Outboards

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angelsson

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Am changing my outboard, it runs in fits and starts, despite spending time doing all the usual stuff, plug carb fuel feed etc
I have a 6/7 ft inlatable, any ideas on a replcement, and what size based on use an experience if possible, any ideas where a good second hand may be purchased.
Thanks
Mike
 
tohatsu 3.5 is very good. light powerfull. 360 degree steering forward and neutral. not too expensive either. you don't know what you might be buying with a small second hand outboard, pluss people usually want a few hundred quid for them. you might as well spend the extra hundred and know its right.
 
With an inflatable that small you only need a small engine. 2hp will push it around quite happily but exactly what is the boat. You won't anything that will overpower it or that is the slightest bit heavy. Most inflatable manufacturers recommend a maximum size engine.

Buying second hand might just be buying the same troubles all over again. You could be better off getting the present one sorted out.
 
Thanks guys, as expected good common sense answers, think I will take advice and buy new.
Good luck
Mike
 
Honda 2hp is air cooled which is brilliant - not having to worry about pumping water and replacing impellers. Downside is they leak when you stick them in the car if you haven't burned all the fuel in the carb...
 
Tohatsu 3.5 if you had a rigid floor or airdeck that might plane one up, otherwise the 2.5 will do.

Avoid the Honda like the plague. They are noisy, hard to start, set off without you, complex and therefore expensive. Let me explain:

Noisy - they are air cooled, no water jacket to dull the incessant whirring of all the valve gear.

Hard to start - the cord is geared down because of the valve gear, plus a long pull of the cord might only turn a 4-stroke through 1 full cycle, whereas a 2-stroke is far easier to pull, with 1 pull spinning the engine through several firing strokes. Several have commented here how wives, children etc. find difficulty with starting a 4-stroke.

Set of without you - with a simple centrifugal clutch, when you start the engine with a few revs on, off you go. If the engine ever becomes hard starting and needs a few revs to coax into life and keep running, you will have fun and games trying to keep it tethered down.

Complex - more to go wrong, harder to fix, costly to make. The cost of oil changes is at least as much as the cost of using 2-stroke oil. At least 2-stroke oil doesn't end up leaking all over your ropes and fenders, or the boot of your car if the engine falls over whilst in storage. And they weigh more hp for hp.

Buy one quick before they are banned. As said elswhere, buy used and risk buying a problem. I would probably try and fix my own before getting a used one (in fact i did). New ones cost under £400 and with minimum attention will last 20 years - that's £20 / year.

My Johnson 3.3hp cost £299, is 16 years old and has had 1 set of plugs (it has 2 cylinders) and the head off to re-seal it as there was a slight leak.
 
Ditto coments on the Honda - it's a pig of an engine. Managed to flog mine to an unsuspecting Frenchman (tee hee). Bought a Yamaha 4hp 2-stroke instead. Twice the power for only a tad more weight.
 
I would find a friendly o/bd engineer or get a workshop manual for it.

If replace ? Then I would do as I did 6yr ago ... buy a s/hand Mariner 3 from a dealer .... cost me £160 and has been as good as gold ... only maintenance was to have local guy blow out the waterways couple of year back.

Pushes my Avon Redstart a good-un.
 
I will add another vote for the 2.5/3.3/3.5 Tohatsu/Mariner/Merc unit

Just get the best deal you can on any one of the above

Basicaly the same engine but the 3+ hp is about 1 kg heavier and has f/n gearbox - it may be slighly more power than you really need but if you get a bigger tender .....

yamaha 2st 2hp is a delight and really light to handle but I don't know if it's still available - some t'leaf nicked mine it was so easy to handle /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

suzuki have some excellent little motors at that size too.

walk into a chandler / engine shop and you may well find one on offer at this time of year where someone's bought it and changed their mind quickly........happens.
 
Only work of caution I'd add to the Mariner 3.3 is that the plastic gearshift is vulnerable to heavy handling.
I always lay mine in the car boot with gearshift handle upwards now after it broke when I went over a speed hump too fast (gearshift down)
Otherwise a v.satisfied customer.
 
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