Could I start a appraisal on outboard engines please.

cagey

cagey

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I need a new outboard to replace current o/b. My requirements are to replace my existing o/b but it is rather knackered, the spec on my existing kit is spot on for me but it is 10 years plus and maybe the market has changed.
l’ve got Mariner 15 with electric start and remote controls, maybe new remotes as well they are even worse knackered. I want new, don't want to mess around correcting someone else’s mistakes, needless to say money is tight but my arthritis won’t struggle with a pull start.
Automatically I think replace my old motor with same but although it was a nice motor when it started to fail it did rapidly.
Thanks for any help.
Keith
 
Just wondering why at 10yrs + the O/B is knackered ? 10yrs is nothing for an outboard ....

I have 6 O/B's and none are less than 10yrs old ... in fact my main two O/B's are more like 25yrs + and still going strong.

Honestly - I am not trying to be rude or disbelieve you - but have you looked to see why your O'B is so bad at 10yrs .. and the remotes ?
 
I had a Yamaha 9.9hp on last boat. Never missed a beat, smooth and economical. I think I’m right in saying it is the same engine as Mariner 9.9 / 15hp so I’m surprised to hear yours has died. Anyway, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Yamaha.
 
Given the price of a replacement maybe having the current one serviced might be an option initially if money is tight. If that doesn’t improve it maybe then trade it with the dealer who repairs them? Clearly as the OP is in Cornwall just need a local forumites here . I bought a Yamaha when time came to replace my outboard and once located far easier then the previous 2 stroke it replaced. I guess the thing to look at is quality of fittings on any model and reports of issues by putting in name to search function.
 
iirc, mariner outboards are part of the Brunswick group and are pretty much Mercury made, apart from the smaller models which are rebadged Tohatsu. It's been a long time since their tie in with Yamaha.
I personally would go for a major service and adjustment for an engine under 15years old before replacing it. Unless it was a bombardier group like Johnson, then it's a lost cause fit only to be a mud anchor.
New outboards that are are remote not tiller controlled have new controls supplied as standard, but not control cables, as the length is dependant on your boat. TBH, if your controls aren't working well, it's more likely to be your cables than controls.
Amongst the long list of USA or Japanese engines i've owned, I now only have 3 Yamaha outboards, 4hp, 40hp and 70hp, and the only issues I have had with Yamaha have been either self inflicted or user error. Thumbs up to Yamaha.
 
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fredrussell said:
I had a Yamaha 9.9hp on last boat. Never missed a beat, smooth and economical. I think I’m right in saying it is the same engine as Mariner 9.9 / 15hp so I’m surprised to hear yours has died. Anyway, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Yamaha.
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Yes I had an 9.9hp Evinrude which was a detuned 15hp Wish I still had it.
 
Caraway said:
That was a Johnson/Evinrude. Dellquay13 seems unimpressed ?
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I have a Johnson 3HP start and go that shoves my 16ft weekender along excellently. I also have a Johnson 5 with gears ... that is ancient and still pushes anything I put it on .. but the throttle grip has worn out - so I drilled hole in front panel - led a stiff wire in and now have a pull wire to set throttle.
 
Except for the primary and secondary jets and a large price difference, the 9.9hp and 15hp Yamaha outboards are identical. The reason is that in the USA you need some sort of license to drive anything over 10hp.
A set of jets for the 15hp cost me less than $10 and dem thieving bastids in the Crabby-Ian thought I had a 9.9hp. ;)
 
Caraway said:
That was a Johnson/Evinrude. Dellquay13 seems unimpressed ?
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the elderly evinrude 4hp was ok but basic for a 70s outboard. the Johnson 3.5hp (really a tohatsu 3.3hp) was ok, but because it wasn't a Johnson. I replaced an Evinrude VRO 40hp when the VRO failed with a new 2005 Johnson 50hp VRO (same engine retuned and rebadged) which promptly started falling apart within a year. Countless nylon carb covers warped, the VRO failed again, and when the power trim pump failed a week after the warranty ended, the dealer said the part had been discontinued, i had to buy a pattern part from a US reseller. As soon as it was running again, I sold it off and replaced it with a Yamaha 70hp, which has never missed a beat.
At the time all the bombardier effort was obviously going into evinrude e-tech, and closing the UK distribution.
again, fit for mud weights alone.
 
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Talking about my old Tohatsu 3.5 with the people who serviced it for me, they said that it's worth spending almost any amount to keep it going, because you can't get 2T motors any more. Having had the 2T stolen and having replaced it with a 4T, while the 4T is more economical and easier to start, If the OP's motor is a 2T, I reckon the same applies, because it's so much lighter than the equivalent 4T.
 
SpiderMoobs said:
Except for the primary and secondary jets and a large price difference, the 9.9hp and 15hp Yamaha outboards are identical. The reason is that in the USA you need some sort of license to drive anything over 10hp.
A set of jets for the 15hp cost me less than $10 and dem thieving bastids in the Crabby-Ian thought I had a 9.9hp. ;)
Click to expand...

Quite a number of the small O/B's are actually de-rated .... change jets and away you go.
 
Dellquay13 said:
the elderly evinrude 4hp was ok but basic for a 70s outboard. the Johnson 3.5hp (really a tohatsu 3.3hp) was ok, but because it wasn't a Johnson. I replaced an Evinrude VRO 40hp when the VRO failed with a new 2005 Johnson 50hp VRO (same engine retuned and rebadged) which promptly started falling apart within a year. Countless nylon carb covers warped, the VRO failed again, and when the power trim pump failed a week after the warranty ended, the dealer said the part had been discontinued, i had to buy a pattern part from a US reseller. As soon as it was running again, I sold it off and replaced it with a Yamaha 70hp, which has never missed a beat.
At the time all the bombardier effort was obviously going into evinrude e-tech, and closing the UK distribution.
again, fit for mud weights alone.
Click to expand...
I had a 70HP Johnson which over-mixed the oil at low revs. I disconnected the dosing equipment and used pre-mixed fuel. Ran well after that.
I had a 4HP Evinrude which started and ran fine but was the smelliest, fumey thing I have ever run (apart from my Chinese hedge trimmer).
 
Caraway said:
I had a 70HP Johnson which over-mixed the oil at low revs. I disconnected the dosing equipment and used pre-mixed fuel. Ran well after that.
I had a 4HP Evinrude which started and ran fine but was the smelliest, fumey thing I have ever run (apart from my Chinese hedge trimmer).
Click to expand...
on both my VRO motors I ended up taking the oil mixers off and running premixed too. It was the failure of head gaskets and constant warping of replacement carb covers within the warranty period that convinced me that the Johnson was just badly made from poor quality components
 
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