I just bought an O'Day 26 and need to get a 4-stroke outboard motor for it. Since it has an outboard bracket that raises and lowers, can I get by with a 15" shortshaft model, or do I need a 20" or 25" longshaft model. If I need a longshaft model, is the 20" or 25" better? Any good leads on a good price for an 8-10 hp new or used motor?
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Outboard
Dick, The longer the shaft the better off you'll be. Get the 25" if you can. I personally wouldn't attempt the 15" shaft. Make sure you have an outboard motor bracket rated for the four stroke and not a two stroke (there is a difference). Sorry, no leads on the motor. Good Luck! Rick
Dick, The longer the shaft the better off you'll be. Get the 25" if you can. I personally wouldn't attempt the 15" shaft. Make sure you have an outboard motor bracket rated for the four stroke and not a two stroke (there is a difference). Sorry, no leads on the motor. Good Luck! Rick
O'Day 25 outboard
Hi Dick, I have a 1984 O'Day 25 with a Johnson 9.9 long shaft. It is a two stroke and moves the boat along very well. The motor also has electric start which is a nice feature. The Four stroke engines are alot heavier and more expensive than the two stokes.
Hi Dick, I have a 1984 O'Day 25 with a Johnson 9.9 long shaft. It is a two stroke and moves the boat along very well. The motor also has electric start which is a nice feature. The Four stroke engines are alot heavier and more expensive than the two stokes.
difference with the mounts?
What is the difference between a 2 stroke engine mount and a 4 stroke engine mount? I bought a sailboat that the previous owner upgraded to a 4 stroke just before I bought the boat from him. How can I be sure the motor mount is appropriate for the engine? It is an o'day 25 with a Merc 9.9 4 stroke. Ed
What is the difference between a 2 stroke engine mount and a 4 stroke engine mount? I bought a sailboat that the previous owner upgraded to a 4 stroke just before I bought the boat from him. How can I be sure the motor mount is appropriate for the engine? It is an o'day 25 with a Merc 9.9 4 stroke. Ed
Difference between mounts (Ed)
ED-Chances are if the motor mount on the boat has any age on it.....it's only rated for a 2 stroke since 4 strokes haven't been around that long. Just for the sake of it, check out a West Marine(or similar)catalog and look up Outboard Motor Brackets. You'll see that they are rated for either 2 or 4 stroke motors and/or show a max weight rating. Rick
ED-Chances are if the motor mount on the boat has any age on it.....it's only rated for a 2 stroke since 4 strokes haven't been around that long. Just for the sake of it, check out a West Marine(or similar)catalog and look up Outboard Motor Brackets. You'll see that they are rated for either 2 or 4 stroke motors and/or show a max weight rating. Rick
Still need info on shaft length
My primary question is still shaft lenght. I know the longer the better, but will a long shaft or short shaft work, or should I avoid them entirely?I have Rick's opinion on this question(which I appreciate), has any one else had experience with a motor with a 15" or 20" shaft rather than the 25" ???
My primary question is still shaft lenght. I know the longer the better, but will a long shaft or short shaft work, or should I avoid them entirely?I have Rick's opinion on this question(which I appreciate), has any one else had experience with a motor with a 15" or 20" shaft rather than the 25" ???
Mercury 9.8 with 20" Shaft
My 1979 Oday 25 came with a 1983 Mercury 9.8 with a 20" shaft. It also has an adjustable outboard bracket. With the bracket lowered all the way there seems to be plenty of engine in the water unless I'm motoring in a heavy chop. Then I wish I had the extra shaft length. My motor also has remote shift and throttle cables. Without these it would be really hard to reach the controls when the motor is fully lowered.
My 1979 Oday 25 came with a 1983 Mercury 9.8 with a 20" shaft. It also has an adjustable outboard bracket. With the bracket lowered all the way there seems to be plenty of engine in the water unless I'm motoring in a heavy chop. Then I wish I had the extra shaft length. My motor also has remote shift and throttle cables. Without these it would be really hard to reach the controls when the motor is fully lowered.
