Boat motors

[romad]

I have a 1988 17 foot Blue fin with a 50 hp Force....Engine runs great, boat great shape, paid 1800 bucks with a Galvanized 14 inch wheel trailer.....problem just not enough power to pull or run up and down with 4 or more aboard.

Idea replace motor with a newer 4 stroke about 60 80 hp but ....HOLY SH## it cost what? So back to the 2 strokes......but again any decent motor no matter the age cost more than the boat. I found you can buy whole packages for less than you can buy single engines. what is the deal...how in Gods name can a decent engine cost more than a mid sizes car. Basically when you decide to buy a boat ...you buy the motor and get the boat free.

Sorry just venting

[Rot 911]

Yep, you figured it out. The boat is worth nothing. New motors cost approximately $100 per hp. You will be better off selling what you have and buying a bigger used boat.

Not often you find a decent used motor for sale.

[tevake]

^^^^ Funny, I was going to say sniff around, you might find some good two strokes available. Some folks have replaced good two strokes for four strokes to meet emission requirements and for ease of fueling/ servicing.
Newer two strokes with oil injection run pretty clean and are easy to fuel and oil. Plus they are much lighter than a similar powered four stroke engines.

Cheers Richard

[911SauCy]

Get the boat cleaned up.

Sell it for what you paid or better...

Buy porsh parts :P

[ckelly78z]

You can go with a different pitch prop for more acceleration and power to come up on plane, and a hydrofoil fin to help with the planing also.

Both items should cost about $300 together and make a big difference without needing a new motor.

[Nostril Cheese]

I once worked on an Atomic 4. I will NEVER work on a boat again.

[romad]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

You can go with a different pitch prop for more acceleration and power to come up on plane, and a hydrofoil fin to help with the planing also.

Both items should cost about $300 together and make a big difference without needing a new motor.

Climb(fine) or cruise prop(course)? sorry old aviation guy.
Any way that is the problem, old girl just wont get on the plane with 3 adults..... so much so I been wondering it these fixes would even work.

I'm alway thinking about the P parts or getting back into racing, but you can't fish off a 944. Dipping the boat into a lake after work is just something I'm not given up.

[romad]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

I once worked on an Atomic 4. I will NEVER work on a boat again.

I been considering rebuilding my own, but a outboard boat motor is one type of engine I have yet to do any major work on....is it that bad?

[Nostril Cheese]

I'm just not a boat person. Had an ex who owned a boat. The reward of owning such a thing does not equal the amount of time invested into it, as far as im concerned.

This was an inboard, btw. In the Pacific Ocean. I'll stick to cars and motorcycles.

[johnsjmc]

I went thru repowering a boat I had in Florida. I found a steal of a deal on a 2007 175 hp suzuki 4stroke from a daily rental(high hours but still some remaining warranty. ) After rerigging my existing boat I had an engine too heavy at/for the rear end. Sold empty hull and bought another hull from ebay . I did this over 2 years and came out OK but would have been easier to sell the whole works and buy another

[romad]

Originally Posted by Nostril Cheese

I'm just not a boat person. Had an ex who owned a boat. The reward of owning such a thing does not equal the amount of tI'me invested into it, as far as I'm concerned.

This was an inboard, btw. In the Pacific Ocean. I'll stick to cars and motorcycles.

I'm not a boat guy either but he small outboards are not the same. anything requiring anchorage and large storage requirement's are pains.

[ckelly78z]

Boat prop pitch is measured in inches assuming there is no slippage. A 20" pitch prop will propel the boat 20" for every revolution while a 17 pitch will push the boat 17". Of course in the water, there is plenty of slippage and efficiency loss, but it gives us a starting point to work with. A higher numbered pitch will make the boat faster at a given RPM, while a lower numbered prop will provide more torque and grunt out of the hole.

Another thing to consider is buying a stainless steel prop for less flex compared to aluminum or the new composites.

[Joe Bob]

First off, the Force outboard is a low end motor. They used to be made by Chrysler, then Brunswick (yes, bowling balls) bought them out. What AMF did for Harley, Brunswick did for the boating industry.

They folded the tent in '99 when the boating industry tanked. 50hp is the minimum you need for a 'runabout'. Forget about getting a single skier up that weighs more than 130lbs. Parts are to hard to get.....since Force went boobs up, that motor is at least 15 years old.

Much like Mariner (a cheapass Mercury)....they just don't have the balls that Yamaha, Real Mercury, Honda, Suzuki has even with a similar rated engine.

100hp is the minimum I would look for....with a tach. I LIKE 2 strokes as they are lighter, cheaper and easier to work on. But due to water and air rules, the crappy gas additives (wet exhaust to quiet the motor), oil and unburned fuel in the water, screaming meany eco wackos, more than a few lakes are banning older or ALL 2 strokes....both OB and PWCs.

A Prop pitch change for low end oomph will cost you top speed and possible over reving at top end w/o keeping an eye on the tachomter.....assuming you HAVE a tach. Low end entry level boats usually are set up conservatively and cheap out on instruments. A Force prop may not be interchangeable with other manufacturers. So the price may be going up on them. A 'Dolfin' bolt on plane enhancer helps.....

Balancing a boat by moving weight forward helps planing. Portable gas tanks, the fat butt friend, the beer cooler, etc.

Once on plane it takes less HP and fuel to maintain the condition. Throttle back and save the engine and gas.

Probably better to sell and start over. Prices fluctuate summer and winter.

[drcoastline]

Boating is and has always been an expensive proposition. Just look at the price of fuel it costs a $1.00 more per gallon just because it's going in your boat fuel tank.

The hull of a boat is the cheap part of the equation. But some are better than others just try and buy a 1960-1970's Whaler or Sea Craft. They go for more than when they were new.

Now that I have said that Package deals are always cheaper than buying individual pieces. How does the saying go? The whole is cheaper than the sum of it's parts? Ever break the pot in your automatic coffee maker?

The good news is you can get a pretty penny for your motor $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 if it runs as you say. You can probably sell the package for $3Kish. Also look around you can find some decent deals on used motors. Especially up in fresh water Michigan.

If you want to pull skiers and carry four people you should be looking at around 100HP motor. The size motors you are looking at are still going to have you under powered (excessive wear) and inefficient fuel economy.

Lastly, amortize the motor you have a 1988 motor it's 15 years old. A $10k motor over 15+ years isn't that bad. I would also go with a Johnson E-tech 2 stroke with 4 stroke technology. Few parts to break, lighter, less maintenance same emissions and fuel economy.

Just my .02

[95avblm3]

Originally Posted by romad

I been considering rebuilding my own, but a outboard boat motor is one type of engine I have yet to do any major work on....is it that bad?

It's all relative... I think outboards are easy to work on... Pull the cover off and you have 360 degree access. Last year, I pulled my boat out of the water to replace a leaking oil pan gasket (2000 Yamaha F115). Fairings, throttle linkage, fuel line and electrical connections aside, it was 6 bolts and an engine hoist to pull the powerhead. Pretty cool, I thought.

This year, just completed annual maintenance on it with the boat in my slip. I pumped the old oil out, then borrowed a neighbors lift to replace the motor bracket anode and change gear oil, both of which I did from my kayak. Total time for all jobs was less than a half-a-day.

To the OP, 2-strokes have a lot of advantages for weight, getting out of the hole, and arguably maintenance but don't discount a 4-stroke. They are quiet, more fuel efficient and less stinky. Compare modern 4-stroke to 2-stroke weights closely. I think the differential is getting smaller.

[Joe Bob]

Originally Posted by drcoastline

Lastly, amortize the motor you have a 1988 motor it's 15 years old. A $10k motor over 15+ years isn't that bad. I would also go with a Johnson E-tech 2 stroke with 4 stroke technology. Few parts to break, lighter, less maintenance same emissions and fuel economy.

Just my .02

An 88 is 15 years old? Izzat Jersey math?

[sammyg2]

When faced with a similar dilemma years ago, I came up with the following solution.
In retrospect it probably wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done .............

[Joe Bob]

But was it enuff HP to get the Mother in Law up on a single ski?

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

But was it enuff HP to get the Mother in Law up on a single ski?

Ski? Who needs skis? it'd pull a stump before the tree was cut down.
As long as it wasn't all blowed up at the time ....

[Joe Bob]

So....yer pet name fer yer MIL is "Stumps"?

I call my exMIL "Landfill".... she's pushing up daisies now....

BTW, crashbox? Reverse is a wooden paddle? BTDT....