I recently purchased my first boat a 1974 Hunter 25. An old beat up outboard came with it. The cost to fix it and get it running would be around $400 from a local repair shop, and there is no guarantee. That was just the quote for the carb rebuild and parts. The wires don't seem right either and it has a broken tiller handle. It is a 10 hp Chrysler outboard motor. I have been looking at running 6 hp motors on ebay going for around $200-$300. Will a 6 hp motor be enough to get my boat up to hull speed? If not how much more is the minimum for my boat? I would feel comfortable buying a used running engine rather than trying to get one running that I have never seen run. Another reason I want to switch is I believe the motor I have is a short shaft. I don't know exactly how to measure this. But it is only 20 inches from the bottom of the motor to the second fin. I see that most sail boats have long shaft motors. Does this mean that you should not use a short shaft, or is it just more convenient? Thanks for any help.
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be careful
More and More I hear of horror stories of items now being sold on EBay. Do not ever buy a used motor unless you see it and hear it run. This is not the first. Is it worth it. I cannot tell from your description if that is a 15 or 20 shaft. If it is a 15 inch shaft, then you just wasted your money. 20 inch shaft is what you need but if it has a 25 inch shaft that will be fine too.
More and More I hear of horror stories of items now being sold on EBay. Do not ever buy a used motor unless you see it and hear it run. This is not the first. Is it worth it. I cannot tell from your description if that is a 15 or 20 shaft. If it is a 15 inch shaft, then you just wasted your money. 20 inch shaft is what you need but if it has a 25 inch shaft that will be fine too.
I have a 1977 H25 with a long shaft 9.9 Evinrude. I would not recommend going with any less motor for the boat, especially if you have to deal with any current or seaway.. Craig
Chrysler Motors...
...are now out of business. That would be another concern that I would have if I were to get it fixed.
...are now out of business. That would be another concern that I would have if I were to get it fixed.
You don't need E-bay!
Stephen Fierro of Philadelphia, I take it that’s Philadelphia Pennsylvania? Since you live in a major metropolitan city you don’t need E-Bay to buy an outboard. You just need to call around to a few boat dealers and not necessarily a sailboat dealer; any boat dealer might have good used long shaft outboards for sale. Going with a reputable dealer might get you a small initial warranty as well. Don’t go too small and don’t go too cheap. There is nothing more frustrating than going out for a sail and you can’t even get off the dock because it won’t start. Or worse yet it keeps dying as your trying to dock and you have current and cross winds to deal with, Takes all the fun out of sailing real fast. Been there done that. There are the safety issues to think about as well.
Stephen Fierro of Philadelphia, I take it that’s Philadelphia Pennsylvania? Since you live in a major metropolitan city you don’t need E-Bay to buy an outboard. You just need to call around to a few boat dealers and not necessarily a sailboat dealer; any boat dealer might have good used long shaft outboards for sale. Going with a reputable dealer might get you a small initial warranty as well. Don’t go too small and don’t go too cheap. There is nothing more frustrating than going out for a sail and you can’t even get off the dock because it won’t start. Or worse yet it keeps dying as your trying to dock and you have current and cross winds to deal with, Takes all the fun out of sailing real fast. Been there done that. There are the safety issues to think about as well.
Outboards
Next to having a sound boat, having a sound auxilliary engine comes next. When you leave home port, you want to know that you'll be able to get back, regardless of the conditions. Although I now have a boat with an inboard diesel, my last two boats had outboards. One of the first things I did was replace them with new engines. The peace of mind was well worth the cost. I always knew those engines would start. As to power, you basically need at least 2 hp per thousand pounds of displacement. I assume your boat displaces about 4200 lbs or so. I guess you need a motor in the 8-10 hp. The shaft length is somewhat dependent on how the ob bracket is mounted, but my guess is you need at least a 20 in shaft length. If you get a motor with a very long shaft andput itis on a bracket that is mounted low on the transom, you may not be able to get the motor up out the water when sailing or in the slip. Makers of ob brackets (i.e. Garelick) will send you mounting instructions if you ask for them. They have some precise measurement features. Finally, a friend of mine used to have 1980 Hunter 25. He put a 10-hp Honda on it and that boat could power thru any conditions.
Next to having a sound boat, having a sound auxilliary engine comes next. When you leave home port, you want to know that you'll be able to get back, regardless of the conditions. Although I now have a boat with an inboard diesel, my last two boats had outboards. One of the first things I did was replace them with new engines. The peace of mind was well worth the cost. I always knew those engines would start. As to power, you basically need at least 2 hp per thousand pounds of displacement. I assume your boat displaces about 4200 lbs or so. I guess you need a motor in the 8-10 hp. The shaft length is somewhat dependent on how the ob bracket is mounted, but my guess is you need at least a 20 in shaft length. If you get a motor with a very long shaft andput itis on a bracket that is mounted low on the transom, you may not be able to get the motor up out the water when sailing or in the slip. Makers of ob brackets (i.e. Garelick) will send you mounting instructions if you ask for them. They have some precise measurement features. Finally, a friend of mine used to have 1980 Hunter 25. He put a 10-hp Honda on it and that boat could power thru any conditions.
Take a course
Whatever you decide to do with this motor is great, but in the future you should look into taking a small engine repair course. I took a small engine course that cost me $200 and lasted eight weeks. It was one of the best things I've done. The course has paid for itself many times over with my own maintenance and repairs. If my motor does fail (new ones CAN fail too) while I'm out on the water, I now have a greater chance of getting it to run again. Oh yea... it works for a lot more than just outboards too.