Engine
Dick - I would definitely get the longest shaft available in the engine you choose; I would not buy any engine that only gave me 15 inches. While people report sucess with short shaft engines the deeper the prop is the better, especially in reverse. I would not feel safe with a short shaft engine on a 25. I also would not buy a four stroke. I went through this process two summers ago when I picked up a mooring line with my last engine, the lockdown wasn't set correctly, and I actually broke all the tilt mechanism hardware - not worth fixing, unfortunately. I worked at the time in a Marine store so I could get essentially cost on the engine of my chioce either through my store or professional courtesy at another dealer. I thought long and hard about four stroke because I like to cruise longish days in my boat and I sometimes need to make a schedule. The four stroke was appealing because of the lack of noise, smell, increase in fuel efficiency and the decreased polution. I was replacing my motor mount anyway, so that wasn't a big deal. I ultimately decided that I did not want the weight of a four stroke hanging on my transom. It would have induced too much squat, decreasing sailing ability, and would have created a bad list unless I added another battery to the opposite side of the boat. Wasn't worth it to me in this type of application. When our Grady White needs to be repowered it will probably get a four stroke - mostly to decrease fuel consumption. I bought an 8hp Johnson with alternator and pull start. 25" shaft length. I burn about .5 gallons per hour at 5.5 knots. With a six gallon tank I can run 60 miles without refueling. I always carry two spare Jerry cans of fuel on board for a total of eighteen gallons - when's the last time you wanted to run 180 miles under power in a 25? Not me!
(For those keeping score, the Jerry cans get filled from different sources so that if I get bad gas I have an alternate. Obesseive? Yep. Has it saved me? Yep.) In short - four strokes are the sexy choice right now, but I wouldn't do it. Justin - O'day Owners' Web
Dick - I would definitely get the longest shaft available in the engine you choose; I would not buy any engine that only gave me 15 inches. While people report sucess with short shaft engines the deeper the prop is the better, especially in reverse. I would not feel safe with a short shaft engine on a 25. I also would not buy a four stroke. I went through this process two summers ago when I picked up a mooring line with my last engine, the lockdown wasn't set correctly, and I actually broke all the tilt mechanism hardware - not worth fixing, unfortunately. I worked at the time in a Marine store so I could get essentially cost on the engine of my chioce either through my store or professional courtesy at another dealer. I thought long and hard about four stroke because I like to cruise longish days in my boat and I sometimes need to make a schedule. The four stroke was appealing because of the lack of noise, smell, increase in fuel efficiency and the decreased polution. I was replacing my motor mount anyway, so that wasn't a big deal. I ultimately decided that I did not want the weight of a four stroke hanging on my transom. It would have induced too much squat, decreasing sailing ability, and would have created a bad list unless I added another battery to the opposite side of the boat. Wasn't worth it to me in this type of application. When our Grady White needs to be repowered it will probably get a four stroke - mostly to decrease fuel consumption. I bought an 8hp Johnson with alternator and pull start. 25" shaft length. I burn about .5 gallons per hour at 5.5 knots. With a six gallon tank I can run 60 miles without refueling. I always carry two spare Jerry cans of fuel on board for a total of eighteen gallons - when's the last time you wanted to run 180 miles under power in a 25? Not me!
(For those keeping score, the Jerry cans get filled from different sources so that if I get bad gas I have an alternate. Obesseive? Yep. Has it saved me? Yep.) In short - four strokes are the sexy choice right now, but I wouldn't do it. Justin - O'day Owners' WebThanks Justin, but
I have no choice- 2 stroke motors are outlawed on Lake Tahoe. My boat came with a nice 2-stroke Johnson 9.9 Sailmaster with long shaft and electric start, but I had to sell it. The "powers that be" demand a 4-stroke or I'm dry docked!!
