Changing petrol outboard for electric on tender?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User YDKXO
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Ha! Depends who you ask. The reality though is yours was probably the bad apple in the barrel. If you didn't like the merc, then I believe the Tohatsu and Evinrude/Johnson are also out. Which leaves you Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha out of the big names. I've heard Yamaha customer services are superior (though I hear their 15 has / had automatic choke issues) but I'd probably go Honda.... just because .... it's a Honda and I've never had any problems with any of their engines, ever.
 
I also don’t use my Torqeedo for water sport. I’m happy with a four knot max, I’m also happy with not having to store petrol on board or if I don’t use it for months wondering if today’s crappy fuel has gummed up my carb.
A Torqeedo is an expensive item but if you want more that two hp then electric becomes ridiculously expensive. Also they use very clever arithmetic to compare performance with petrol powered horses.
But all in all I am very happy. Where me and Mike differ is that my small boat has a small lightweight aluminum RIB and I don’t know if Mike’s tender is proportionate to his very big boat.
So, the person you need to speak to is Piers, he has a big boat and a Torqeedo
 
Deleted User said:
When I bought the Mercury I thought I was buying a reliable engine. Let me turn the question around. Which 15hp motors have the best reputation for reliability?
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Both Honda and Yamaha 15's have a good reputation for reliability.
Of course, you could be cursed, and get another "bad apple".
 
Yep, you definitely have a Friday afternoon outboard Mike, or maybe the previous owner checked if it floated, as flooded engines always seem to have residual gremlins. Most modern units from all the mainstream manufacturers are extremely reliable and will take lots of abuse.
 
So if convenience and reliability are the priorities, and price is not a primary factor, would two of the smaller Torquedos be a possibility.
Could you run both for more power, like a twin engined RIB does. And gives fail safe of twin engines, and ability to pootle very long distances on one motor consecutively if had to.
Just a lateral thought.
 
Nick_H said:
Yep, you definitely have a Friday afternoon outboard Mike, or maybe the previous owner checked if it floated, as flooded engines always seem to have residual gremlins. Most modern units from all the mainstream manufacturers are extremely reliable and will take lots of abuse.
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Hi Nick, I've owned it from new in 2010 and I can definitely say that it hasnt been for a swim! Maybe it is a Friday afternoon unit but I have to say that for 2 or 3 yrs it worked OK but recently I've experienced lots of issues with failing to start and poor running despite regular servicing. I just dont want another season of pain with it
 
dunedin said:
So if convenience and reliability are the priorities, and price is not a primary factor, would two of the smaller Torquedos be a possibility.
Could you run both for more power, like a twin engined RIB does. And gives fail safe of twin engines, and ability to pootle very long distances on one motor consecutively if had to.
Just a lateral thought.
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Dont think so. Because of the size of the battery I'm only going to have one on board so 2 Torqueedos will not increase the range. In fact probably the opposite. Simplicity, reliability and easy starting is what I want
 
mentioned earlier but an older gen 2 stroke is pretty much bullet proof. I have dropped mine in the sea on more than one occasion when misjudging a swell while transferring from tender to swim platform bracket. Undo the drain screw on the carb, undo spark plugs, pull vigourously for a short period and go on holiday with ACF50 or another water dispersant such as WD40. Put plugs back in, prime carb (thats a good 2 minutes pulling the starter cord unfortunately) put in the killcord and she will fire up first go, smoke like a dog for a minute and then be right as rain. She hardly ever gets a service and I've been rather negligent of it hoping it would break and force me to buy something a little lighter and safer to get onto a pitching swim platform. But it soldiers on and earned a grudging respect. 1985 Evinrude 2 stroke 8hp. And when it comes to dingy racing she still shows a clean pair of heels to the latest 4 strokes in the 6-10 hp range. Go figure. Only downside is idle is not her strong point.
 
Bouba said:
Where me and Mike differ is that my small boat has a small lightweight aluminum RIB and I don’t know if Mike’s tender is proportionate to his very big boat.
So, the person you need to speak to is Piers, he has a big boat and a Torqeedo
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I deliberately bought a fairly light weight RIB mainly because its usually me that has to drag it up the beach!. Thanks for the heads up on Piers
 
Bouba said:
Where me and Mike differ is that my small boat has a small lightweight aluminum RIB and I don’t know if Mike’s tender is proportionate to his very big boat.
So, the person you need to speak to is Piers, he has a big boat and a Torqeedo
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I deliberately bought a fairly light weight RIB mainly because its usually me that has to drag it up the beach!. Thanks for the heads up on Piers
 
Deleted User said:
Simplicity, reliability and easy starting is what I want
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'scuse me if I insist, but what you are asking is precisely what old 2 stroke carburated outboards used to deliver, day in, day out.
Just to put what I'm saying in perspective, the Merc 10hp I previously mentioned is what I found on the DP tender.
It's an engine I knew nothing about before using it for a short while last summer, but suffice to say that I already got an offer at a pretty decent price from a Venetian folk who wanted it for his workboat.
According to him (and also to other locals I spoke with), a more reliable o/b of similar power/weight has yet to be invented.
Btw, coming to think of it, I believe that there was also a 15hp version of the same block.
It's all discontinued stuff, though. So, if you don't fancy looking for a used one, that's not an option...
 
Indeed. To cap off my last post I took this vid immediately after the last dunking right after cleaning the carb and bores out. I had started it but had not run it to temp, only a few seconds before fetching the camera. As witnessed by the smoking exhaust


(ignore date stamp. That was when it was uploaded)
 
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MapisM said:
'scuse me if I insist, but what you are asking is precisely what old 2 stroke carburated outboard
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Except that old 2 strokes are not simplicity because you're pissing about with oil as well as petrol and in my previous boating experience, 2 strokes can be just as much of a pig to start as any 4 stroke
 
;) ;) I'm beginning to suspect Mike, that it may not be the engine that's at fault here (tongue firmly in cheek)
 
BruceK said:
;) ;) I'm beginning to suspect Mike, that it may not be the engine that's at fault here (tongue firmly in cheek)
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You could be right! Me and outboard engines have never had a loving relationship:D
 
Well M, I'm not daring to suggest that BruceK is right (:p :D), but we obviously made very different experiences.
The Rhino Rider tender of the old lady (an attempt made by Merc to build something half way between a RIB and a jetsky - awful in more ways than one, but with a good o/b) had a 25hp with electric starter, but I didn't even fit the battery, 'cause it easily started with the cord - go figure!
It's true that you must keep an oil bottle onboard and put some in the tank when refilling, though.
A very minor hassle 'fiuaskme, but each to their own on that. :encouragement:
 
Can I ask, are you one that subscribes to running the carb dry after use? If so, try not doing that unless you are winterising or planning a long period of disuse. Priming a carb via a pull starter is always going to be hard starting.
 
Yes, asking Mike. It's just something I have noted amongst the smaller sailboats who drain because they store their ob in the aft berth lying down. They subsequently all seem to sit for 15 minutes in the tender once the hook is out trying to start it. (this after half an hour trying to inflate the tender on limited deck space. You have to feel sorry for them sometimes :p
 
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