Whatever you decide to do with this motor is great, but in the future you should look into taking a small engine repair course. I took a small engine course that cost me $200 and lasted eight weeks. It was one of the best things I've done. The course has paid for itself many times over with my own maintenance and repairs. If my motor does fail (new ones CAN fail too) while I'm out on the water, I now have a greater chance of getting it to run again. Oh yea... it works for a lot more than just outboards too.
Either that or buy new
I just went through a similar ordeal! I would say that unless you are mechanically inclined, have taken a small engine repair course AND enjoy working on outboard engines as much as you like to sail then buy a good used one. Otherwise, bite the bullet and buy a NEW one. It is not worth hassle or the expense of an outboard motor in the shop. Unless you can fix it yourself, at $80/hr, repair costs add up real quick. Not to mention the sailing time lost while you motor is held "hostage" in a repair shop that prioritizes working on OMC stern drives and 300 hp Mercruisers. Although I have not purchased a NEW motor on line, there are plenty of Nissan/Tohatsu sellers on the web. I heard they are good & reliable engines. If you are close to some local dealers call around and see if there are any leftovers. Good Luck & fair winds B
I just went through a similar ordeal! I would say that unless you are mechanically inclined, have taken a small engine repair course AND enjoy working on outboard engines as much as you like to sail then buy a good used one. Otherwise, bite the bullet and buy a NEW one. It is not worth hassle or the expense of an outboard motor in the shop. Unless you can fix it yourself, at $80/hr, repair costs add up real quick. Not to mention the sailing time lost while you motor is held "hostage" in a repair shop that prioritizes working on OMC stern drives and 300 hp Mercruisers. Although I have not purchased a NEW motor on line, there are plenty of Nissan/Tohatsu sellers on the web. I heard they are good & reliable engines. If you are close to some local dealers call around and see if there are any leftovers. Good Luck & fair winds B
Poor and in College
I really appreciate all of the good advice. I would love to go and buy a brand new motor. But I simply can't come close to affording one. The cost of a new motor would be around what I paid for my whole boat. I used to be a small engine mechanic as a part time job in high school. The only reason I have not worked on my own engine is that I am lacking the space and tools living in the city. I have to trade off reliability for cost. If I didn't, I would have bought a new boat instead of a beat up old 1974. I was hoping on being able to enjoy this for the season till I finish school next year and can get a better job. I guess more of what I'm asking is has anyone here ever bought a used engine and had a good/bad experience with it. With all the prompting I'm going to dust off my old tool set and set aside a space in my apartment to work. I believe I'm going to try and buy a used motor for now, while I repair my other. Then just switch them out if one give me problems over another. Has any one been know to carry two outboards on their boat? I think I could store one were the old inboard used to be.
I really appreciate all of the good advice. I would love to go and buy a brand new motor. But I simply can't come close to affording one. The cost of a new motor would be around what I paid for my whole boat. I used to be a small engine mechanic as a part time job in high school. The only reason I have not worked on my own engine is that I am lacking the space and tools living in the city. I have to trade off reliability for cost. If I didn't, I would have bought a new boat instead of a beat up old 1974. I was hoping on being able to enjoy this for the season till I finish school next year and can get a better job. I guess more of what I'm asking is has anyone here ever bought a used engine and had a good/bad experience with it. With all the prompting I'm going to dust off my old tool set and set aside a space in my apartment to work. I believe I'm going to try and buy a used motor for now, while I repair my other. Then just switch them out if one give me problems over another. Has any one been know to carry two outboards on their boat? I think I could store one were the old inboard used to be.
Used two cycle
In our neck of the woods with many boaters switching to four cycles and more powerful motors, there are many clean used 5-10 hp 2 cycles on the market. The extra fuel they use shouldn't be a big deal on a sail boat. Try to find something with low hours that has only been used in fresh water. Look at the motor before you buy. (not EBay) Good luck.
In our neck of the woods with many boaters switching to four cycles and more powerful motors, there are many clean used 5-10 hp 2 cycles on the market. The extra fuel they use shouldn't be a big deal on a sail boat. Try to find something with low hours that has only been used in fresh water. Look at the motor before you buy. (not EBay) Good luck.
What Condition is it in?
In my opinion, one major issue for Outboards is saltwater corrosion. Assuming you've checked under the cowell, replaced and gapped the spark plug, checked the prop and visual condition of the lower unit, you should have a gut feel as to how well it has been cared for. Go on-line and find a maintenance manual for the engine. A carburetor re-build, assuming parts are available is really no more trouble than working on a lawn mower. Presumably the wiring harness could be replaced as well as the high voltage side of the ignition without costing you more than a hundred or so. By the way, from 1980 to 1985 I had a used 1978 Hunter 25 with a long shoft evinrude 9.9 and that was the right size for the boat.
In my opinion, one major issue for Outboards is saltwater corrosion. Assuming you've checked under the cowell, replaced and gapped the spark plug, checked the prop and visual condition of the lower unit, you should have a gut feel as to how well it has been cared for. Go on-line and find a maintenance manual for the engine. A carburetor re-build, assuming parts are available is really no more trouble than working on a lawn mower. Presumably the wiring harness could be replaced as well as the high voltage side of the ignition without costing you more than a hundred or so. By the way, from 1980 to 1985 I had a used 1978 Hunter 25 with a long shoft evinrude 9.9 and that was the right size for the boat.
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