Best outboard and Size

[Russ]

Can't do a full tilt up with a 70 either.

My Suzuki 70 tilts all the way up. It barely comes out of the water with full ballast in, but it does.

--Russ

[yukonbob]

Mine Suz 70 doesn't. It hits the captains seat. Barely comes out of the water but is a couple inches below max when it hits, cowlings got some good rub marks. This is well documented by BWY.

[Matt19020]

Can't do a full tilt up with a 70 either.

I have the same problem...annoying!

Whatever you pick make sure you have a dealer in your area for service...my dealer is 70 miles away ...I have only needed to use them once in 6 years but it is something to consider

[yukonbob]

Its definatly annoying, but don't let that be the deciding factor. I think either way some form of quick connect should be put in the budget. If you raise your motor while connected to the steering it can flop over and worse yet catch bolts on the mast support and gouge the cowling along the side. Now I always lock it in straight when it comes up.
On the seat bump, I was thinking of adding a piece of foam to the seat where it hits. Something a little softer than the FG seat.

[Ormonddude]

I Love my Tohatsu 70 trims up with no problems highly efficient clean and quite - for a 2stroke on a budget they are tough to beat, I mean I would love a 4stroke but like next to a E-tec I honestly feel Tohatsu is the next best very light too at only 338lb full of oil

[Steve-Deb]

A forum member has added a lot of extras to the rear of his 26M. He also mounted the motor 300mm (12") from the transom with this bracket and I'd guess that would take care of the "hitting" when the motors tilted up. Apparently it's used by conventional outboard V hull boats and improves the boats ability to get onto the plain. Isn't the ETEC motor smaller than other same size 4 strokes anyway?

[mrron_tx]

The PO of My Mac had scoffed the black cowling on the Suzi 70 .... because the dealer told Him to "make sure the motor is all the way up " I have done it twice Myself.... but have found a black magic marker hides these oooopses from a few feet away Ron. Dauntless.

[Kittiwake]

Ok, it's a few years down the road from the last post on this topic and motors have developed since. Is everyone still happy with the ETEC 60 only option because I'd like to run a 75hp motor on a late 2014, 26M.

Like Mastreb I remain very happy with the Etec 60. We put over 100 hr on it each year. We switched to the 100% synthetic oil after a year or two in order to minimize the smell of oil in the exhaust (although it was never annoying): always starts nicely and runs dependably, VERY little oil consumption at low revs, quiet at low revs, achieves a speed close to 20 mph loaded. We did have it serviced at 3 years ($600) as I am fairly obsessive and not a mechanic. If I could magically convert it to a 75 HP with the wave of a wand, I wouldn't bother; but then we don't water ski. If I could magically convert it to a 4-stroke while keeping all the good things about the Etec for a 26M, then I would - but only to reassure myself that I was getting as quiet an engine as possible.

[yukonbob]

The 4S is nice not having to worry about oil, it is heavier, but I get asked a half dozen times a year if i'm going to start the engine when it already been going for the last ten minutes. Trolling can be controlled in almost half knot increments from 1.5-4knts. I do like the power to weight ratio of the 2S and the ability to fix almost anywhere with minimal tools (although I believe the Etec is more complicated than a traditional 2S but much more fuel efficient?)

[mastreb]

The 4S is nice not having to worry about oil, it is heavier, but I get asked a half dozen times a year if i'm going to start the engine when it already been going for the last ten minutes. Trolling can be controlled in almost half knot increments from 1.5-4knts. I do like the power to weight ratio of the 2S and the ability to fix almost anywhere with minimal tools (although I believe the Etec is more complicated than a traditional 2S but much more fuel efficient?)

The ETEC is mechanically much simpler than a 4S but electronically more complex. Which basically means that if it actually breaks in some way more than just a fouled sensor, bad impeller, spun hub, or bad electrical contact, you're not going to be fixing it yourself. That said, all the trons are simple part swaps and can be diagnosed quickly at the dealer and repaired inexpensively compared to mechanical wear or damage. The mechanical simplicity should result in longer overall lifetime and lower maintenance, which is what we've been seeing.

My ETEC-60 is noisier than Vic's Suzuki 70 at all speeds, however its not so loud as to be annoying even to my intolerant ears. You're not going to have much conversation at WOT throttle, however.

Fuel economy is top-notch, especially at low speeds. Lowest forward speed is around 2 knots.

I am a bit annoyed by the need to keep a quart of oil on-board. It seems that nothing I've done yet keeps oil from just being a messy hassle and there will be times when you have to top-off on the water if you use the boat for anything beyond day sailing.

Here's what I've done to make it as mess-free as possible:

1) Cut a quart plastic oil bottle in half and retain the top half as a funnel.

2) Till the engine up towards you in the cockpit and remove the cowling when it's up. Use the motor tilt to get the convoluted ETEC oil reservoir to a decent angle.

3) Put the bottle-top funnel into the reservoir mouth. It will fit perfectly and make a decent seal, and you won't have to hold it. Tip the motor down so that the funnel just barely drains completely into the reservoir bottle.

4) Pour your engine oil in. DO NOT TRY TO TOP COMPLETELY OFF. You need to stop while you can still see some air in the top of the reservoir, because just a few more drops will go above the mouth of the funnel, and they'll be no getting it off without spilling oil all over your motor. Be a bit conservative and leave some air in the top of the reservoir. It's not nearly as much volume as it appears to be.

5) Cap off. You can cap off the made funnel as well to keep it from dripping.

I've been able to do this in 2-3 foot seas in the San Pedro Channel, but I also have Chimpanzee-length arms, so YMMV.

I've still not found the perfect way to store my emergency quart, oil rag, and funnel. Firstly, no matter how tightly cappped the engine oil is, it will still leak out of bottle that isn't upright. I had used a polyethylene box but the oil eats it. IT WILL ALSO EAT THE GAS TANKS, SO DO NOT KEEP YOUR OIL RAG OR EXTRA QUART WITH THE GAS TANKS. Learned this one the hard way. Storing it in the engine-well make the well like an old engine shop floor.

So if anyone has any tips re: storing oil onboard, let me know.

So yeah, Love the engine, don't love the oiling.

[Russ]

Mine Suz 70 doesn't. It hits the captains seat. Barely comes out of the water but is a couple inches below max when it hits, cowlings got some good rub marks. This is well documented by BWY.

Weird. I bought my boat from BWY and it looks like they installed a plastic wedge behind the motor mounts.
When I first bought the boat, the top of the motor hit the helm seat. Did it so much it scratched up the cowling pretty bad. Then I learned there is an adjustment on the Suzuki base that limits the top end tilt. The motor will tilt totally out of the water, but just barely above. When the boat is fully loaded and people in the cockpit it will sink down and dip into the water.

--Russ

[yukonbob]

That's good to know. Mines from BWY as well and has the same wedge. I'll have to look into the tilt limiter?? I usually just watch and wait til i feel it just nudge the seat then back it off. If it would just stop a little early the problem would be solved. I plan on getting some touch up paint this year and give the cowling a much needed paint job. When we're down at the boat the motors in the water, unless we're sailing and if its in the water a bit I'm not too concerned. I just want it completely out during the week when we're gone. Thanks Russ that's really awesome to hear about that feature

[Russ]

To be honest, I found this by breaking it. Another member here showed me.
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... lt#p165751

[yukonbob]

Thanks again. I'll have to look at that in a few months when I put the batteries in and get a chance to test it out.