New outboard/low power - is the dealer telling porkies ?

[VicS]

Quickly scanning down this thread I see a lot of waffle and bullshit about standard shafts, short shafts and long shafts but no signs that anyone has bothered to visit Suzuki's website to look up any real facts.

Apologies to any one who has, i missed it!

There are two versions of Suzuki's 6hp 4stroke engine a "Standard shaft" model and a "Long shaft" model, designated DF6S and DF6L respectively. The specs give the shaft lengths as 15" (381mm) and 20" ( 508mm)

Those dimensions refer to the height of the transom top above the water line for which the engine is designed. In reality that will put the cavitation plate about 2 " or thereabouts under water.

So if you measure the height of your transom top above water you will be able to determine whether you should be using a standard or long shaft model. (I will be very surprised if you need a long shaft)
The model number on the engine identification plate should identify which model you have but you can measure from the under side of the clamp bracket (ie the transom top) to a point a couple or inches or thereabouts above the cavitation plate. If that is about about 15" it's a standard shaft model, if it is about 20" it's a long shaft model.

The website also gives the range of propeller pitches available as 6"-7". For planing you will almost certainly need the finest pitch available.

I assume the dinghy is the Suzumar 265IB. There is no suggestion on the website that it will plane with any of the engines offered in the package!

If its planing you wanted you should have chosen a 2.7/2.8m RIB and an 8hp engine but i guess you wanted a tender that will fold away compactly.

FWIW the only engine I actually know with a shaft length less than 15" is the Seagull Forty Featherweight and is therefore the only one which can truly be described as "short shaft". It wont get a tea-tray to plane though never mind a 2.7m inflatable.

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
I see a lot of waffle and bullshit about standard shafts, short shafts and long shafts but no signs that anyone has bothered to visit Suzuki's website to look up any real facts.

Apologies to any one who has, i missed it!



[/ QUOTE ] I accept your apology and assume you missed the direct link I included to the Suzuki website page for that model.

 

[No Regrets]

Hear Hear!

Wire brush every time! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[affinite]

Im pretty sure the engine is a standard aka short shaft but it seems to sit a little lower than Id like for optimum performance.
I bought the outfit as a package and I specifically asked the dealer if it would plane with 2 up. Dont have room to store a RIB so went for airdeck which incidently does have an inflatable keel. The 2 passengers in question ie me and the wife were stood in front of him at the time so no excuses for not knowing the weight (bye the way combined weight of the in question is about 21 stone)

Not had many responses to the original question re engine loosening up over breakin period though ... Plenty about rodding carb jets tho

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
I accept your apology

[/ QUOTE ] Sorry I did miss it, but I did look at the other one.

I have seen that before but I find the diagram rather misleading. It indicates that the "shaft length" is the measurement from the underside of the transom bracket to the underside of the cavitation plate, but if they had taken the trouble to show the dimension marked on the Johnson and Evinrude engines pictured it would show that the 15", 20" or 25 " would have come to a point about between 2" and 3 " above the cavitation plate!

(As you know I've got an Evinrude)

 

[whisper]

Can't stress enough the importance of weight distribution. Most of it has to be towards the bow.
FWIW I had a 3m inflatable with a solid floor and both 4 and a 6hp 2st Johnsons at the time. The latter was bought primarily to be the aux.engine for the main boat.
The 4 struggled to get on the plane with just me on board.
The 6 would plane easily with just me and just manage it with 2 up.

 

[Chalker]

I have an old Avon 2.8m RIB with a newish 8HP Tohatsu 4 stroke. Unless we put our combined weight (24 stone) well forward (not just midships on the seat, but lean forward as well) to bring the bow down I cannot get on the plane. Get the weight forward and bow down and she gets on the plane fairly easily, then sit back more comfortably midships.
Now if I get the 10HP carb jet into my 8HP engine.....apparantly that is the difference between the engines - according to Tohatsu!

 

[Anonymous]

I've had a good look at the carb on my 2005 Suzuki 6hp 4 stroke and the throttle stop is part of the die casting. Also, the throttle actuator would not open beyond the present maximum position because of the angles involved. You would need to file away the throttle stop and re-arrange the throttle actuator or bowden. Even then it might not do anything - I have not looked inside the carb to see what would happen if you turned it further. I suspect that you would need to change the main jet, not the throttle.

I think that the 4hp is the same as the 6hp, basically, so it might be easy to upgrade from 4 to 6 but maybe not from 6 upwards?