questions on new mercury motor

[erikad]

Hello,
I am currently looking at buying a 90 hp 2 stroke mercury engine for my 22' c-dory. It already has a small honda kicker. I'm worried about the weight. I didn't realize the new motors were so heavy. Will my dory handle that much weight in the back?

I'm thinking about buying the mercury because we have a mercury dealer in our town who will be able to cover warranty. (I live in Sitka, AK) I'm also thinking 2 stroke because it seems to be easier for maintenance.

What do you all think?
Erika

[starcrafttom]

may new 2 stroke is very light compared to the old four strokes many of us have. i say older but mine is only a 2005 and one of the heaviest 4 strokes out there. the new Honda 90, now 2 years old , is 20 to 30 pounds lighter then my 90. many of the new 4 strokes , Suzuki and Yamaha are lighter then that . I dont know what a new 4 stroke merc weights but it should not be any more then my Honda. what Im getting at is that the boats will handle the weight of the 4 strokes so why not get one.

as for maintenance? what maintenance? keep oil in it ( top and bottom) and change the impeller every two years and you should be good to go. besides other than that their is little you can do to a newer out board with out the right computers anyway.

[RVP]

I have 2 mercury 50hp on my 2006 C-dory 22 and have no problems,they have been very dependable.

[journey on]

Looking at the mercury outboards, there is a choice of 2 stroke and 4 stroke in a 90 hp motor. In the 40 hp variety, there is only a 4 stroke.

Erika, what kind (2 vs 4 ) are you planning to buy? I assume that rvp's response is for 4 strokes.

I understand that the Mercury 4 strokes engines are built by suzuki, with the lower ends provided by merc. I guess that's why there is a lot of mention of lower end technology in the merc ads.

Boris

[cbgale]

As of 2006

Bombardier/OMC
Johnson and Evinrude Under both builders, from the powerhead down, the major differences in Johnson and Evinrude are the cowls and paint color.
Until 2006, Suzuki manufactured the Johnson four strokes up to 225 HP.

For 2006 Suzuki only makes the Johnson four strokes up through 30 HP, Evinrude produces direct injected two strokes (E-Tec) 40 HP and above.

Nissan Nissan outboards are built by Tohatsu
Honda Long ago, some Honda three cylinder powerheads were mounted on Mercury drive legs and props. For the last several years, Honda has built its full line of outboards.
Mercury Marine 2006 model Mercury four strokes from 2.5 through 30 HP are built by Tohatsu.
Before Yamaha entered the U.S. market, Mercury's Mariner line was built by Yamaha.

Mercury four stroke powerheads from 25 through 225 HP (except the Verados) were built by Yamaha. Several of those models used Mercury drive legs, electronics and EFI systems (replacing carbs Yamaha used in similar sized engines).

In 2006 models, Mercury four stroke powerheads from 40 to 225 HP (except the Verados) are built by Yamaha.

Mercury's agreement with Yamaha ended in March 2006, at which time Mercury is expected to phase in more four cylinders (75 to 115 HP) based on the Verado engine block, but without supercharging or intercooling.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Erika,

Tex Allen has a 90 hp Merc on Bixby's Cub. It is an older 22 CDory. I was quite impressed by the performance of that engine on his boat. At Lake Powell, it did much better than my 90hp Honda (Carbs). I believe the engine is much lighter than the equivalent four strokes.

Let's see if we can get Tex to chime in with his opinions.

[thataway]

The Merc 2 stroke will be somewhere about 303 lbs and the 4 stroke Merc and Honda will be very close in the mid 370's. Many of the 22's carry 4 stroke Hondas with no problems--you will have no weight problems with a 2 stroke or 4 stroke Merc.

[texasair]

I have a new 90 hp Mercury Optimax on my 1989 22 cruiser.
This is the newer high pressure fuel injected 2 stroke and is comparable in weight to the 90 hp four strokes.
The older carbed 90 2 strokes were much lighter.
The motor has oil injection with internal tank.
Another nice feature is that it has a 60 amp alternator.
The Optimax has been out a number of years and in general has good reviews for service and longevity. The local Sea Tow guy has Optimax's in service with 1000's of tough hours and still going strong.

I only have a little over 100 hours on mine so far.


Mine is happy cruising around 4000 rpm with a 17 pitch prop at 17-20 mph and gets just over 4 mpg at that speed. I started with a 15 pitch prop and could easily over rev it.

It seems to have plenty of power. Top speed with full tanks, full water tank and full cruising load of gear at sea level is around 35 mph. It will pull all the way to the mfg's rated max rpm with the 17 pitch and not lug the engine.

I took the 15 pitch to Lake Powell as I had heard many reports of Powell's elevation being a performance killer, but never put it on as she still performed good with the 17 pitch. Trimmed out with full load could just edge above 30 Mph at Powell's elevation.
The boat is a bit squirrely trimmed out at speeds over 30 and I have only done short runs in smooth water at those speeds to get a baseline and check prop performance.

We ski behind it with the 17 pitch and it pops the tandem skiiers up pretty good. We usually ski around 25-27 mph. To get a slalom skiier up the 15 pitch would be better.

Over all I am pleased with the motor.
Being a 3 cylinder, It does vibrate a bit more that the 4 cylinder motors.
It is a little louder than the 4 strokes but quieter than the old carbed 2 strokes.
I sure like the power and performance and big alternator.
All speeds and MPG's are in statute miles not nautical.
We travel all over the country and Mercury dealers are everywhere.
I also like the fact that Mercury publishes on the internet, detailed breakdowns with parts numbers for every part on every motor.
I also own several Japanese outboard motors.

Tex

[Jack in Alaska]

My 1983 classic has a 1997 Honda 4 stroke (carbs) as well as a 15 hp. kicker and the boat handled it well. 24 gals. of fuel under the motor well also. The 15 hp. has been replaced with a 9.9 4 stroke.

a side note.....the 1997 Honda came with a Mercury lower unit.