New outboard motor on the way

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toddco

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Jun 17, 2011
96
ODay 20 driveway
I ordered a new long shaft Tohatsu 4 stroke 8 horse w/electric start this morning. I have just doubled the cost of my boat addiction. Free shipping and no sales tax. I hope I did the right thing.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Be sure to run the fuel out of the carb after each and every use if it is going to sit for more than a day or two. These engines are wonderful, but the gas is not. If you can find ethanol free gas, buy it!
 

caguy

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Sep 22, 2006
4,004
Catalina, Luger C-27, Adventure 30 Marina del Rey
I ordered a new long shaft Tohatsu 4 stroke 8 horse w/electric start this morning. I have just doubled the cost of my boat addiction. Free shipping and no sales tax. I hope I did the right thing.
Eventually the cost will fade... but the enjoyment of a new motor with electric start is relived everytime you don't have to pull that cord. Enjoy, money can be replaced.
 

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
We bought the 9.8 to get the extra-long shaft and love it. We also bought a....



....good filter/water separator from onlineoutboard at the same time and Ruth made...



...a cover for it to protect if from the UV. With his combo we never had a outboard problem in 3 months on the water in Florida. Great outboard. We did look for and only used ethanol free gas.

Enjoy the outboard and the safety of electric start,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our Endeavour 37[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our MacGregor S Pages[/FONT]

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Doug L

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Sep 9, 2006
80
South Coast 22 MI
I recently bought a 1953 Sea King 5 hp 2 stroke for my South Coast 22 project boat. It does not have electric start, but the price was right. If you see some fool pulling away at some antique outboard, drifting into trouble, offer him a tow.
 
Dec 8, 2007
303
-mac 26M -26M tucson-san carlos mx
you'll love your new motor,but dont get paranoid over ethanol,it won't hurt a modern outboard in any way,and use some STA-BIL and you don't have to worry about draining your carb either,or for storage time of 6 months or less.AZ has had mandated ethnol-methonal-or MTBE for over thirty years now.I've used it as the only fuel in boats atv's trucks and airplanes with never a problem.the only issue i could imagine would be water damage to looong term steel storage tanks in a high humidity area.
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
I think you will want to take heed regarding ethanol fuels in outboard motors.

http://www.boattest.com/resources/view_News.aspx?NewsID=3465

My friend with a new 4 stroke small Tohatsu has already had fuel issues after just a couple of years.

We have had fuel issues with our 18hp Tohatsu 2 stroke. Prior to ethanol the engine would run on reprocessed beer.

I think the fuel filter idea that Sum presented is a very good idea too.
 

Rick D

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Jun 14, 2008
7,186
Hunter Legend 40.5 Shoreline Marina Long Beach CA
Doubling Your Investment

I once had a Chrysler OB which I fought with for years. My wife and daughter had an introduction to traditional sailors' curses uttered by me as I trouble shot the stupid thing in big seas, tugged and tugged on the starter cord and busted my knuckles on the transom. It finally died for good, and I had a several year love affair with my new, one-pull start Suzuki. I should have followed my wife's advice and replaced it years earlier! You'll love it. Some good advice here for you too.
 
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
fuel

How come it doesnt affect cars as much? Its how old or stale is the gas.

I never bought the notion to fill the tank for long term such as winter storage. Water in marine environment cause more problem. The worst is builtin tank with deckfill. The O-ring last 2-3 years at best. But how many people replace it regularly.
 

toddco

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Jun 17, 2011
96
ODay 20 driveway
I mounted the new Tohatsu this weekend. In reading the manual, it says that it can "withstand" up to 10% alcohol, but with increased corrosion of metal parts, fuel permeation through rubber lines and starting and operating difficulties. I live in the midwest, almost all fuel has ethanol added. It did say that methanol was worse. I will just run it empty, and add stabil. It says do not use leaded, and keep the octane at 87 to 92. That is pretty standard for any gas engine.
 
Feb 5, 2010
47
Hunter Legend 35.5 Fort Pierce, FL
I am also fighting Tohatsu/Nissan small (4 & 5hp) outboard issues. Mostly idling issues. One carb replacement and one overhaul so far. Now I've found non-ethanol gasoline but only in 85octane. I've been told that to meet the EPA requirements outboard manufacturers have leaned out the engines to the max of current technology. To do this requires smaller jet sizes than in previous years and these small jets are very susceptible to plugging from ethanol fuel. Don't know if this makes sense or not but maybe we'll start to see small fuel injected engines like in motorcycles and scooters. I've never had these issues before on small engines and often run very old gas in chainsaws and mowers. I've also been told that these EPA requirements have not been placed on yard equipment yet. Any thoughts? I'm ready to try anything to improve the constant stalling at lower rpms I get when docking.
 
Apr 5, 2010
565
Catalina 27- 1984 Grapevine
Your main issue with the 8hp on your O'day will be the bow rising out of the water like a skiboat. I had a 9.5 on my V17 and was outrunning a lot of the little fishing boats, although I had to keep standing up to look over the bow. You'll love the investment, those are great engines.
 