I have no choice- 2 stroke motors are outlawed on Lake Tahoe. My boat came with a nice 2-stroke Johnson 9.9 Sailmaster with long shaft and electric start, but I had to sell it. The "powers that be" demand a 4-stroke or I'm dry docked!!
4 stroke weight
The 9.9hp four strokes I've been looking at weigh 20 pounds more than the two strokes. That plus a couple of extra pounds for the upgraded bracket. We can't buy two cycle outboards in California like Dick said. 22 more pounds isn't going to worry me that much. The only thing I don't like about the new 4 strokes is the physical size. They make a O'25 look like a MacGregor with a 50. The yamaha has the smallest profile, OMC is the worst. A new 4stroke with the go controls I want will be about $3100 plus tax. A 12hp honda saildrive is about 6100 with a folding prop. Fits under the sink. I've seen a couple installed, very nice.
The 9.9hp four strokes I've been looking at weigh 20 pounds more than the two strokes. That plus a couple of extra pounds for the upgraded bracket. We can't buy two cycle outboards in California like Dick said. 22 more pounds isn't going to worry me that much. The only thing I don't like about the new 4 strokes is the physical size. They make a O'25 look like a MacGregor with a 50. The yamaha has the smallest profile, OMC is the worst. A new 4stroke with the go controls I want will be about $3100 plus tax. A 12hp honda saildrive is about 6100 with a folding prop. Fits under the sink. I've seen a couple installed, very nice.
Diffrences
Just so you are aware Dick, Long shaft is better then a short shaft hands down. Reason being, with a short shaft, the prop is near the top of the water. You run into the problem of the prop sucking in air from the surface and loosing it's bite. The longer the shaft, the deeper the prop, and the less chance of this happening. Short shafts are more for aluminum fishing boats. Can you use one? Yeah...can you rely on it when you really need it? Probably not. Just when you need to race the engine to avoid something, the prop is going to pull in air and you'll loose your bite on the water. The problem with the long shafts, is that often, the motormount won't lift it completely out of the water. This is fine, if you don't mind the small amount of noise and drag created by the prop spinning free with the engine in neutral. The diffrence between 2 and 4 strokes, besides the internal functions is torque vs. RPM. This equates to power vs. speed. A two stroke has it's power at high rpms, and a four has it at low rpms. If you wanted speed, you'd opt for a two stroke. As a sailboat will never get past hull speed because it can't plane, this is of no concern. The torque of a four stroke on the other hand, gives the engine a lot more push. It will preform better in heavy weather when pushing against waves, current, etc. The problem with 2 stroke motormounts is they aren't built to handle the torque of a four. A four pushes a lot harder, and therefore puts much more strain on that bracket. If you can afford it, get a new bracket. If you can't, a safe bet is to use a four stroke no larger then 75% the rating of the bracket. If the bracket is ancient, say OEM on a 1975, I wouldn't go even 50% on it. It may already be suffering stress fatigue. Also, try not to accellerate too quickly, this puts less strain on the bracket. Josh
Just so you are aware Dick, Long shaft is better then a short shaft hands down. Reason being, with a short shaft, the prop is near the top of the water. You run into the problem of the prop sucking in air from the surface and loosing it's bite. The longer the shaft, the deeper the prop, and the less chance of this happening. Short shafts are more for aluminum fishing boats. Can you use one? Yeah...can you rely on it when you really need it? Probably not. Just when you need to race the engine to avoid something, the prop is going to pull in air and you'll loose your bite on the water. The problem with the long shafts, is that often, the motormount won't lift it completely out of the water. This is fine, if you don't mind the small amount of noise and drag created by the prop spinning free with the engine in neutral. The diffrence between 2 and 4 strokes, besides the internal functions is torque vs. RPM. This equates to power vs. speed. A two stroke has it's power at high rpms, and a four has it at low rpms. If you wanted speed, you'd opt for a two stroke. As a sailboat will never get past hull speed because it can't plane, this is of no concern. The torque of a four stroke on the other hand, gives the engine a lot more push. It will preform better in heavy weather when pushing against waves, current, etc. The problem with 2 stroke motormounts is they aren't built to handle the torque of a four. A four pushes a lot harder, and therefore puts much more strain on that bracket. If you can afford it, get a new bracket. If you can't, a safe bet is to use a four stroke no larger then 75% the rating of the bracket. If the bracket is ancient, say OEM on a 1975, I wouldn't go even 50% on it. It may already be suffering stress fatigue. Also, try not to accellerate too quickly, this puts less strain on the bracket. Josh
