Repowering Our Old Whaler

Hey Everybody,

How is everybody doing? We are getting ready to repower our old Boston Whaler Classic Sport 15. We are trying to decide between the Honda BF 60, Evinrude ETEC 60, Suzuki 60, or the Yamaha F70.

Here are the specifications. The maximum rated horsepower for this hull is 70, which means the transom is capable of handling about 260 pounds.

I will let you know which outboard I am partial to at a later post. I will give you a hint, though. One of those manufacturers designed the 3.4 engine found in first generation Tacomas.

Thanks in advance to all those that reply.

Take it easy,
Paul

 

You might want to try reposting this in thehulltruth.com

 

Hey man i repowered my 1966 17’ with a 90 ETEC three years ago and its been absolutely amazing
Let me know if you have any questions

 

I had a late 80's Suzuki 25hp on my old 13' Whaler and it ran great. It would outrun similar boats with 30 and 35hp motors. With the newer motors, they all seem pretty good so you might want to look at the weight to see if there are any significant differences. My current boat has a mid 90's Mercury 60/45 jet and it runs well. Do you have dealers near you that can work on all those motors if there are any problems? Even if it's under warranty, if you don't have a dealer that can work on it, it could lead to lengthy down time to get something repaired.

 

I'd vote Etec, but I think some lakes out in Commifornia only allow 4 strokes (but I still wouldn't put a heavy 4 stroke on a classic Whaler). Having a 17' classic myself, the key is to keep the power to weight ratio solid and make sure its mounted at the right height and has the correct pitch prop for what you are using it for. Also check out ContinuousWave.com and Whalercentral.com. The forum moderator on Whaler Central is a jerk, so I don't ever post, but there is a lot of good information still.

 

Dear Everybody,

Thank you for all of your replies. All of your insight and input has been helpful. Does anybody know of a publication or web page that deals exclusively with buying and selling used outboard motors? Please tell me what the name of it is if there is such a thing.

To all of the Boston Whaler owners out there. Please beware of Continuous Wave and Whaler Central. They might seem like great web pages by design to find facts and insights on Boston Whalers. Unfortunately, they are both filled with attitude and ego, which stem from the attitudes of their administrators. I am going to refrain from mentioning any names, but they are both run by two of the biggest assholes on the planet.

Take it easy,
Paul

 

I am partial to the Yamaha F70 because Yamaha designed the 3.4 Toyota V6 engine found in our old Tacoma.

 

Weights:
Honda 239#
Etec 240#
Suzuki 230#
Yamaha 253#

 

The Mercury 60hp four stroke weighs 247 lbs. The thing I don't like about it, it's made in China, but all the main parts are made in the US.,gears,driveshaft,propshaft and crankshaft.

 

My 90 etec on my 1966 outruns a 90 Suzuki on a 1970 and new 90 yamii on 67

 

Wow, thank you for all of this wonderful insight. All of you are way more helpful than both of the Whaler sites.

I bought out Whaler eight years ago strictly on emotion. I wanted a classic Sport 15 since I was a kid, and one day I just happened to find one on Craig's List. Unfortunately, it was maintained by the owner's two teenage boys so it was rough to say the least. I used as it was for about a year or so, and then the old Johnson 70 horsepower ran so shitty that I got rid of the motor after that first year. Since then I have completely restored the boat.

So far my choices for outboards are the Yamaha first followed by the Honda and Evinrude.

Take it easy,
Paul

 

I really really suggest you go check out a whaler with an etec you will be blown away

 

Thanks Jack for your suggestion.

Here are the pros and cons of the Evinrude ETEC 60 verse the Yamaha F70.

Pros of the ETEC 60:
Quicker Hole Shot
Lighter
Easier to maintain

Cons of the ETEC 60
2-Stroke oil is damn expensive
Not as smooth at idle as 4-Stroke Yamaha or Honda

Pros of the Yamaha F70
Faster on the top end
smoother idle
no adding oil to gas

Cons of the Yamaha F70
Heavier
harder to maintain

Take it easy,
Paul

 

My cousin had problems with a 50 Etec and then with a Yamaha (40 or 60) so I don't think there is a "best" brand to go with. He liked both engines and still has the Etec but sold the Yamaha to someone else locally who still runs it.

 

I'm a huge fan of the e-tec. To me, outboards are not outboards if they aren't 2 strokes. And who wants to change oil in an outboard motor. I'd rather pay for 2 stroke oil all season.

 

I've got a Mercury 50 4-stroke bought new in 2017. It has run flawlessly, though it only has 50 hrs so far. The oil is super easy to change and it is QUIET at low rpm cruise speed. The oil and filter take about 5 minutes total to change every 100 hrs or between seasons.

I haven't taken advantage of it yet, but Merc offers a $250 harness that you can install on the motor (plug and play) that allows you to connect via Bluetooth with a phone or tablet and monitor engine parameters in live time as well as read and clear error codes. I think any motor 50 hp or above has this feature.

Anyway, I know it wasn't even on your list of choices, but thought I'd put it out there. Good luck!

 

Dear Everybody,

Thank you all for the wonderful input. We ended up getting the Yamaha F70. We have one or order. We have not yet taken delivery on it.

Good Luck,
Paul

 

Hondas are amazing motors. The newer 225s are accord engines flipped up right. I have a 20hp on my j16 skiff that has run great for over 10 years now. My vote is with honda or yamaha. The Coast Guard chose honda for a reason

 

757 Yotas,

I have nothing bad to say about Honda outboards. My second choice was the Honda BF60.

Take care,
Paul

 

Seven marine? Lol.