I Hate my Outboard

[Tripod]

Originally Posted by bstreep

Just curious, anyone have/see one of those new propane outboards? No ethanol to deal with.

Just ordered one last night. No carb, no choke, no ethanol, no separate fuel tank (for short trips). I'll post a review after it arrives (probably several weeks).

BTW, my Marinner 8 is a 1981 with unknown hours. Runs great, but I need to crack it open to clean out salt deposits in the power head because the PO never flushed it. The only PITA will be drilling and re-tapping the bolts that break (they're aluminum). I anticipate that at least half will snap.

[ohdrinkboy]

Originally Posted by Dustymc

You've never owned a 2HP Honda, have you?

Nope and from the feedback, I won't be

[drewzn]

Try oars! Mine never give me any trouble!

[Tripod]

Originally Posted by drewzn

Try oars! Mine never give me any trouble!

Oars are great. I use them much more often that an outboard. However, sometimes the current, wind, or distance make a reliable motor essential.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by drewzn

Try oars! Mine never give me any trouble!

Sure they do; mine don't stay in the holders.

[charliehows]

[QUOTE=Bash;932688]What Steinbeck wrote about his "Hansen Sea-Cow" in The Log from the Sea of Cortez:

i just finished reading that - laughed myself stupid over the outboard descriptions, takes Steinbeck to create a memorable character out of an outboard motor. i wont have one meself, rowing's about the best exercise i get these days.

[Dustymc]

Originally Posted by ohdrinkboy

Nope and from the feedback, I won't be

That's a little selfish, don't you think? We like to get together and drink whiskey and bitch about the things - it's great fun. I'd be happy to sell you a membership....

[teejayevans]

A while back I was looking to buy 2hp Honda but then wouldn't sell them unless you also bought a dink so bought the Suzuki 2.5 instead, it also is lightweight .
After storing it for 5 months I had to clean the carb and also clean the spark plug to get it to start. It usually starts on 2nd pull, the first pull binds so I do it slowly then let it rip on the second.
YMMV
Tom

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Get rid of it and try another. Life is too short.

I have had great luck with outboards my whole life. My current one is a rather scruffy-looking 12-year old 25 horsepower Mariner. Runs like a top.

The dinghy I bought recently has a 20hp Mariner on it, 97 model.
Never ceases to amaze me how it starts first time every time on about 1/2 a pull, even when cold.
And I'm sure it requires less effort than the 2hp suzuki I had.

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Tripod

Oars are great. I use them much more often that an outboard. However, sometimes the current, wind, or distance make a reliable motor essential.

Yep, I did 37 nautical miles @ 18 knots yesterday in my dinghy.
Try doing that with oars

[sailorboy1]

So I got a gasket kit for my carb. Only $13 for the kit when all I needed was the needle valve o-ring. Replaced the o-ring and the POS started up and ran well. But it still leaked from the carb even with the new o-ring.

Moved the boat from the winter marina to the summer one. The outboard started right up and got us in to the docks, hope it gets us back next week since launch service doesn't start till May 1. I'm probably killing 1/2 the ocean fishes as I probably lost 1-oz of gas during the trip.

On the plus side I guess I don't need to worry about the gas sitting in the carb and gumming it up!

Have I say that I hate my outboard lately?

[ViribusUnitis]

Anyone aware of a "direct fuel injection" small outboard engine? Any opinions of them?

Evinrude sells a 15 hp "high output" engine. It weighs between 170 and 185 lbs. That ain't exactly light. They are also selling a "multi fuel" 55 hp engine that can apparently run on diesel fuel or gasoline. To bad they only offer it in a 55 hp model.

I'm a gear head from way back. I've long thought that the direct injection sounds good. In theory direct fuel injection on a 2-cycle engine appears to provide similar emissions to a 4 stroke, and 2-cycle performance. All with the reliability of electric fuel injection. No more carbs to clean, or small low pressure jets to get clogged.

Just curious if anyone else has experience with these engines.

[Dustymc]

Originally Posted by ViribusUnitis

Evinrude sells a 15 hp "high output" engine. It weighs between 170 and 185 lbs.

Hmmmm- one "high output" 15 HP or one plain ol' 40HP 2-stroke for the same weight....

Or you could run a 2-stroke 25 and bring 85 pounds of beer

[sailorboy1]

So ............... apparently outboards respond to bad press and try to improve their image. My little Honda has been running so good lately that I turned the idle back down because it acturally will now run slow enough to not turn the prop and stall at the same time. I ever got the carb to stop dripping.

So I don't hate it anymore .................... for now!

But it did "bite" my wife on the boob! She started it up and didn't keep ahold of the cord, so the outboard taught her a lesson!