Honda Jet Drive

[Seabass]

I was just browsing Honda's outboard website and noticed they have jet drive outboards.
Wow! These look pretty sweet. Has anyone had any experience with these or heard anything about them?
They look like they would be great on the C-Dory.
Since I've never heard of them before, I don't know if there are major drawbacks to this type of engine or not.
Appreciate hearing from anyone with info.

Thanks

[gljjr]

Those motors are used a lot out here on the rivers. The biggest problem with an outboard jet pump is that you lose 30% of your HP right off the top. So a 50hp becomes a 30hp. This means you lose a lot of fuel efficiency. You also completely lose nuetral as the pump is always putting out water. Nuetral is done by finding the sweetspot between forward and reverse. Reverse is accomplished by covering the output of the pump with a cupped deflecter that reroutes the water. Due to the small size reverse buckets on outboards they usually have pretty poor reverse when compared to their inboard relatives.

A couple thoughts on Jet drives. They are extremely safe when swimmers are about. They are great for fishing as you don't have to worry about the lines hitting the prop (getting sucked up the intake is another matter!). They absolutly hate seaweed! IE: If you suck up too much you aint going anywhere untill you clean out the intake!

Now then, all my experience comes from driving my 19' North River with a Kodiak 350 V8 and 2 stage Kodiak Pump and a few rides in friends open sleds with big outboard jets. Here is what I learned about having a jet. First, I have never found a better handling single engine boat at a dock! Period!. I can litterally spin the boat on its center. And with careful work on the shift lever nearly move the boat sideways. All this without having to saw the steering back and forth everytime I change from forward to reverse. Second, that V8 is NOISY and THIRSTY. Any runs over 15 minutes and you better have ear plugs. In a full day of fishing I will typically go through 20 gallons of fuel. And much of that time is spent trolling on the 7.5 Honda. Having said all that I really wish a pump would work on the 27. But when I called Hamilton to inquire about it they flat out told me that the flat bottom would cause cavitation and simply wouldn't work So I'll be rebuilding the Volvo I/O instead.

[Seabass]

Thanks for the info. As I said, I'm really not familier with jet drives. One comment that I noticed was you said their HP was lower. Honda has it the opposite on their website. They claim the 65 HP jet drive is equal to the prop driven 90.
Maybe I'll send for a brochure and it will give more details.
Thanks again for the reply.

[CatyMae n Steve]

I believe there's a big difference between tiller controlled and console conrolled also....I had a console on my sled with a 175 jet and you counted 1001, 1002, 1003 and THEN you saw the response to your turn you did before you started counting. I've heard the tiller is much more responsive.

[gljjr]

Seabass,

What Honda is saying is that you have a 90hp powerhead but only 65hp of output from the pump. You're typical 115Hp Honda would be equivalent to a 90hp prop.

Steve,

It is interesting that you say that you noticed a lag in steering. I've never really noticed that per se. Of course I probably don't drive the same as you do so that could be the difference. I've never noticed it on the open sleds I've ridden in either. Was your center console a flat bottom? Perhaps the rear was sliding sideways before it would hook up?

[CatyMae n Steve]

gljjr,

Mine was a 17' Duckworth with probably 11 or 12 degree v....I will clarify...slow speeds, counting -- 52 miles an hour and it was very responsive

Caty

[Chuck S]

Steve is right. The 65hp jet drive is the same engine as the 90hp outboard.

-- Chuck