Currently I have an 8HP Johnson Sailmaster on an '88 240. This motor is probably original to the boat and its on its last leg. What do you think the max HP I could comfortably get?
I had a Yamaha 9.9 HP four stroke on my O'Day 23. I wouldn't go much bigger than that. It was actually more power than I needed, but, boy, that extra thrust in reverse was sweet.
I would have the sailmaster overhauled. 8 HP is probably sufficient, but you shouldnt need anything above 10. Honda's are nice. A 9.8 should work well. You can find good used ones reasonable if you keep a watchful eye.
I had my Johnson two stroke 8 hp overhauled last year. My 1999 Johnson outboard has the shift lever in front of the engine and it has the charging system. They're worth fixing.
I've heard of many folks in our size range using 6 HP engines and being more than happy with the performance. I have an 8 HP like yours and I don't think the extra 25% would really do any good. Hull speed is hull speed so if you can't get it planing, anything more is a waste. A 4 stroke would be nice though. And I'm sort of interested in a propane engine. Supposedly cheaper to operate than gasoline and nor carburetor to screw up.
I have an ODay 240 and have an 8 horse Tohatsu 4 stroke. It drives the boat to hull speed on about half throttle. I would have bought a smaller engine but wanted a twin for reduced vibration and charging. I don't see any point in going larger. It would add weight, use more fuel and would not drive the boat any faster.
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