Hunter 26 outboard

[Molly1034]

I am shopping for a new outboard for my 1997 Hunter 26. I'd like a motor of 10 h p or less. Can anyone recommend a Johnson, Yamaha, or Mercury? (Those are the only dealers in my area.) I had a Honda 8 hp 4 stroke and it was too undependable. My current 8 hp 2 stroke Johnson is okay, but I'd like something a little more powerful. A big consideration is that it fit in the o.b. well in a Hunter 26 with room to raise and lower. The Hondo was physically bigger but fit in the well and I could raise and lower it easily. The smaller Johnson has to be wiggled around to raise and lower it. And finally, why are 8 hp 4 strokes more powerful than 8 hp 2 strokes? The Honda, when it was working, was much more powerful than the present Johnson. Thanks.

David King Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

 

[Pat Hooyman]

I have had great luck with a Mercury 8 horse long shaft 2 stroke on my 1998 H26 since 1998. The nice thing about the Mercury is that the shift contols are in the handle which raises making it very easy to use when docking.

 

[Jeff]

I would stick with what's available in your area. It will be easier to get serviced. Any of those you mentioned would be a good choice. One other thing. When we put a new engine on our '94 H26 we opted for electric start and remote controls. It made things much easier for the Admiral when it was her turn at the helm.

 

[Roy G]

4 stroke engines have more torque than a 2 stroke engine. The 8 HP achieved on a 2 stroke will be at the higher rpm range so you don't see as much power until you're at max throttle. The 2 strokes are faster revving but have less torque at lower rpm's. Also a number of lakes are banning 2 strokes because of the oil contamination in the exhaust. There is much more oil in a 2 strokes exhaust which is usually out the prop under water. You can see the oil slick behind older 2 stroke motors. They all leave a tiny oil spill behind them.
Roy G

 

[soling42]

Our '04 H260 came rigged with a Yamaha 8hp 4stroke long shaft high thrust with pwr tilt and an alternator. Our throttle/shift controls are on the pedestal with the key and tilt on the side of the rear center seat. The motor has run flawlessly for 6 yrs with regular maintenance. Pushing to hull speed is no problem and fuel use is slightly over 1/2 gal per hr @ 80% throttle. I may be biased but it seems like the ideal setup for this boat. I'd do it again the very same way if it became necessary.

Good luck in your search, M&K

 

[sea_casper]

Do yourself a favor, get extra long shaft, electric start, remote shift/throttle and powertilt. A high output alternator is useful for charging. I have a Honda 9.9 xls on my H26 and really wish I had remote controls when docking and powertilt for raising and lowering motor. The H26 ob well, is a long reach down, and the Admiral can't do it.

 

[jcrumpley]

I have a yamaha 8hp long shaft high thrust on my H25. It has electric start, tilt, and control mounted in the cockpit. It has been flawless. Less than half throttle reaches hull speed. This thing puts out 13.8 volts of charge when running as well.

 

[Molly1034]

Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, the local Yamaha dealer tells me that they don't carry an 8 hp long shaft motor. I'll either go with a Merc, or keep my current Johnson 8 hp 2 stroke. Also, thanks for the guy who told me why 8 hp 2 and 4 stroke motors put out different amounts of torque.

David King

 

[soling42]

Yamaha has replaced the 8hp with a 9.9hp version. The weight and dimensions are identical so it's only a re-rated 8hp(basically the same engine just sent through the marketing dept again). Good luck
M&K