drop the anchor and then secure it. Then I take a rope and tie one end to the stern and run it to the beach. Then I take a stake and drive it in the ground and tie the line from the boat to it. This is a very effective way to keep from getting swamped while near the beach. If I had a 20' transom, I'd possibly not get swamped as much while actually beached.

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To update on my engine situation, I jumped in the deep end and ordered up a long-shaft E-TEC 30hp (manual tilt). To prepare for the dealer installation I also bought and installed the Kentfab Transdapter. It is pricey, but the ’dapter fit fine and to my eye looks quite attractive in place. Surprisingly, however, I don’t think it raises the transom enough to allow for motor installation at the correct height.

The first hint of an issue came when the dealer called and said that everything was installed and ran great, but there was a “bit of a rooster tail” at top speed. Indeed, when I finally got the boat out on the water not only was there a pretty impressive rooster tail but a good deal of water was continually washing back over the top of the ’dapter! Of course I had assumed the dealer had installed the engine at the proper height and so I hadn’t checked it prior to launching, but when I got the boat back on the trailer after my first run I saw that the anti-ventilation plate was well below the bottom hull line—or at least I think it is. I’ve always assumed that the A-V plate is the one directly above the propeller; however, the E-TEC Operator’s Guide identifies the plate above this as the “Antiventilation plate.” I suspect the OG is wrong?

I can’t raise the engine any further on the ’dapter because the clamp screws are right at the top edge. Part of the problem seems to be that the extreme angle of the 13 transom tucks the motor in too much, exacerbating the low height. I thought about using wedges to swing out the motor a bit more, but the thickness of the ’dapter combined with the transom angle means that the clamp screws are almost totally screwed out already; there isn’t much adjustment left to compensate for the wedge angle. I suspect I’m going to have to get an additional jack plate to get the motor to the correct height.

Oh, but the engine is really nice! Starts right up and just purrs along, and the hole shot is impressive.

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Do you have PT&T on the etech?
Mike

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As noted, manual tilt.

John K.

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The clamp brackets do present problems when trying to get the mounting height right.

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As an experiment (and using some oak and aluminum wedges) I did manage to raise the engine to the next hole up and tilt it slightly outward on the transom. Total lift was probably something around an inch-and-a-half. The AV plate is still below the hull line, but not nearly as bad. Good news is that the rooster tail went away, top speed increased--but so did porpoising. At least I know the direction I have to go and will now turn to a jack plate.

John K.

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John, I was in the process of writing to you the idea of possibly using a jack plate and you beat me to it. Good idea!!

Post some pics of your nice, whimsy new ETEC.

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I have a 40 Hp Tohatsu short shaft (15"), Remote controlled. I also use a 12 P prop to pull tubes.

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A Honda 30 hp is another good option. It is a short shaft with remote and tilt. It is, I think lighter than the rest.

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My goals in an engine were (not surprisingly) to maximize HP with the least weight and cost. Since there will eventually be young boys piloting this boat 40 hp is too much, and in any case there's no 40 4-stroke that I would put on the back of an old 13-foot Whaler due to weight. For example, the 15" Tohatsu 40 is at least 50 lbs. heavier than the 30 E-TEC, plus something like $2000 more. The simplest Honda 30 (no power T/T, short shaft), in spite of what the website claims, is a few lbs. heavier than the E-TEC and of smaller displacement, is carbureted, and also significantly more expensive. Plus, I like the performance characteristics of a 2-stroke. Given my goals, it seemed I had to compromise on the shaft length.

John K.

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Have you thought about adding the CMC PT-30 jackplate? It's an aftermarket tilt and trim for out boards up to 35hp. It costs about $490 and will give you the ability to fine tune the trim of your motor. It only weighs 24 lbs. Try doing a search on it. There seems to be a lot of satisfied Whaler customers. I'm considering one as I boat in shallow waters. Cabella's website has a PDF of the installation instructions but I think iBoats has the best price.

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I'm looking at the CMC (the manual one) as well as options from TH Marine and Bob's. I'm pretty much a set-it-and-forget-it kind of guy, so adjustability during operation isn't a big deal. I like the Bob's Mini Jack Plate as it is fairly adjustable, has a small setback, and is pretty light.

