Bought a new outboard for the Oday23

[AWalker]

I had ben running a 6hp Tohatsu that bought new after having my Honda 75 stolen on my '78 Oday 23. I liked the Honda better than the Tohatsu. Well, today I stumbled across a 15 HP Honda for a price I couldn't refuse so I drug it home. It is a short shaft model though. I looked for an extension shaft kit, but apparently Honda doesn't sell a kit form of that. I would have to check the parts diagram and find the parts myself, extension housing, driveshaft, water tube, shift shaft, etc.
I had been looking for a 9.9, and apparently the 15 is the same motor except for some tuning differences.
The reason I wanted the bigger motor is for electric start and an alternator. I think I am going to order the longer version of the Garelick outboard motor mount and give that a try.
Has anyone here run a bigger 4 cycle short shaft outboard on an O'day 23?

 

[HukilauMike]

I don't think the short shaft is going to cut it. I have the standard Garelick outboard mount on my '79 Oday 23, with a Nissan 8 hp long shaft. Even with the long shaft, the prop will cavitate when making a sharp turn. I'm not sure what you mean by the "longer" version of the outboard motor mount, but if it doesn't put the engine at least 5 inches closer to the water, its not going to help much. When I replace my Nissan (which is about 10 years old at this point), I am going to really try for the extra long shaft (25") model. Not everyone makes an extra long shaft, and like you, I want the electric start with alternator. We'll see who's making what at that point.

 

[LANCE ON CLOUD NINE]

I had a short shaft Tohatsu 5 horse on my O'Day 23 for a few weeks (during a time I was engine shopping to replace a stolen long shaft motor) In choppy water, or a following sea, it always felt like the power head was about to get dunked. On a perfectly calm day, it was just o.k.

 

[Flyboy69]

I know we are discussing Japan made motors but with regards to length,.. my 6.6 Evinrude WAS a longshaft motors and it barely made it to the water to propel and take cooling water, going forward to the bow and I had an airplane. It worked, but,... Like Lance, good on a calm day.
I found an 8 inch extension for it. boom! On the bow on a wavy day and its still in the water but cavitates only sometimes now.
Longer is better

 

[AWalker]

Well, I'll continue looking for the extension housing then. By the longer version, what I meant was that (and I may give out the wrong number here, going on memory) the Garelick 71090 has a 10" extension, while the Garelick 71091 has a 15" extension.

 

[HukilauMike]

Well, I'll continue looking for the extension housing then. By the longer version, what I meant was that (and I may give out the wrong number here, going on memory) the Garelick 71090 has a 10" extension, while the Garelick 71091 has a 15" extension.

I guess it all depends on the difference between your current mount and what you propose to put on there. I believe the original mounts on all Oday trailer sailers were placed with the assumption that the outboard would be a long-shaft model. I know with my '79 Oday 23, the mount is placed such that with my Garelick mount at its lowest position, my 20" long shaft outboard has its cavitation plate underwater. However, if there is too much weight at the bow (like someone standing in the pulpit), or when making a sharp turn, the prop will break the surface. I think the designers were trying to balance performance under power with the need for someone in the cockpit to be able to reach the engine to start it and use the throttle. It ain't easy. If worse comes to worst, you can always lower the actual mounting location a few inches. But then your engine may be in danger of getting swamped.

I think you are right to pursue the extension kit. I seem to remember that someone did an article in Good Old Boat magazine a few years ago on how to make the parts yourself. Of course, that guy was a skilled machinist who seemed to have access to a well-equipped shop. We mortals must follow the same path as you and hope that some fine company has made a kit for us to install. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[ChattOday]

I will chime in since I have a similar sized boat and recently have been doing a total rebuild, so everything is fresh.

I have a 22, so similar size. On my boat which still has the original mount my 5 HP long shaft Honda will flex its depth in water by as much as 2 to 3 inches based on the weight balance on the boat. If my wife and her 2 friends sit at the bow pulpit dangling feet (best seat in house) with me in the cockpit my engine will sit just at its minimum height. The occasional sharp turn to hit a wave correctly will produce Some cavitation as the anti cavitation plate slips above water. In the reverse, everyone in the cockpit or cabin (so mid to rear weighted) will have have the actual wood transom mount rubbing water.

None of this impedes movement, all it is to say: these boats will fluctuate how the motor rides very easily. One persons amount of weight shifted front to back will totally change the depth the blade is at.


I don't think a short motor with a mount further down will cut it. It sounds like it will swamp.
I vote smaller HP engine with longshaft or extender for current if possible. Just buy a lower end from a long shaft model.

