Outboard motors for your tuski

Ed Sherman published May 25, 2016.

There is quite a lot of choice in the low power outboard segment. You can get 4-stroke petrol engines like Tohatsu 5hp. (middle left) or easily portable Yamaha 4 h.p. ( on right ). Almost silent electric motor can be recommended Torqeedo Travel 1003 powered by a storage battery, its propulsive power is 3-4 hp. a conventional gasoline engine. Alternatively, there is an engine Lehr (middle right) with a capacity of 2.5 hp, which is powered by liquefied propane from a regular tourist tank.

Every few years, I enjoy testing the freshest and finest motors to drive your tenders or small pocket cruisers. I am interested in watching the movement from relatively light and compact, but smoking and noisy two-stroke engines to their heavier but practically smokeless and quiet four-stroke competitors. A lot of things have changed in the market in a relatively short time since my last review. Now you have a lot to choose from: two-stroke or four-stroke engines, gas cylinder or battery powered, carbureted or injected. What will be the best for you? Let's take a close look at which is best and let you make a decision.

What's available?

The range of your choice depends on the size of your jet and whether or not you plan to plan your boat. For example, the Torqeedo 1003 can be mounted on a 3000 lb (1362 kg) boat, but the boat will not be able to plan. Therefore, you must answer the question whether it is really necessary for you to plan, the answer to this question is decisive in your choice of motor.

The next important consideration is gasoline with ethanol and the effect of such fuel on outboard motors, especially low power motors. Fuel in the tank tends to age and absorb moisture from the air, which eventually settles as deposits in the carburetor. In addition to this, ethanol in the fuel works as a solvent, it goes all the way to the sludge in the tank and dissolves whatever is there. As a result, my 3-year-old 4-stroke 3 hp motor. after working on fuel with traces of water broke down. I had to replace the carburetor. The service mechanic explained the problem to me in a very clear way: - to ensure low fuel consumption, all new engines are equipped with carburetors with very small jets, they have holes that are much smaller in diameter than on two-stroke engines of similar power from the previous decade. As a result, these holes are very easily clogged with all sorts of deposits, this problem is well known, so the cleanliness of the fuel is very important. Please note that none of the manufacturers of outboard gasoline engines recommends using fuels with an ethanol content of more than 10 %, therefore I strongly advise against using E 15 gasoline (ethanol content 15 %). If you are fortunate enough to live in a state that still sells gasoline, ethanol-free is the best choice, especially if you have a carburetor engine.

In addition to the above, I must remind you of the importance of quality separator filters, my new injection motor works very well. The fuel separator filter, which needs to be changed every year, works very well. There are new 15 strong injection motors Evinrude and Suzuki which are controlled by electronics. These engines have fewer fuel system problems compared to carburetor engines. Their electronic control units (CPU) are programmed to compensate within certain limits for problems associated with the quality of gasoline, in other words, these motors have a small built-in mind. Unfortunately, carburetor IQ is zero.

Finally LEHR offers propane engines ranging from 2.5 to 25 hp. With these units, you definitely don't need to worry about clogged carbs due to ethanol in a gas cylinder, but they also have their own problems. In accordance with the complaints that I read on the forums, there are questions about the quality of valves on cylinders, the problem seems to be not big, but very annoying.

Another problem is noise. In a comparative test conducted by Boat US magazine, they noted three important parameters that make this 2.5 hp motor stand out. of all competitors. It was the noisiest and most vibrating, but at the same time it accelerated the test boat faster than all the other motors in its class that were on this test. It should be noted that more powerful motors LEHR not so noisy. LEHR it also has one important feature it has an electric starter: especially importantly, its two-pound starter battery fits right under the motor cover, eliminating the need to place an extra battery in an overloaded bucket. True, this option is only available for motors LEHR with a capacity of 9.9 -, 15 - and 25 hp. some tuziks can use this option. There is another cool option for motors LEHR power up to 15 hp. they can draw gas from standard touring gas cartridges, which plug directly into a socket on the head of the motor.

This is another thing that does not take place in the tender for which such motors can usually be used.

