engine options

[argonaut]

I'm looking at outboard options to repower my X. Tired of fiddling with the finicky Honda. So far I have narrowed the field to two possibilities due to the parts and maintenance situation. Suzuki and Evinrude. I can get a 40hp Suzuki EFI 4s pretty reasonably, a 50 Suzi for a bit more, an Etec 50 for about a grand more and an Etec 60 for... well, a lot of cash.
I had a look at one running and it was very quiet and smooth.
I have never motored much and I'd probably be happy with a kicker on the transom but I have to think about resale too, so I'm trying to consign myself to sticking in this HP range. With the X type transom the smaller kickers don't look as if they would work well unless you have electric start and trim.

So is there a big diff between the Suzi 40 and the 50 in speed, and is anyone really sold on the Etec 2 strokes, enough to make them worth what they cost? I probably put 30-60 hours on a motor in a year, in saltwater.

[ssichler]

As far as Etecs go all of us on the board that have them seem to like them. I don't think I've read of anyone wishing they had bought less horsepower. The Suzuki is a good engine but I would avoid the 40 for resale value and buyer's remorse later.

[Rich Walton]

Suzuki has no support. I had a 2002 DF50 the head gasket went bad, I never overheated it. Suzuki wouldnt help. When i got the suzuki i got it for the 6 year warranty but the dealer nevr filled out the paper work. So to cover his tracks he told suzuki that it wasnt a warranty issue. So i will never buy suzuki or recomend them. i am re-powering with a 75 Etec off Ebay.

[Divecoz]

Suzuki has no support. I had a 2002 DF50 the head gasket went bad, I never overheated it. Suzuki wouldnt help. When i got the suzuki i got it for the 6 year warranty but the dealer nevr filled out the paper work. So to cover his tracks he told suzuki that it wasnt a warranty issue. So i will never buy suzuki or recomend them. i am re-powering with a 75 Etec off Ebay.

E-bay the great Grey Market Careful careful you could well end up with the same problem. Or At east we have over the years seen a LOT of problems with Scuba Gear sold on E-bay and from other Internet sources. No Support No Help No Warranty No warning till you need it, and its not there. Fore warned Fore Armed

[Catigale]

The other approach is the 9.9 kicker which will let you empty ballast, costs 2k, so you can always sell it for about 1k if you decide to upgrade later on.

Im happy with my 50 HP BF EFI but would probably jump up a bit in HP if I did it again, just because its the same engine and weight . Since I went to the 14x3x11 prop I found the cruising rpm is about 2000 which is a really nice quiet spot with this motor.

[Tom Root]

Suzuki has no support. I had a 2002 DF50 the head gasket went bad, I never overheated it. Suzuki wouldnt help. When i got the suzuki i got it for the 6 year warranty but the dealer nevr filled out the paper work. So to cover his tracks he told suzuki that it wasnt a warranty issue. So i will never buy suzuki or recomend them. i am re-powering with a 75 Etec off Ebay.

Yes, it seems we had the same dilhemma at the same time, got about 150 hours out of the $ 8 grand motor.

I think Suzuki feels that 54 dollars an hour is acceptable cost basis huh?

Still haven't found a good dealer here either.....support is nearly nill in San Diego CA!

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Well, I don't know what its like on the West coast, but down here in FL, Mercury has the biggest dealer network for sure. I'm surprised no one has mentioned that. There are Evinrude dealers too but not as many as Merc. As for Suzuki, there are probably 10 Merc dealers for every Suzuki dealer. I don't own stock in the company or anything like that, but I think if dealer support is important to you, then Mercury would seem like a good bet.

[delevi]

I have an E-tec 50 and love it. I believe it is the best outboard on the market. It is light, fairly quiet, great for salt water, flushing is optional, and no maintenance for 3 years. It also seems to perform as well as many of the 60-70 hp engines, just based on reading resluts others on this board have been getting from such engines. Bottom line is you''ll be hard pressed to get a bette, torquier 50 hp. The torque it generates allows for a 14x13 prop which is why it will rival some more powerful engines with similar performance, at least on the Mac. Of course, whjust one opinion but I believe the e-tec is well worth the money. I also prefer to be sailing rather than motoring, but when there is no wind or you need to get back to your marina when time is of the essence, it is nice to crank it up and go 18-21 mph.

