Advice on new or rebuilt motor

[Magic32]

Things are progressing nicely on my Pappaw's 1965 Rich Line. I've got the outside of it sealed and painted, going to seal, paint, rewire and put in Styrofoam next week. As I work through each step, my mind runs ahead to the next step. Which for me will be getting a motor for this 16 foot. I'm thinking I won't need anything above 20hp as it will mostly be me, the wife and two kids or just me and a buddy, or just me. I'm not looking to set any speed records and have no intentions of entering any tournaments. Just wanting to find some fishing spots and have fun. Believe me, a couple of times my dad had a bad motor on this thing and I am positive I do not want to paddle this thing a few miles back to the ramp again.

I'm sure there will be a lot of opinions on this which is what I'm hoping for. So if it were you, what would you get to move this boat up and down the river/lake?

 

[airshot]

What is the max hp rating for the boat ? You looking at newer 4 strokes or older two strokes ? For a 16' boat, you might consider going larger on the hp.

 

[Stand Up]

A nice shiny new Honda 25 HP would work fine I would imagine. Electric start.
There, I just spent all your fishing money.

 

[Magic32]

Ha! Thanks for the advice, but I’m not overly concerned with the costs. Thinking an old 2 stroke is more reliable in the long run, but new comes with a warranty. More than 20hp, I was leaning on my FIL’s advice regarding the motor size, but his info is about 40 years old.

 

[flatheadsteve]

I ran a 20hp tohatsu on a 16ft alumacraft mod v. It worked really well on that boat. Not as fast as the 25hp 2 stroke it replaced but it had electric start and idled so quiet you would forget it was on.

 

[LDUBS]

I ran a 25 HP Merc four stroke on a 15' mod-V side console boat. 350# dry weight. Motor was electric start and had power tilt & trim. Boat jumped right up on plane.

 

[Magic32]

I appreciate the help folks. I've been looking at Mercs but only electric start as I've heard they can have a hard pull. Not super familiar with Tohatsu. Are they a long lasting motor?

 

[LDUBS]

I appreciate the help folks. I've been looking at Mercs but only electric start as I've heard they can have a hard pull. Not super familiar with Tohatsu. Are they a long lasting motor?

Tohatsu actually made that Merc you were looking at! They make the small motors for Mercury outboards. I hear nothing but good things about them.

BTW, you mention electric start. If budget allows consider the power trim and tilt. In my opinion it makes a big difference, especially when the boat is up on plane.

 

[Magic32]

My inexperience probably showing, I wasn't sure how much of a difference power trim and tilt would on a v bottom. But I'm guessing they do.

 

[airshot]

Not sure what your age might be, but I can tell you from years of experience, electric starting and PT&T are luxeries you will appreciate as time goes on!! Motors get harder to pull start with each passing year !

 

[LDUBS]

My inexperience probably showing, I wasn't sure how much of a difference power trim and tilt would on a v bottom. But I'm guessing they do.

I think you will like the ability to trim the motor while underway. It is pretty neat how well the boat suddenly rides just right when you get the outboard trimmed out just right. And of course, when you want to tilt the motor up for whatever reason, just push a button.

 

[headduck]

Power trim is a winner especially if you run up into shallows.

Suzukis are quite popular here and pretty affordable. Good warranties too.

 

[Magic32]

Well I’m in my late 40s with a bout a year to go before I retire. This is apart of my retirement and go fishing plan. I’m sold on the electric start as I watched my dad trough about 3 motors on this thing 20+ years ago and each time I paddled this sucker back to the launch.

I’m sold on the trim as well. Once I get used to it, there’s a lot of rivers around here that could use some fishing

 

[headduck]

Choose a brand that well represented in your region. Good service is a great thing.

 

[rpt50]

It's sounds like you are a "do-it-yourself" kind of guy, and refurbishing an older 2 stroke might be just the ticket. They are very simple engines and fixing one up would probably teach you the skills to keep it running forever.

If you don't want to mess with motors, I would think a new version of any of the popular brands would do the job. I would choose on price and service availability.

 

[Magic32]

I’m with you. After retiring I’ll probably look at an older 2 stroke and do just that, fix and keep it forever, in the meanwhile though…

 

[wmk0002]

Its always good to have a nice 2-stroke on hand, even if its not your primary motor. Most of them still have parts available and then they are easy to work on. Will run forever from a mechanical standpoint if they were built correctly and have proper lubrication and cooler water.

That said a new modern 4-stroke is tough to beat from just an operational and functionality standpoint, especially one with electric start and trim. They are quiet at all speeds and don't smoke (which I like) and dont have all that oily residue leaking from the prop and exhaust ports.

I'm running a 2020 Yamaha F25 on my 1648 and love it. It's electric start and I have tilt/trim from a Panther 55 trim unit. But I also have a couple 90's/2000's model Yamaha 25 2 strokes I plan to hang onto and run every now and then on another hull. Comparing them side by side its truly amazing how much more complex the new model is.