hp and shaft length for Lancer 25 outboard

[M]

I'm thinking of adding an outboard as a backup for my '75 Lancer 25. The inboard diesel has been questionable lately. I'm wondering what the very minimum horsepower I can go with is. I'm really just looking for something to get me into the harbor and my slip, which is really to tight and complicated to sail into. Maybe 20 minutes of motoring. Also, does anyone know the proper shaft length for the Lancer 25? An extra long shaft -- 25", or long at 20"? I want the minimum weight so I can manage the outboard solo.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,
M

 

[BobM]

outboard

I had an extra long shaft (25") outboard on my previous boat, a Lancer 25, but it was mounted on an adjustable engine mount, as the original opening on the stern had been filled it. I assume that, since your boat has an inboard that you would have to add an articulating stern mount also. When you do so, be careful as the L25 is small enough that the amount of weight in the cockpit (i.e. people) can change how she sits in the water dramatically. For example, if I had two people on board and we both were on the bow to raise a sail our combined weight would have the engine out of the water at times in a slight swell. So extra care is required when deciding where to mount the mount.

When I got the boat she had a Johnson 9.9, which weighed about 115 lbs. That was stolen and I replaced it with an Evinrude 8hp, which was about 80lbs. Both were extra long shaft outboards. The 8hp was adequate and the lighter weight was a big plus as I was able to mount and dismount the engine alone easily. The 9.9 was heavy and I could barely manage it alone. From what I recall, an 8hp was what Lancer specified for the boat when it was new.

Personally, if I was looking for a back-up outboard for an inboard on an L25 I would probably not go below 6hp with an extra long shaft (which might not be available...20 inch might be the limit for this size...in which case the mounts travel will be critical) and I'd probably mount a power thruster (a set of tabs to direct thrust...listed under propulsion in the chandlery) on it to get the most out the 6hp.

Ultimately you might find that it is cheaper to get the diesel fixed or even rebuilt. Long shaft outboards tend to be expensive, even used ($500+). A good mount will be $100+. You might need to buy a fuel tank...etc...costs will mount up...they always do. A rebuild kit for a Yanmar 1GM10 is only $400, for example, and a 1 cylinder is a pretty simple rebuild job that might only be $2-3000 or so.

What is going on with your engine now that makes it unreliable?

 

[BobM]

Reliability

I can see your frustration, because it was apparently running like a dream before the exaust repair work started. The siphon break is VERY important, because otherwise you can get water in your engine = VERY bad. Even spinning the engine too long with the water intake seacock open can be a problem. Have you been monitoring your oil color (black good, gray bad)? I'd probably check the exhaust elbow too, as that can cause stalling issues and clogs easily. Plus it won't cost you anything and should be a routine maintenace item anyway.

It is worth the effort to get the diesel going. A working diesel adds thousands in value to a boat. By the way, regarding reliability, you can't beat a diesel...we subsequently ran mine for an average of 12 hours a day for three days without a hitch. I wouldn't want to try that with an outboard. 300 hours is nothing on a diesel.

I signed on one of those $25/year diesel sites (boatdiesel.com)and got more and better information there, the internet and here than anywhere else. Were I you, I'd try to as much diagnosing as can myself and then hire the expensive diesel mechanic to do the one off stuff, like a compression check, as needed. It could be as simple as a weak governor spring, or a bad starter from my brief skimming of boatdiesel.com, but you should do some home work yourself and not take this as gospel. Start with the basics...fuel is good and air free...compression is good and spark is good (connections/battery).

I bought a bunch of parts I hopefully won't need, but it is always good to have spares and I know I will keep the boat for a long time. I think of it as an investment. Given the expense of a mechanic, it might be a reasonable investment to throw a starter in if it seems to be cranking slow. It may be that the new exhaust has added just enough resistance (back pressure) to expose a weak starter.

It is probably worth posting to see if someone can recommend a good mechanic too. I encourage you to post all the details you can and you will likely get better opinions than mine, as at this point my experience with diesels is VERY limited.

 

[novelman17130]

I have a 6 hp Evenrude, 2 cycle with a 25" shaft on my 22' Venture, so they are available, if somewhat old. They seem to run forever. I am buying a 1975 Lancer and planned on putting it on that boat until I found a 8 hp 4 cycle.
Duane "novelman"

 

[Fairwind]

I have owned a small sailboat (Midship 25) with a diesel and my L28 with a 8hp Mercury (Tohatsu) 4-stroke is a MUCH better auxiliary engine. An electric start long-shaft with remote controls, it has been trouble free. It will move the boat at hull speed at half throttle. I did change the standard prop to a low pitch power prop.