Lehr Propane Outboards

[Chotu]

I inherited a 5hp with my monohull.

A larger Tohatsu we have couldn't be pull started by my girlfriend. So, we used the Lehr all summer. It worked well. None of those carb problems everything else has. The little disposable propane cylinders were what we used for the summer and it was ridiculously expensive. But, it served its purpose.

I thought we had a great little kicker in the Lehr 5hp, until it came time to put away the dinghy for the season a few weeks ago.

The motor had been on for 4 months. Tohatsu has been on for years at a time between removing it from the transom. Well, the Lehr fused together due to corrosion. 4 months on the transom and you couldn't spin the handles that are supposed to rotate the bolts that clamp it to the transom. I used penetrating oils, time, tapping, heat, you name it.

Ok, I decided to get more leverage.

I put a pipe on the handle to spin it. Predictably, the handle broke off the bolt. It's just cheap plastic on these after all. It wasn't as weak as I thought because it actually twisted the bolt!! The bolt didn't budge, but the metal of the bolt twisted like wringing out a rag! I put some vice grips on to replace the handle. The bolt just twisted like a piece of pasta!!! Never once budging to release the motor from the transom!

Eventually I gave up. I had to take a pair of bolt cutters and just cut the thing off my dinghy.

Couldn't believe how the dissimilar metals welded together or how cheap the clamping bolts are that they'd twist like pasta.

The motor itself ran great. Never a single issue other than the small propane tanks running out mid channel at night every single time. But always started right up and 90lbs girlfriend could pull start it too. But the hardware was not up to par.

Still may keep it though.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by HopCar

I’m afraid I don’t know what is going on with them. I haven’t had any contact with them since I retired. Their last Facebook post was in February 2018. I suspect they are at least temporarily out of business. Maybe someone will buy the assets and revive the company.

HopCar,
Thanks for the sincere assessment. I thought the concept was great and we could be free of gasoline while we traveled. It is still a good concept and some day it might become a dependable dingy engine. Or, as you said, an excellent aux for small sailboats.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by Chotu

The motor had been on for 4 months. Tohatsu has been on for years at a time between removing it from the transom. Well, the Lehr fused together due to corrosion. 4 months on the transom and you couldn't spin the handles that are supposed to rotate the bolts that clamp it to the transom. I used penetrating oils, time, tapping, heat, you name it.

Sorry you had to deal with that.

I always put TefGel on transom bolts. I use TefGel for automotive and HAM radio stuff as well. It works.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by KP44

Sorry you had to deal with that.

I always put TefGel on transom bolts. I use TefGel for automotive and HAM radio stuff as well. It works.

Yeah. I guess next time. I have never had to do that in the past two in all my decades of boating. I’ve never had an outboard stick like that before. Times they are a changing. LOL cheaper and cheaper materials.

[Aahj]

Just bringing this post back from the dead. Any body have any info on where to purchase parts for these outboards?

Lehr is out of business and is part of the Onyx corporation. I called and they have no contacts what so ever from that division.

West marine was a dealer but they don't have access. Also tried Michigan Motors who used to be a dealer with no luck.

I did find a service manual online and I have part numbers but Google searches coming up empty.

Looking for a shift lever which is plastic and broke off. I figured while I had it apart I'd order a couple other items to refresh it.

Anyway, if anyone has any info, it would be greatly appreciated! Maybe there is a warehouse out there with some NOS on the shelf.

All the best,
AJ

[KP44]

I have a Lehr 5 hp in my garage with very little use. It had a known manufacturing defect that created a propane leak under the cowling. Lehr never contacted me about the defect and I discovered it when we were in a foreign country, far from warrantee repairs. A propane expert in Mexico repaired the <extremely dangerous!> defective parts. I bought a replacement gasoline outboard and have never trusted or used the Lehr since.
It might be OK for puttering around on a small lake but if you are doing any serious sailing, the Lehr would work better as an anchor. I would not waste much money on repairs.

[Aahj]

Yea, not doing anything crazy with it. It came with the dinghy when I bought my current boat. I can see the flexible fuel line is severely dry rotted and I will be replacing that as well. That is actually a part I can purchase...but anything else, it looks like I'm currently SOL.