 

[AWalker]

To make this into an extra long shaft, I would need to replace the extension case, put in an additional case piece, and replace the shaft. From looking at used parts online it looks like it will cost about $500. I think for the moment I will ponder doing that while keeping an eye out for cheap parts to do it with. I may be able to sell my parts afterward and recoup some of the cost. That will still give me the motor I wanted at a price I don't mind.
On thinking about this swamping issue, I think you may be wrong. A short shaft motor was made to be run at that height above the water with the cav plate an inch or so below the water. A long shaft motor was made to run the same depth below the water, but with the controls reachable from the cockpit. I think, that with remote controls added, and electric start, operation would be fine in every aspect. Would also need to tie the motor to the rudder for steering. The only real challenge I see is it would be more of a PITA if you had to work on it while under way (but that NEVER happens).

 

[AWalker]

BTW, I did tinker with it this afternoon. The Honda is five inches shorter than my long shaft Tohatsu 6. Five inches doesn't seem like a lot until you place the motor on the bracket and see how far out of the water it sits. I would definitely have to relocate the bracket.

 

[GeorgiaBII]

I made a new mount board for my bracket that lowered my engine another 2 inches into the water. Made a world of difference.

 

[AWalker]

George, I have been toying around with it and a new mount board won't do anything for me. I built a new one some time back. The problem is that the clamp screws start to interfere with the bracket. After that it just gets more difficult to reach the thing.
Looking at these brackets, if the sides were a few inches further apart it would allow you to adjust the board up and down so that you could pivot the bracket up and down, and also move the board up and down. That coupled with a few sets of mounting holes would give you a much wider range of adjustability, couple with the wider bracket for better stability.

I am expecting the brown truck to bring the parts to make it 5" longer, making it a 20". I can make it a 25", but I have not found the parts at a price I am willing to pay. At 20" it is the same length as my current motor, but a bit heavier, so I shouldn't have any big issues.

 

[AWalker]

Just wanted to update this thread, as new things are happening. I found out that no one makes a kit to make the honda a long shaft. I ended up figuring out how to do it without changing the extension case though. The extra long shaft motor is the long shaft wih a 5" case extension on it. I bought a used lower unit that had the extension piece on it. It will bolt up to the short shaft extension housing making it the same length as the long shaft.

I pulled the lower unit off of ine tonight and pulled the gear case aparrt, and pulled the drive shaft out. I am going to do the same on the other lower unit and remove the longer drive shaft. I am then going to cut a 5.625 section out of the top half of the shaft. I will then chuck it in my lathe and turn a 1/4" nub onto it, bore a corresponding 1/4" hole in the mating half, press them together, vee out the groove and weld them together. I am fotunate in having an acquaintance who is an ace outboard mechanic to guide along, as he has done this on other makes of outboard before. If not, Honda longshaft parts purchased new from the dealer would have to serve, as these parts used are pretty rare.

As I get further along I will try to take a few pictures and post them up.

 

[HukilauMike]

Sounds very interesting. Please do post pictures. Thanks.

 

[Technodad]

Hello "Awalker"
Sorry for the late post, I just found this thread yesterday.
I have done what you are contemplating doing, fitting the 15 1/2" stroke Garelick motor mount onto my 81 Oday 23.
I am using a Chinese copy (Parsun) of the 9.9 Yamaha long shaft 2008 (came with the boat).
I also made a new mounting block.
Here are a few pics to help you along.


I ended up raising the mount another 1 1/2" from what you see (the alternate set of holes in the bracket.




I filled the whole thing with epoxy to finish it.


You can see the raised bracket here.

 

[heymagic]

I had ben running a 6hp Tohatsu that bought new after having my Honda 75 stolen on my '78 Oday 23. I liked the Honda better than the Tohatsu. Well, today I stumbled across a 15 HP Honda for a price I couldn't refuse so I drug it home. It is a short shaft model though. I looked for an extension shaft kit, but apparently Honda doesn't sell a kit form of that. I would have to check the parts diagram and find the parts myself, extension housing, driveshaft, water tube, shift shaft, etc.
I had been looking for a 9.9, and apparently the 15 is the same motor except for some tuning differences.
The reason I wanted the bigger motor is for electric start and an alternator. I think I am going to order the longer version of the Garelick outboard motor mount and give that a try.
Has anyone here run a bigger 4 cycle short shaft outboard on an O'day 23?

I have a 15hp Merc. Mariner short shaft on my 78 O'Day 23. The only time I have a problem is when someone is working on the bow in choppy water at a low speed. If I throttle up, it bites down deeper and no problem.
I keep the boat in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. I will say that not having enough power can really be a problem. The weight difference between an 8, 9.9, or 15hp is not that much, and if my motor mount was a question mark, I would beef it up regardless.
Just my two cents.
MikeB

 

[AWalker]

Nice looking pad Technodad, in fact, pretty sharp looking Oday 23. Seeing your pad made me realize why my last one didn't function as well as it could have. It didn't have a wedge to correct the hull side of the bracket to plumb, so the motor side was tilted out of the water an additional 10 degrees or so.