O-26 with a new Engine and Bracket
Dick, Last year I upgraded my O-26 with a new lift bracket. When I bought the boat, it had a 1996 Honda 8HP 4-stroke long shaft, but the bracket was the original that was for 2-stroke engines. I could hardley lift the engine up because the springs were too weak and the bracket was worn. It was a Garelick E-Z-Lift but was only good for about 65 lbs. The new brack is also a Garelick, but is the one for 4-strokes and is good for 125 lbs. It has twice the number of springs on it. I had the marina install the bracket as per Garelick's instructions and all was successful. When the boat was launched and I lowered the engine to take it up to the slip, only half the prop intered the water. I checked the installation again. All measures were accurate. I checked in with the local Honda dealer and found out the long shaft was not right for my boat. By all rights, it needed the Extra-long shaft. (20 vs. 25) I ended up doing a trade in and upgraded to the new Honda 8HP extra-long shaft and included electric start to insure the first mate would always be able to start it if she had to. The old long shaft model worked on the old lift because the old lift had a longer travel plus wear. The new engine is 101 lbs so it is in the mid-range of weight for the lift. Hope this helps. Good luck in your search. JIM
Dick, Last year I upgraded my O-26 with a new lift bracket. When I bought the boat, it had a 1996 Honda 8HP 4-stroke long shaft, but the bracket was the original that was for 2-stroke engines. I could hardley lift the engine up because the springs were too weak and the bracket was worn. It was a Garelick E-Z-Lift but was only good for about 65 lbs. The new brack is also a Garelick, but is the one for 4-strokes and is good for 125 lbs. It has twice the number of springs on it. I had the marina install the bracket as per Garelick's instructions and all was successful. When the boat was launched and I lowered the engine to take it up to the slip, only half the prop intered the water. I checked the installation again. All measures were accurate. I checked in with the local Honda dealer and found out the long shaft was not right for my boat. By all rights, it needed the Extra-long shaft. (20 vs. 25) I ended up doing a trade in and upgraded to the new Honda 8HP extra-long shaft and included electric start to insure the first mate would always be able to start it if she had to. The old long shaft model worked on the old lift because the old lift had a longer travel plus wear. The new engine is 101 lbs so it is in the mid-range of weight for the lift. Hope this helps. Good luck in your search. JIM
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you that replied to my questions. I feel totally informed about 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke technology, brackets, shaft lenghts, etc.!! You're a very informed group of guys. Thanks, and happy sailing!
I want to thank all of you that replied to my questions. I feel totally informed about 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke technology, brackets, shaft lenghts, etc.!! You're a very informed group of guys. Thanks, and happy sailing!
Engine brackets...
Hmm... Reading Jim's reply about brackets makes me wonder what the heck mine's meant to hold. The previous owner replaced the mount at some point. The springs are so strong that I have to push down hard to get the bracket to go into the water. If I disengage it, it will jump up if I dont push down on it...hmm, guess I need a heavier motor! Josh
Hmm... Reading Jim's reply about brackets makes me wonder what the heck mine's meant to hold. The previous owner replaced the mount at some point. The springs are so strong that I have to push down hard to get the bracket to go into the water. If I disengage it, it will jump up if I dont push down on it...hmm, guess I need a heavier motor! Josh
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