12' Fletcher Engine Decision

sblake161189

sblake161189

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12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Hi All,

Im brand new to this forum

I have had a 12' Fletcher Speedboat for a few years now and recently have hardly used it, however this summer I wana enjoy the thrill again.

It currently has a old Johnson 20hp engine powering it, but I wana upgrade to something a little bit bigger... with prefferably an electric start.

I have seen a 50hp Johnson on ebay however Im unsure wether this would be too heavy for a 12' boat, does anyone know how heavy one of these engines are?

Any replies would be appreciated

Cheers Sam
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

I have a 14 that I use to get to the pub and back, it has a 40hp Merc (early 90's I think).

It can if need be get me back from the pub very very quickly so I would say a 50hp maybe pushing it.... there should be a plate in or around the transom stating the maximum hp.
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

The plate on the back is one that has been added on afterwards so its just pure metal and theres no stickers or anything on the transom at all or on the whole boat to think of it...
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

You can google the weight but the 2 stroke 2 cyl Johnson 50 was about 70kilos. It wouldn't be too heavy for that boat, though it would of course make it sit lower in the water at the stern. The 20hp would be something like 45 kilos

Remeber also you'll have a battery with elect start, and you might want to locate that forward (fuel tank too) to balance things up a bit

It's quite a powerful engine for that boat but will be ok if you are careful. And you really should fit a killcord with that kind of set up. 35-40hp would be more suited

20hp is a bit underpowered, so I can see why you want to get something more powerful!
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

hmm maybe a 50hp is pushing it a bit... may consider like you said a 35-40hp. 20hp deffo underpowered, hence the reason for an upgrade lol.
Anyone know any good places/websites to purchase a used engine other than ebay?
Thanks
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Hi Sam,

Oooh, I know a little about this subject!

Had a Fletcher Arrowsprint (12'6") some years ago (see pic!). This was fitted with Mercury 50hp Brown Band electric start. Had great fun in it! It was quick with the 50hp. However the boat is actually only rated to 40hp... but my Fletcher had the 50hp from new. The important bit is can the transom take the weight and power, which it could no problem. My Fletcher was circa 1988 and certainly after more than a decade of use it was still like new . Personally I would avoid an old Johnson... a Mercury is the one to go for if you can't find a Yamaha.. Plenty of Mercury parts available always, which sometimes is not the case with a Johnson/Evenrude.. but obviously depends on your budget....

n518639107_2134209_7419.jpg


n518639107_2134208_7144.jpg
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Oh, just one more thing, I think I have seen the outboard you have been looking at on ebay and unless the transom design is different to the Fletcher I had, you need a short-shaft outboard, not long-shaft)

The unfortunate thing is, second hand short shaft outboards seem to be quite reclusive...
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Nice pics. 1984-5? That Merc 50 is the 4 cyl. Lovely engine, but quite heavy, and heavier than the Johnson 50. And it looks like you have the power trim, which adds a bit more weight. So if yours was ok with that Merc engine, Sam's ought to be ok with the Johnson, at least weight-wise

Sam, as said on the other post check if you need short or long shaft. Measure the height of transom from the top edge of transom (where motor hangs) down to the keel. 15inch is short shaft, 20inch is long shaft. You must get the right size!
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Deffiantly a short shaft needed, 20hp at the moment is a short shaft and transom is about 15inch. Just currently looking for a 40hp but can't find one... hmm
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

40hp short shaft will be pretty rare. There were lots in the 70s, but since then most boats for that power have been 20inch. Since new sales are mostly longs, so is the 2nd hand market

I was trying to buy a new Yam 40 short last year, October or so, and Yam UK had none in stock except the tiller versions. They told me they had sold precisely TWO of the non-tiller 40hp shorts in 2008, one of which was to Hurric on this forum! So I waited till they got their first containers of 2009s, which contained ONE 40hp non-tiller short shaft, which I bought

With so few sales of them new, the 2nd hand market will contain virtually none.

Sorry to be passing on bad news, just telling you what I've been told! Good luck

PS you can build up the transom to 20inch but is a bit of a bodge and I'm not recommending it. You'd have to get pretty desperate to do it. But technically it's do-able
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

I am a bit of a Mercury nut so take my recommendations for a Merc with that in mind... The boat didn't in fact how PTT, however in the second picture of the outboard was just adjusted in readiness to get the boat out the water with not much depth, which may have confused..

See below closeup of my lovely Mercury 50hp, in my view these engines were some of the best mercury produced for a while, they then went onto produce 3 cylinder clam shell models which IMO were not so strong...;

n518639107_2332777_8277627.jpg
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

My 14 sits very low in the water at the stern in fact i am know not sure if its even a 14! it may well be a 12 I will have to get the tape measure out! either way she flies with a 40 Merc but as I said sits very low a the stern at rest.
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

seems to look like a 50hp maybe too big and it would be best to get a 40hp. jfm is right, a 40hp, short shaft is very hard to locate but I wont stop looking...
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

:-) Lovely pic. I always like that 4 cyl, from the same school of design as their in line sixes. Yes, the different engine angles in the two pics led me to think it had power trim

I'm a mercury nut too. Had a 1974 20hp as a kid (serial # 9037331 one if anyone's still running it) then when I was a teenager my dad bought us a new 90ELPT in 1981, the in line six, which was just drop dead gorgeous. Wonderful sound at 5000rpm too. That was kept in the family 20 years then stupidly I sold it (serial 5777855 if anyone would kindly sell it back to me!) in 2002 I got a 4 cyl 125hp to replace it, which is not as beautiful as the in line six, and I don't even know its serial cos I don't really like it :-). Since then I have kinda come round to thinking Merc aren't, in some hp categories, the clear leaders any more. I recently got a Yam40 EFI (short) with power trim, and while I've only put one hour on its clock it seems a fine machine, and Mercury didn't have anything to compete so I had no choice but to get a Yam
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

[ QUOTE ]
:-) Lovely pic. I always like that 4 cyl, from the same school of design as their in line sixes. Yes, the different engine angles in the two pics led me to think it had power trim

I'm a mercury nut too. Had a 1974 20hp as a kid (serial # 9037331 one if anyone's still running it) then when I was a teenager my dad bought us a new 90ELPT in 1981, the in line six, which was just drop dead gorgeous. Wonderful sound at 5000rpm too. That was kept in the family 20 years then stupidly I sold it (serial 5777855 if anyone would kindly sell it back to me!) in 2002 I got a 4 cyl 125hp to replace it, which is not as beautiful as the in line six, and I don't even know its serial cos I don't really like it :-). Since then I have kinda come round to thinking Merc aren't, in some hp categories, the clear leaders any more. I recently got a Yam40 EFI (short) with power trim, and while I've only put one hour on its clock it seems a fine machine, and Mercury didn't have anything to compete so I had no choice but to get a Yam

[/ QUOTE ]

JFM - You're an outboard geek!
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Oooh (geekiness continued). Lovely. Same block as the in line 6, just 4 cyls instead of 6. That's a 1982 model I think (yes?) I'd need to see a different bit to be sure, as it could be an 81, but I think it's an 82
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

[ QUOTE ]
Oooh (geekiness continued). Lovely.

[/ QUOTE ]

You got it!

I think the second picture will give it away..
n518639107_2134305_4161.jpg



n518639107_2134315_8753.jpg



sad geek yes, but at least geeky with interesting stuff! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

J
 
Re: 12\' Fletcher Engine Decision

Yup, second picture is what I needed. It's an 82 :-)

I'll post some pics of mine later if I can find a few - I dont have them on this PC
 
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