John K.

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Can you post a pic of where the cavitation plate is to the transom? My guess is you still might need to go higher with the motor. I think for best results the cavitation plate should be just under the waterline at full RPM.

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I agree that the motor needs to go yet higher. I spent a little more time yesterday checking things. On the trailer the AV plate it still about an inch below the hull line, while on the water under full power it's more like an inch-and-a-half below the surface. Once I have a jack plate I can fine tune.

John

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I have a Tohatsu 40hp 2-stroke. I bought it brand new as a left-over, for $1500! and it runs GREAT. By far my favorite engine, and i also own evinrudes, mariners, and a yamaha. Actually think it has more torque than an e-tec of the same HP. The only problem is my '69 13' whaler goes 45mph with it, so might not be the best idea for young boys. but still an overall GREAT engine. this engine has electric start and power t/t.

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oh and its oil injected, so you dont have to mix gas

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I'm still at a loss as to why you would need a jackplate if you bought the kenfab adapter?

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For the simple reason that the Transdapter--surprisingly--does not raise the engine enough on my boat.

John K.

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I've put a few images on my personal page. You can see the installed Transdapter. The top edge slopes down toward the center, which I guess has something to do with lower height. I also show the temporary shims, as well as the position of the anti-ventilation plate relative to the bottom (still low).

John K.

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That motor does look like it is mounted too low.

I wonder if anyone that has the transdapter is having the same problem?

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I really don't see the need for the shims at the bottom.

Just move the manual tilt rod into hole 2 or hole 3.
This will prevent the engine from tucking too far in.
That's what the manual tilt rod is for.

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Joe, the point of the metal shims was to lever the mounting bracket forward on the wooden shims thereby adjusting its angle such that it raised the engine more than simply with the wood. I intend(ed) them to be temporary and merely a means to get the engine higher and confirm my suspicions. Once I have a jack plate I will indeed get rid of them.

John K.

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I understand.

But I still see your manual tilt pin in the first hole.
That doesn't appear to be correct to me.
I remember on my 13', I had that pin in the 2nd or 3rd hole...
I'm sure you understand that the pin is how you adjust the engine for tilt.

Now I know why I spent $600 to convert to Power Trim & Tilt on my next boat which was the Montauk.

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Forget about using the threaded engine clamps. They won't work for your application. From what I can see in the pics you need to drill two holes higher up on each side for the motor mounts. Mount with through bolts on the motor mount not the clamps. The engine in the pics is way low.

Joe is right. The tilt pin needs to go up a notch or two.

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I had the same issue with my 1971 model 13' notched transom. I asked a member here to get a measurement from the bottom of the transom to the top . The measurement I asked for followed the angle of the transom. It was taken from a late 70's early 80's model with a factory 20" transom. If I remeber correctly the measurement was 21.5 inches. I set my adapter plate to 22" as my cavitation plate was still alittle low . I probably could of went 23". You could also get a welder to raise the kentfab transadapter buy adding additional aluminum ?

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Actually, the threaded clamps are essential with the E-TEC 30 (and 15 and 25). There are only lower bolt holes on each side of the mount, not an upper and lower bolt hole like on the bigger engines.

And yes, the tilt pin is low, but that is temporary to offset the porpoising caused by a too-low engine. I'll even everything out once I have it up at the right height.

John K.

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I see what your saying. What a fiasco that is. Brilliant engineering. Sorry.

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I just looked at your personal page. The Kentfab adaptor slopes in the center. You should phone them and ask them to look at the pictures on your personal page. They are a fabrication company and you paid close to $500 for a product designed to work with an older Whaler and a longshaft motor. I bet they will work with you. Others on this site have described Mr. Kent as a good guy who produces a great product. The fault is either with his product or the tech who installed the motor. I'm thanking my lucky stars I managed to find a short shaft motor!

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John,
Have you measured the motor's actual shaft/transom length and the transom height with the adapter installed? Many OBs in the portable to mid power range have shafts longer than the advertised S and L lengths.