AJ

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by KP44

I have a Lehr 5 hp in my garage with very little use. It had a known manufacturing defect that created a propane leak under the cowling. Lehr never contacted me about the defect and I discovered it when we were in a foreign country, far from warrantee repairs. A propane expert in Mexico repaired the <extremely dangerous!> defective parts. I bought a replacement gasoline outboard and have never trusted or used the Lehr since.
It might be OK for puttering around on a small lake but if you are doing any serious sailing, the Lehr would work better as an anchor. I would not waste much money on repairs.

Which (defective) part you referring too..?

[rafreeland]

There is a Lehr Outboard Owners group on Facebook that is a useful resource for orphaned Lehr owners.

[sparrowhawk1]

Is there a link so I can read comments without joining? Thank you.

Originally Posted by rafreeland

There is a Lehr Outboard Owners group on Facebook that is a useful resource for orphaned Lehr owners.

[rafreeland]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/443946179534115/

or enter "Lehr Outboard Owners" in the search function.

[sparrowhawk1]

Rafreeland, thank you for your response. The link requires creating an account . I was hoping there would be a way for me to read the posts without one.

[Taro]

Hello folks.. Greetings from Denmark.

Just bought a 2.5 hp Propane engine.. Could anyone tell me if they are high or low pressure Propane connection? In Denmark every propane driven unit is 30 bar. So low pressure .. But what are theese engines?

I have an adapter for the propane connector so it will and does fit the 1 lb cans sold here ind Denmark.


Cant find anything about it ..

Thanx

[skipperpete]

Originally Posted by Taro

Hello folks.. Greetings from Denmark.



Just bought a 2.5 hp Propane engine.. Could anyone tell me if they are high or low pressure Propane connection? In Denmark every propane driven unit is 30 bar. So low pressure .. But what are theese engines?



I have an adapter for the propane connector so it will and does fit the 1 lb cans sold here ind Denmark.





Cant find anything about it ..



Thanx

That’s a tricky question to answer, on most (but not all) cruising yachts the propane regulator is at the cylinder so the gas line to the appliance only carries very low pressure but your propane engine has what the user manual describes as a “high pressure” line from the cylinder to the engine..... no regulator on the cylinder so I guess 30 bar but there exists a third available option for yachts called “ CNG” and this is seriously high pressure. Compressed natural gas was introduced as a cleaner safer alternative for cooking and heating, lighter than propane but needed high pressure tanks ( like scuba tanks). CNG for cruisers seems to have gone the way of the Dodo but every now and then it gets a mention on one of the forums so it’s definitely still around.

[Taro]

Originally Posted by skipperpete

That’s a tricky question to answer, on most (but not all) cruising yachts the propane regulator is at the cylinder so the gas line to the appliance only carries very low pressure but your propane engine has what the user manual describes as a “high pressure” line from the cylinder to the engine..... no regulator on the cylinder so I guess 30 bar but there exists a third available option for yachts called “ CNG” and this is seriously high pressure. Compressed natural gas was introduced as a cleaner safer alternative for cooking and heating, lighter than propane but needed high pressure tanks ( like scuba tanks). CNG for cruisers seems to have gone the way of the Dodo but every now and then it gets a mention on one of the forums so it’s definitely still around.

Hey thank you for the reply. I know Germany propane units is 50 bar pressure so wont work with the 30 bar here in Denmark. I know that because last year i bought a coolingbox for drinks food etc from Germany. Exactly the same units they sell in Denmark just cheaper. I could not get it to work. Called the local dealer in Denmark and he told me to look at the little sticker on the cooler. And yes it said only for use with 50 bar. He send me a picture of the same unit produced for Denmark and that sticker said only to use with 30 bar pressure. But my problem here with this Lehr engine is that i can not find any Coleman propane cans locally and they are wery expensive from where i can order it. The propan cans sold in Denmark dont have the right connection as the Coleman cans. The previous owner has bought somekind of cheap china adapter so the danish cans will fit. They dont fit in the space in the engine though.