Weight matters

A tricky issue for all outboards is the big difference in weight between air and water polluting two-stroke motors and their more (EPA) friendly four-stroke competitors. As a rule, all new four-stroke engines are much heavier. Depending on which boat the motor is intended for and how you plan to store this boat on your mother yacht, the weight of the outboard motor matters a lot. The difference in weight between my previous eight-horsepower four-stroke engine and the new three-horsepower four-stroke engine, designed to drive an eight-foot inflatable boat with a hard bottom, is quite significant: I easily haul a boat with a smaller engine ashore at a yacht club. Yes, there is a difference in the fact that my boat does not planes with a smaller motor. It doesn't matter, the boat is mainly used to get to my big yacht in a closed harbor where there is a general speed limit of 5 knots. There is one exception to the fact that two-stroke engines are lighter than four-stroke engines of the same power, this is the new Evinrude series. E — TEC... These two-stroke motors are actually heavier than their comparable four-stroke opponents, although I have to point out their decent performance. (translator's note - noiselessness, clean exhaust, low fuel consumption,) I really like what they did with the injection system and all the other technical innovations of the engines Evinrude, but all this seriously affected the weight. I like the technical sophistication of the injection system, but the difference in weight is also important, for me, at any rate, it's a dilemma.

What about prices?

Price can be a factor in choosing a small outboard motor: I know this from experience. I actually really wanted an electric motor for my inflatable boat, but the cost Torqeedo was a little more than I planned to spend. Motor Travel 1003which would work great on my boat was selling for almost 2000 USD. Closest power gas engine LEHR 2.5 h.p. sold for 1260 USD, still not as cheap as I would like. As a result, I bought a 3-strong gasoline Mercury for about 900 USD. This is almost the same as it costs LEHRbut much cheaper than my electro dream.

When looking at more powerful motors, we see a gap of almost 1000 USD when comparing 20 and 25 hp motors. The Torqeedo has nothing in this range. LEHR offers an alternative to gasoline, but prices start from $ 4,800 to $ 5,700, depending on engine specification. 25 hp two-stroke injection motor Evinrude E — TEC costs 4500 USD. Honda offers only one engine - 20 hp. it sells for $ 4100. All other major manufacturers offer their motors from 4000 to 5200, depending on what you choose: a long or short shaft, manual or electric start, you probably have to be crazy or a fan of physical activity in order to choose a manual start on a four-stroke 25 liter engine .with.

Is it possible to compare guarantees. Warranties for your new outboard motor can be very confusing. On the net, I found that warranties can vary from two to five years (see the table below), almost all sellers offer a paid additional warranty, so carefully read the warranty section, and please carefully read the section where the exceptions are stated (what is not covered by the warranty). This is of great importance. Beyond the printed warranties, you should be aware that manufacturers such as LEHR, Torqeedo, Mercury and Tohatsu have significantly expanded their traditional dealer networks to include all sorts of different sellers who may not have trained parts and service personnel. Regardless of the brand you choose, it is best to buy such a motor from a traditional professional dealer. In this case, you can confidently seek professional advice on service and spare parts if you need it. You will probably spend a couple of hundred dollars more than in an online store, but it will be much worse if your engine dies on July 4 and you will urgently need to find someone who can revive it.

Service abroad.

If you have plans to expand your sailing area or even go overseas, you should look into the size and coverage of the global service network. I promise you that you may be very surprised at what you learn. Depending on where you are, you may need to wait for the next delivery of parts in a slow sailing ship from China to repair your new engine. Go online and explore the global dealer network of the brand you are looking to buy. Many manufacturers such as Tohatsu, Merсury and LEHR offer a list of dealers right on their website. Dealer closest to Grenada LEHR located in Florida. Not so good news in the event that your rather unusual gas engine mysteriously stopped working just as you passed the Caribbean.

A few words about Nissan

At the end of 2014, those of us who have been in this business for a long time learned that Nissan engines would leave the North American market. The site of the company Nissan marine www.nissanmarine.com directs you to the site Tohatsuwhich will provide you with all the information about parts and service. You should be aware that Tohatsu has always made these motors simply, they were sold under the Nissan brand. If you come across an online sale of spare parts, I would exclude Nissan parts from this list, because in the original there are practically no more of them in warehouses.

Ed Sherman is vice president and director of education for the American Motor Sailing Council he is also the author of the book Outboard motors - service, troubleshooting and repair

he also runs his blog edsboattips.com

18.06.2016