[Gazmn]

I have an E-tec 90. While I had some problems dialing in that magic Prop/motor combo, I have NO regrets on my decision and commitment to Evinrude. That's no regrets with Etec, 2 strokes [no mixing] or having the extra oomph.Which comes in handy as I'm not a Sailor -- yet. & it's great for resale. But at 10 grand I'm gonna keep "da bote & Mota"...

But It's nice having an engine that's new, powerful and maintenace is nil. 300hrs no maintenance and your dealer can connect A computer to your motor and punch up your#'s with motor running. That's piece of mind. Winterizing is a one or two minute operation I do at home. And can undo -as well as redo when I get a nice run of weather in Winter.

My .02
-Gaz

[tlperrine]

My 2 cents. I first bought a 5 hp Mercury before I new better on my used 26x, it moved the boat around in light winds. Anything more was a disaster in winds trying to dock. I put up with it for 2 yrs and upgraded to a 25 hp Merc Bigfoot. It has been a great motor for what I do. That is in inland lakes here in Colorado. Never needed more hp as I prefer lighter weight in the transom. If you do sailing in Saltwater, with tides and big seas certainly a different story. I love my motor so far, has kept me out of trouble here.

[Captain Hal]

I have had concerns about the nauseating fumes that permeate the cockpit from 2 stroke ETEC engines at low speeds; have you any thoughts as an ETEC owner; do you notice exhaust fumes in the cockpit or cabin?

[Nickyd]

I have just one bit of advice if you are going to spring about $1000more for the Etec 50hp, spend a few hundred more and get the 60hp, It weighs the same and in time you will appreciate the extra horsepower. I know I do, but sometime wonder what the 90 would be like.

Nick

[ssichler]

We've never experienced problems with fumes. I've run the engine at anchor even to charge the battery without problems. My wife is sensitive enough that she would detect any issues with fumes.

I have had concerns about the nauseating fumes that permeate the cockpit from 2 stroke ETEC engines at low speeds; have you any thoughts as an ETEC owner; do you notice exhaust fumes in the cockpit or cabin?

[Frank C]

I have had concerns about the nauseating fumes that permeate the cockpit from 2 stroke ETEC engines at low speeds; have you any thoughts as an ETEC owner; do you notice exhaust fumes in the cockpit or cabin?

I'm on the fence in this debate. I understand that Suzuki has a much smaller dealer network, but since I haven't needed a dealer in 7 years ... my extra cost warranty was wasted. I also detest the smell of burning oil, so 4-stroke is my mantra. There are zero fumes from my DF-60, even when idling at a dock or waiting for ballast to fill.

OTOH, I've been in Delevi's M with the ETEC-50. The familiar 2-stroke smell is rarely noticeable ... it's noticeable when the boat is idling, not moving, no wind, but surely does not "permeate the cockpit".

Local dealer support is a valid issue. Lacking a nearby Suzi dealer, I might try to find a used 4-stroke Evinrude 50 (actually manufactured by Suzuki & rebadged by the former Evinrude). Check with your local Evinrude dealer ... should be able "to massage" Evinrude dealer support with Suzuki 4-stoke EFI.

[argonaut]

My local Evinrude dealer talked me right out of the Evvy.
He sells and services Evinrude and Suzuki, and the Suzis are way less expensive with better warranty period, 6 vs 3 years.
The other local dealer is a bigger shop, near where I launch, but also has Suzuki, along with Yammy and Merc. So I'm still churning this while I get my Honda back in good running order. The Suzi shares components with their cars so parts are less of an issue than I anticipated and the online stuff for Suzuki is incredible, a complete embarrasment to Honda. Their "shop manuals" have diagrams...without part numbers. Nice.
Factory diagrams complete with part numbers are online free from the Brown's Point Marina website in PDF form. The Suzi design is only three years old but aside from an out of country head gasket issue I can't find much bellyaching about it.
Within my 1 days drive tow radius there are plenty of Suzi dealers, the Keys included. But Merc and Yammy have the high thrust versions available... and those two are the biggest repair networks that exist.