4 Stroke Boat Motor

[AlK]

I am in the market for a new 4 stroke auxilary motor ( 9. 9 hp) for my boat. In our area what is readily available are Mercury, Evinrude, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Nissan. I know that the 4 strokes (9. 9 hp) are approximately 30 to 40 lbs. heavier than the 2 stroke - when trailering the boat I always take the kicker off and 110 lbs is a fair amount of weight. However, the "Lady Of The House" wants an engine that is quiet and emits very little smoke. I fish mainly in the saltchuck off Vancouver Island. So any kind of information that you have on these motors, both good and bad, would be appreciated.
---
Al

 

[Ed Sigman]

Hello,

I have a 4 HP Yamaha 4 stroke. Bought it brand new last year. I use it on a Hyde drift boat for lake fishing. It is an excellent engine, one pull start, no oil in the fuel, and is quite powerfull for it's size. I do not think you can go wrong with a 4 stroke. I recommend the Yamaha. Excellent engines for both salt and fresh water. Have owned a 250 HP when I lived on the East Coast.

Regards,

Ed

------------------
2001. 5 3500, H. O. , 6 speed, 4. 10, ISSPRO Pyro and Boost gauges, K & N air filter, VA, BD exhaust, Bosch 275 injectors, PS boost module and elbow. Tow 14k lb. 5er. Semper Fi.

 

[RonaldLarson]

FYI, OMC is out of business, and so any left over Johnson/Evinrude engines are sold as/is, no warranty. None!. Bombardier has purchased the assets and is honoring no engine warranties after year 2000 build dates.
My choice and recommendation would be either the Honda or Yamaha four strokes. Honda power is hard to beat.
Sad, but true, even the best outboards ever built had to die an agonizing death.
Ron

 

[KBlanchard]

I have a 130hp Honda, went trawling for shrimp for 8 hours at 1500 rpm and only used 8 gallons of gas. It's quiet enough to talk without yelling. Some guys ask me at the dock, "how does it run?" I tell them it's running now and they have to look for the water discharge to believe me. I was told to run 87 octane gas, which is cheaper. Don't have to mix oil in gas, which saves money. Down sides are the motor costs more to purchase, and the extra weight of the 4 stroke. Most people ask me why do I have such a noisy truck and such a quiet boat.

This is the type boat I have http://www.baystealth.com/bay1880old.jpg

------------------
98. 5 Dodge 2500, 24 valve, emerald green, Quad cab, 4. 10 anti-spin, Auto, leather, K&N, silencer ring removed, 3" straight piped
Line-X bed liner, Leer hard tonneau cover, Dodge running boards

 

[JohnE]

I had a 9. 9 Honda long shaft kicker on my Catalina Sailboat. Extremely quiet engine and it would go all day on a tank. (Why does the wind always die when you're in the middle of the Sound?) I didn't think it was that much heavier than a oil blower. It always started on one or two pulls. I have never been able to say that on a 2 stroke, especially after it sat and the fuel varnished.

My 2 reale (bits)
John

 

[WOWZY]

As far as the 4-strokes go I like the power of the 5. 7L and the 7. 4L #ad

 

[AlK]

Thank you everyone for your comments.
---
Al

 

[Alan Reagan]

I'll second a Yamaha, too. Got a 100 horse Yamaha. Love it. No smoke and quiet. Honda's a great engine, also. There just wasn't a dealer in my area so I went with Yamaha. Powerful and fuel efficient. No problems with it either.

 

[xplorer]

Get a Yamaha. Period. By the way, the engines in the Mercurys (4-strokes) are made by Yamaha.

------------------
1999 QC 4x4, Pac brake, DC nerf bars, K&N filter, trailer brake, Manik cow catcher, boost & EGT, RS9000's