1st try ..my E-TEC was very easy to winterize

[PeteV]

Just some feedback from a new engine owner.

I repowered earlier this Spring with an Evinrude E-TEC But now its time to get it ready for winter storage.

My previous engine was a 1988 Johnson ... so life with a new engine is a little different. The E-TEC has a squence that automaticaly prepares the engine for storage... I can't speak for other engines but the procedure was very easy to follow for a guy with no experience.... it took a couple minutes and then I was ready to put the boat away. I know a lot of you guys do the winterization yourself (I use to bring it to the Marina to have it done) ... anyway I just wanted to drop a post to say I couldn't believe how straightforward it was...a cheap thrill from the mechanicly inept.

[spitfisher]

Yeah, I had heard that it's just a sequence of buttons and......then it does it automatically.
Ahhh the way life aughta be.

However I am sure others will chime in and state the obviouse that it does change the lower oil....plugs etc.

Still conveniant- must **** off the marinas though.

[Bob Parsons]

The average person will go three years on the etec before they need to change those plugs ($15 each)

If the computer goes after the warenty is done, it cost $1300 to replace. Which why I'm manually winterizing mine etec.

[StanH]

I'm planning to repower my 17 ft whaler in the spring. Looking at 4 strokes, maybe an etec. Are you etec owners happy with the etec or would you go for a 4 stroke if you had to do it again?

stan

[PeteV]

I repowered because my 1988 motor seemed to be having trouble with the "new" gas... I figured they were all good motors (I looked at Honda, suzuki & the E-TEC). Speaking for myself it came down to were the dealer was located. I ended up going with the E-tec because I fish around IPSWICH and there is a very good mechanic there....and last spring E-tec was offering a 5 YEAR warranty... wow ... 5 freaking years .. does that part matter ... for me it does... I had a problem with a fuel pump & fuel injector and both were covered... no charge... as mentioned before I tend to be mechanicly inept so I can't imagine having an outboard without a good relationship with a mechanic so I'm glad my primary consideration was about a good dealer & mechanic versus just a spec sheet.

I have a relatively small boat so my big consideration was engine weight (the e-tec was a lot lighter).... but I have a hunch just about any engine will do the job....

added comment
(Bobis right it comes to cost ...e-tecs are expensive ... it hurts)

[Bob Parsons]

My boat is about maxed as far as power is concerned so weight was an important consideration. Would I get another one? Probably it will come to cost more than anything else.

[z-drive]

I looked at the e-tecs for my repower last summer, and it came down to service and v-stroke vs 2-stroke. as nice as they are, at the end of the day its a 2-stroke. also, i can't stand those cheap feeling controls they were comming with then, i dont know if thats changed.

if you look into weight look at the suzukis, they seem to have the best power/weight compared to the others like honda and yamaha. Besides some stupid things (pump/injector like pete) my 140 is a sweet piece of engineering and would reccomend one. i hate to see mine go, but thats the cost of moving up.

my 140 suzuki only weighed in something like 40-50 pounds heavier than the yamaha 2 stroke i had before. when in doubt put a weight (gym weightlifting type) on there and see how much it effects how the boat sits in the water.

[bass1]

My vote is Suzuki all the way!

I have over 12 boats in the FBC fleet w/ Suzuki's ranging from 140, 150, 200, and 225 and they have been dependable (knock on wood), easy to maintain, and economical. I tried re-powering one boat and for size/weight constraints I decided to try twin 150 etecs. Both motors have had separate problems related to the computers sending bad alarms and oiling/over oiling issues.

My etec issues may be isolated but i can not say enough good things about the Suzuki's. Good Luck w/ the re-power.

[PeteV]

I gave the Suzukis a lot of thought & It was a very hard decision for me...I wish I new more. The hardest part is that everyone says they made a great choice. Except for the price I have no regrets (but all the good ones were expensive).

Stan, You mentioned you were repowering a 17' boat. I'm sure your whaler is heavier than my old boat but I ended up going a little lighter on my power. I had a 70 hp and I ended up with a 60 (power & speed remain very close). The 2 stroke seems to have nice power when I first get started and gets the boat on plane pretty quick. The speed is quick enough: by myself I go 30 & when I have the wife & kids its 28 (which is plenty fast for my need) The best part is the fuel lasts forever .... a full day trip still leaves plenty of gas in the tank and I usually dump in 10 gallons from a portable tank I have so I don't have to even bring the boat through the gas station when the pumps are crowded in the summer.

If your repowering good luck ...it was a true IQ test going through the different brands.

heres a pic of what I was working with

[StanH]

My 17 ft Whaler currently has a 90 HP 1989 Evenrude.

Think I'll look at something between 70 and 90 HP. The Suzuki 70 and 90 HP weigh the same. The Yamaha 90 is about 30 lbs more then the Suzuki. The Evenrude I have now, comes in at 302 lbs. The Suzuki 90 comes in at 341 lbs. Weight doesn't look like it will be an issue.

The e-Tecs seem to be more expensive, but I did see a demo (75HP) listing for $6400. It's two years old. Comes with warrenty. For a few dollars more, it may be worth getting a new one.


I see on the web that Ed's Marine Superstore has some good prices. I know the controls are extra. ($600 for Yamaha) Has any one done business with them?

Stan