Oct 26, 2005
2,057
- - Satellite Beach, FL.
I am also fighting Tohatsu/Nissan small (4 & 5hp) outboard issues. Mostly idling issues. One carb replacement and one overhaul so far. Now I've found non-ethanol gasoline but only in 85octane. I've been told that to meet the EPA requirements outboard manufacturers have leaned out the engines to the max of current technology. To do this requires smaller jet sizes than in previous years and these small jets are very susceptible to plugging from ethanol fuel. Don't know if this makes sense or not but maybe we'll start to see small fuel injected engines like in motorcycles and scooters. I've never had these issues before on small engines and often run very old gas in chainsaws and mowers. I've also been told that these EPA requirements have not been placed on yard equipment yet. Any thoughts? I'm ready to try anything to improve the constant stalling at lower rpms I get when docking.
I had this problem with my 6hp. I found the illustrated parts breakdown on their site: http://www.tohatsuoutboardparts.com/Parts-Books.html
If you'll find the page for your motor, go to the carburator page and find the "slow jet". On my model (MFS6B IIRC), this jet is accessible without removing the carb. I found this after
I had removed and, I thought, cleaned the carb and fuel pump a couple times, also replaced the filter and gas line and still nothing. Then I read in the SBO archives to clean the inboard end of the jet with a small stiff wire. I had cleaned the jet but not poked a wire through, being used to cleaning varnish and funk in 2 cycle carbs which dissolves with carb cleaner. This clog was a solid and didn't dissolve.
I'm all better now and know what to do next time.
 

DJN51

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Oct 26, 2009
377
Hunter 23.5 East Chicago In
Agree with Mr Dion ,drain fuel bowl after each use.Just had to replace carb on 2004 4 stroke 6 hp yamaha.$523.00.Mechcanic advised putting fuel line fitting on motor and run dry,also to put 2oz 2 stroke oil in 3 gal gas as lube along with stabill.Worked last year hope no problems this season.
 
Feb 5, 2010
47
Hunter Legend 35.5 Fort Pierce, FL
Thanks Merlinuxo.........I did a search and compared with my NSF4A2 and found what is listed as the "slow jet" on your carb is the "pilot jet" on mine. I'll try that on the 5hp Tohatsu on which I tried the carb dip clean. It looks like the 4&5 hp models use the same pilot jet while the 6hp had a larger one installed (38 vs 45).
 
Oct 26, 2005
2,057
- - Satellite Beach, FL.
Thanks Merlinuxo.........I did a search and compared with my NSF4A2 and found what is listed as the "slow jet" on your carb is the "pilot jet" on mine. I'll try that on the 5hp Tohatsu on which I tried the carb dip clean. It looks like the 4&5 hp models use the same pilot jet while the 6hp had a larger one installed (38 vs 45).
You're welcome and I hope it helps.
 
Dec 8, 2007
303
-mac 26M -26M tucson-san carlos mx
you know you can change out your jets and go up 2-3 sizes and eliminate stalling and hesitation problems.simple to do for less than ten bucks.don't get a mechanic involved or youll be paying 523.00 for another carb for no reason like the poster a few lines back got taken for by his dishonest mechanic.
 
Feb 5, 2010
47
Hunter Legend 35.5 Fort Pierce, FL
I guess it would depend upon which 'jets' were to be changed out. Which ones would that be? It seems logical that only the low speed circuits would affect idle and starting. BTW.....the replacement carb for my 4hp Nissan 4 stroke was only $108 plus shipping and was drop shipped from TX in 2 business days. It was a 20 minutes to look everything over and 10 minutes to replace. This was after finding lots of stuck jets in the previous carb body that precluded dissassembly.
 

Sumner

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Jan 31, 2009
5,254
Macgregor & Endeavour 26S and 37 Utah's Canyon Country
I guess it would depend upon which 'jets' were to be changed out. Which ones would that be? It seems logical that only the low speed circuits would affect idle and starting. BTW.....the replacement carb for my 4hp Nissan 4 stroke was only $108 plus shipping and was drop shipped from TX in 2 business days. It was a 20 minutes to look everything over and 10 minutes to replace. This was after finding lots of stuck jets in the previous carb body that precluded dissassembly.
You might already know this, so sorry to maybe repeat it, but the only difference in the 4, 5 and 6 HP as far as the HP is the carb. You can put a carb off of a 6 HP on your 4 HP and make it a 6 HP. We have a 5 HP and when I checked on this a couple years ago I think the 6 HP carb was about $140 where I checked. I didn't think it was really worth it for the way we used the outboard, so we never did it,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our Endeavour 37[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Our MacGregor S Pages[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]
 

DJN51

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Oct 26, 2009
377
Hunter 23.5 East Chicago In
Reason for new carb,Fuel had eaten away needle valve seat in casting,no problem with jets.Mechanic sold carb at cost.
 
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