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Wandering Sagebrush
Joined: 21 Jan 2005 Posts: 2770 City/Region: Northeast Oregon
State or Province: OR
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Constant Craving
Photos: Constant Craving
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Like many here, I have gone to a Suzuki 2.5 versus the Honda with centrifugal clutch. I would have preferred a long shaft engine, but the Suzuki is worlds better (for us) than the Honda. _________________ "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." - Abraham Lincoln |
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Dora~Jean
Joined: 09 Mar 2004 Posts: 1505 City/Region: Simi Valley
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2003
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Dora~Jean
Photos: Dora~Jean
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Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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I have a 1988 Yamaha 3HP with neutral/forward gear shift, 2-stroke, bought it new (27 yrs ago!). So far, this has been the perfect motor for our uses. I have mounted it on numerous dingys over the years, from small to medium, pushing up to 7 people in the dingy, strong winds, rough seas too. I think it weighs about 33 lbs, don't quote me. It still has the ORIGINAL spark plug. I tend to run 50-75:1 gas to oil ratio, 100:1 recommended. Oh, and the motor is VERY quiet, most people remark as I go by.
I'm not trying to sell Yamaha or this size, not even sure it is still sold, but it has been by far the best motor I've ever owned and the reason I have twin Yami 80's on my CD25. They have also been excellent.
Short story why I selected this motor back in 1988. I had owned small Mercs, Johnson, Evinrude (same motor as Johnson) and a few others. Last was a 4HP Evinrude, 2-stroke, twin cylinder, built in tank, called a Gnat. I fought that motor for it's first year of life, never started well, always a pain, 15-20 pulls generally. I had a friend that bought his at the same time, different dealer, he had better luck, but nearly the same problems starting until he used a separate tank and primed the gas each time, then only about 5+ pulls. Nice motor when it ran. But I was afraid in any kind of emergency my wife would never be able to start the motor and fiddle with the lean/rich control to keep it running. That lean/rich control was absolutely necessary when the temperature or humidity changed from morning to afternoon to night. What a pain.
So on a whim, I went to a Yamaha dealer 35 miles away just to check them out because I had seen some on the water. I looked at the 3HP (and others), the dealer assured me the 3HP would suffice for my needs after I explained what I wanted it to do. I asked where the lean/rich control was, he said there isn't any, doesn't need it! Wow! Then I asked how many pulls generally to start it from a cold condition. He said when they pull them out of the box (in front of the customer no less), if it starts on 1 pull, it's a good engine. If it starts on 2 pulls, it's OK, but barely. If 3 pulls, it goes back in the box and is shipped back to the factory. I was impressed. Bought one on the spot, $650. He took me around back, opened the box, put gas in it, placed it in the test tank, pulled the choke out, 1 pull and it started. I nearly fell over, honestly! He said, yep, typical, a good engine, it will serve you well.
And it has. I've had the typical dirt in the carburetor problems, replaced a puny gas filter with a Honda filter(!), replaced the water impeller and differential oil every couple of years, plastic gas tank broke about 4 yrs ago, bought a replacement. Float valve hardened with the Methanol additives about 10 yrs ago, bought a new one. Other than that, zippo problems. It probably has 500-1000 hrs on it, not sure. I like that it's a 2-stroke, much simpler engine than a 4-stroke for the salt environment, although that would not swing a change to a new 4-stroke.
If/when this engine ever dies, I'll look closely at the Suzuki 2.5HP 4-stroke. I've been around several of them on the water, it looks and runs like a sweet engine. _________________ Steve & Carmen
"Great works are performed not by strength, but perseverance" (Samuel Johnson)
Dora~Jean C-Dory 25 2002-Present
Corsair F-31 Trimaran 1996-2002
MacGregor 26X 1988-1996
Glaspar Seafair Sedan 18 (2)
StarCraft 19 & 22
Catalina 17 & 22
Crestliner 19
+4 Previous, 1/2 sail, 1/2 power |
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bridma
Joined: 13 Sep 2011 Posts: 1155 City/Region: Comox
State or Province: BC
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Nomad
Photos: Nomad
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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I have the Suzuki 2.5. Love it, incredible little motor. Runs all day on a table spoon full of gas. Also one of the lightest on the market weight wise.
Martin. |
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