AngusMcDoon
Well-Known Member
I agree with all of that.
Honda 2.3
- Thread starter sailaboutvic
- Start date
I agree with all of that.
fredrussell
Well-Known Member
Yep, the Honda is a deeply flawed unit, but for me, it has two features that knock all of the competition out of the park: it’s aircooled and it has a centrifugal clutch.
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
I'd like a very small outboard for an old Avon I bought this year. A two-stroke might be ideal, but their diminishing numbers and whopping prices make me look at modern equivalents too.
Given that the Honda is fine in concept but flawed in components, I'm surprised that it seems to be a default choice. I haven't heard good things about the Suzuki 2hp either, but I didn't (yet) hear anything negative about the baby Tohatsu or Mercury...are these less popular because they're heavier?
Given that the Honda is fine in concept but flawed in components, I'm surprised that it seems to be a default choice. I haven't heard good things about the Suzuki 2hp either, but I didn't (yet) hear anything negative about the baby Tohatsu or Mercury...are these less popular because they're heavier?
steve66
Well-Known Member
Tohatsu, Mercury Yamaha all weigh the same and ae heavier than the Honda and Suzuki.Also all of the above except the Honda are watercooled so that also brings the added problem.of blocked water galleries. I had a short lived stint with Suzuki 2.5 fourstrokes. I found they had major issues that were costly to repair. Soft clutch dogs, and brittle plastic oil pump drives . If you have one from new and look after it well they are very good engines. Buying second-hand is a minefield.
Honda actually build a much better, lighter small engine. It's a fully sealed OHC 4 stroke engine that is used in model aircraft. If they increased the size of it and mounted it on an outboard, it would be and absolute world beater.
Honda actually build a much better, lighter small engine. It's a fully sealed OHC 4 stroke engine that is used in model aircraft. If they increased the size of it and mounted it on an outboard, it would be and absolute world beater.
sailaboutvic
Well-Known Member
Suggestion, as your is still new , replace the four bolts that holds the power head to the plastic cover with SS Bolts.
steve66
Well-Known Member
...Or buy one from me.....rocker covers checked....any rust whatsoever and it will have been replaced, stainless bolt replacements fitted....New carburettor fully serviced and with a six months full warranty
RichardS
N/A
Rum Run
Well-Known Member
S***ull Featherweight
With biodegradeable oil of course
ghostlymoron
Well-Known Member
I was going to suggest that ...... But didn't like to risk it!
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Nice assorted range of assistance there, I guess I asked for that.
If any of the big names specified components without cutting corners, and put into production a baby outboard that's genuinely as good as this clever age can create, wouldn't the electronic yachtsman's rapid and far-reaching word-of-mouth make that design a renowned, profitable success, reflecting on the company? All we seem to hear these days is how far short of satisfactory they fall.
As Steve says, timely and careful maintenance may be critical, especially with today's clever kit...and no manufacturer builds an engine for the second, third or tenth owner, so if somebody along the way neglects it, it can't be blamed...although I bet plenty of owners who bought new, and were careful never to skip service recommendations, are the most infuriated when a motor fails.
Is it possible that robustly (durably) marinising and miniaturising a 4-stroke engine, is simply beyond the current manufacturers?
Through a fog of ignorance about how engines work, I was thinking that if a maker aimed to achieve no groundbreaking claims to fuel efficiency, refinement or silence, and built a tender-engine literally big enough not to need components in vulnerable microscopic sizes, and accepted that it would not be impressive in horsepower per pound, nor win any inspired design awards...
...that might be a fine bit of rock-solid engineering, to last decades in a hostile environment (like the old 2-strokes), rather than a another shiny plastic lightweight which busts your wallet in the first year, then itself, the next.
This tempts me, somewhat...
If any of the big names specified components without cutting corners, and put into production a baby outboard that's genuinely as good as this clever age can create, wouldn't the electronic yachtsman's rapid and far-reaching word-of-mouth make that design a renowned, profitable success, reflecting on the company? All we seem to hear these days is how far short of satisfactory they fall.
As Steve says, timely and careful maintenance may be critical, especially with today's clever kit...and no manufacturer builds an engine for the second, third or tenth owner, so if somebody along the way neglects it, it can't be blamed...although I bet plenty of owners who bought new, and were careful never to skip service recommendations, are the most infuriated when a motor fails.
Is it possible that robustly (durably) marinising and miniaturising a 4-stroke engine, is simply beyond the current manufacturers?
Through a fog of ignorance about how engines work, I was thinking that if a maker aimed to achieve no groundbreaking claims to fuel efficiency, refinement or silence, and built a tender-engine literally big enough not to need components in vulnerable microscopic sizes, and accepted that it would not be impressive in horsepower per pound, nor win any inspired design awards...
...that might be a fine bit of rock-solid engineering, to last decades in a hostile environment (like the old 2-strokes), rather than a another shiny plastic lightweight which busts your wallet in the first year, then itself, the next.
This tempts me, somewhat...
steve66
Well-Known Member
No ....I have only ever needed to replace two and that was due to the engine low on oil,.overheating and melting it
RichardS
N/A
Good grief .... I thought you were joking about a plastic camshaft in the Honda engine .... but you obviously weren't, so I've done some online research to see if any engine I have ever owned has enjoyed a plastic camshaft and it seems that Briggs and Stratton, Tecumseh as well as Honda, use them in their lawnmowers. As I have a couple of mowers with these engines it seems that I might already have a plastic camshaft or two.
I've had no related problems with mine but the online stories of plastic camshaft failures don't fill me with confidence. :ambivalence:
Richard
gordmac
Well-Known Member
A Honda is 2 odd HP, a person isn't!
eddystone
Well-Known Member
Your body obviously has double my power to weight ratioI manage it & I'm only a 9 stone weakling
.
It’s the lifting from the dinghy to pushpit and back and carrying long distance over causeway at low tide that kills me. I hope to revive my 10kilo Mariner soon so I don’t have to bother with 13k Honda behemoth
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Good lord, I wasn't going to to turn the handle manually. That'd be as bad as rowing. I was going to attach the Black & Decker.
Seriously, is it only the lightest 2hp engines that suffer particularly with reliability issues, which can be blamed on the miniature scale of their fuel-feed/cooling systems...and if so, can one be more sure of getting a good baby outboard by buying a heavier example?
steve66
Well-Known Member
Not sure what 2hp engines with reliability issues you are talking about....If it's the Chinese engines it's due to poor build and parts materials
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
Okay, I had the wrong end of the thread...and other threads about the Honda 2.3. I thought that through clever design, the Honda had knocked a full five kilos off the weight of, e.g. the Tohatsu 2.5 (18.5kg), but that this advantage brings issues that the heavier units don't suffer from.
steve66
Well-Known Member
Dan...don't quite know what you mean. The Honda is lighter due to different manufacturing techniques...ie no cylinder liner....valve seats...plastic camshaft no cylinder head etc and with no water pump means smaller engine blocks.These differences compared to the heavier engines do not mean reliability issues, actually quite the opposite. No blocked water galleries to worry about.
Greenheart
Well-Known Member
That's alright Steve, I don't know what I mean either. But your descriptions are very encouraging. :encouragement:
