Compromise - Tohatsu are good reliable engines. Just make sure you can get good RELIABLE service in your area. That's important regardless of engine choice.
Trout's Dream- Would the Admiral consider a resell on consignment or posting on Craigslist or Ebay? And do you have a ski mask and gun to rob a bank for the rest of the money to repower
I sold my PO's 35HP 4stroke Tohatsu on Ebay for $2600 when I decided to repower. The ski mask and realistic watergun was $10 & I jumped in the hole for another 8 Grand for the E-tec
No regrets really - - I just can't Bank in Brooklyn anymore since the Heist
I have a Tohatsu 2-stroke 40 hp carburated with oil injection. It works well. I started with a 50hp TLDI Tohatsu but it didn't work well at all above 5000 feet. I was told the MAP sensor system was at fault and at least at that time, this is the way all the Tohatsu TLDIs were.
My dinghy motor is a 6 hp Nissan (Tohatsu) 4 stroke. I got that because it is allowed in some areas where a similar 2 stroke could not go. At 50lbs it can still be manhandled. It is the sweetest running, quietest kicker I've ever owned. At half throttle, it reminds me a lot of my SailRite sewing machine running at half speed.
Whether 2 or 4 stroke, the secret I think to reliability of any engine type is running them often, even if on the trailer with a mouse earss for water. Running at least once per month keeps fresh gas in the pump, jets and carbs so they don't gum up while idle, especially in very hot weather. Engaging the gears a few times while running keeps the oils stirred up and seals lubed so they don't leak. Running frequently also helps the water pump impeller stay flexible and in the proper shape for maximum efficiency.
My 40 year old Seagull burps and smokes if I dont mix gas right...but I can fix whatever happens with pliers and screwdriver. I will say if it doesnt start in one pull then something is wrong with it. There is no ratcheting starter to break - just the spinning flywheel of death...
Ah yes, the British Seagull spinning flywheel of death... I remember it fondly Another great feature [at least on the 3hp Seagull that came with our '76 Tanzer 16] was the lack of any transmission - which meant that as soon as the wrap-the-rope-around-the flywheel-and-yank execrise met with success, you were moving! My wife was never so happy about a boat expenditure as when I replaced Seagull with a 3.3hp Mercury that had neutral.
Night Sailor wrote:My dinghy motor is a 6 hp Nissan (Tohatsu) 4 stroke. I got that because it is allowed in some areas where a similar 2 stroke could not go. At 50lbs it can still be manhandled. It is the sweetest running, quietest kicker I've ever owned. At half throttle, it reminds me a lot of my SailRite sewing machine running at half speed.
Wow! 6HP @ 50# I like the sound of that, my 5HP Honda weighs in @ 60#, I must have the wrong dinghy engine.
Tohatsu 6HP 4-Stroke is advertized at 55 lbs, not 50. My 4HP 4S Tohatsu is 57 lbs; what's up with that?
In any case, worst mistake I ever made. I "manhandled" mine off the Mac stern rail bracket and onto the dinghy and back for two seasons and it's not something I'd recommend to a normal human. Even using the boom as jib crane, I consider it nearly miraculous that I didn't drop it into the drink. I now have auxiliary stern bracket on the Mac primarily for dinghy motor storage, not for auxilary use, and even getting the motor onto the dinghy from that can be quite difficult in any sort of seaway.
Unless you invest in a "real" motor lift crane, your dinghy motor should be a two stroke of no more than 40 lbs, unless it's prohibited in your area.
Honda used to have an air cooled 4S 4HP Honda at, as I recall 27 lbs but it appears to be gone now. It was pretty pricey new which was why I got the Tohatsu instead but perhaps you could find a good used one.
Seagulls are a paltry 27 pounds since all the superfluous sheet metal is stripped off - I cant imagine trying to mount a 60 pound motor onto a dinghy at sea without a crane.
That 2.5 Suzuki looks nice, and is light! Tohatsu and Nissan also make a 3.5hp that weighs 41 lbs, which wouldn't be too bad yet gives a little more oomph. If you can find some older 2-strokes, they tend to be lighter too (I have a 5 Suzie long-shaft on a aux mount that is 47 lbs, about the most I want to be lifting down to a dinghy!).
Re the original questions about the TLDI Tohatsus, you might take a look at the iboats forum (http://forums.iboats.com). They have some TLDI threads (simple search), and the feedback all looks pretty good on them (and they've been out 7 years now).
A few years back Tohatsu/Nissan put out a 9.8 2S @ 58#, they are hard to come by now, I have been watching the adds and they either sell fast/high or owners are keeping them.
Bobby T.-26X #4767 wrote:i love my 29# Suzuki 2.5hp 4-stroke.
it's got more than enough power for a typical small Mac X or M dinghy IMHO.
Bob T.
"DāBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI (14" x 11 pitch)
Dinghy Motor: '06 2.5-Suzuki
Thats what Im wanting, if I can get the courage and designs for installing a small engine mount on my X.
A Marina neighbor of mine has a Compac 27, absolutely "mint" condition. He said his diesel once went ka-put, and he used his 3 HP kicker which is kept handy. It handled the boat well, docked, tied up, and saved several hundred $$ for not needing a Tow.
