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4 stroke vs 2 stroke power


Prof T

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I have a 2015 115 Yamaha and a 2015 9.8 Tohatsu on my boat, this spring I ran the Yamaha for about 4-5 hours at about 20-25 mph and the Tohatsu for about 40 hrs at 2.5 mph and only went thought about 15-16 gallons of gas. only 3/4 of a tank.

 

Last year with my 1996 90 hp 2 stroke mercury and my 1998 9.9 Johnson i did about the same amount of time and i went through about 30-35 gallons of fuel.

 

I can accually talk to my passangers while going full speed with the Yamaha, had to use gestures and scream with the mercury.  and no choking on the fumes from the Johnson when going with the wind.

 

I am much happier with my 4 strokes.

The Mercury 4 stroke power heads are made by Yamaha. 

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I know low HP Mercury's were made by Yamaha in the late 90's and early 2000's. I believe they are not anymore.

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I have a 90hp 4stroke Merc and I replaced a regulator rectifier last year and could have bought the part from Yamaha. They made the power head. The rest was made by Mercury. Mine is a 2000 model year maybe they don't anymore. Other than that one part it has been a great motor.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Prof T....I already pulled the trigger on a new lund sport angler equipt with a 150 merc 4 stroke. My prior set up was 1992 starcraft super fisherman 190 with 2007 115 optimax. I will never go back to 2 stroke. When prop match is correct it can't be beat.

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I'm wondering about the power rating of new motors. A buddy replaced a  2 stroke 15 evinrude on his duck boat with a 4 stroke 15 Honda, Turns out the new motor doesn't come close to the pop the old one had. I've heard the same about larger motors....the new 4 strokes don't measure up to the older 2 strokes for snap and get over plane torque.

My 14’ utility boat weights in at ~ 300 LPs. Add a size 29 battery, a full 6.5 gallon tank, 20 pound anchor, trolling motor and 250 pound me it goes 24 MPH with a BF20D3LH. At least in this size Honda 20 horse power is hard to beat, fuel effect and light weight and fast. I believe it only weight 110 pounds.

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I don't have any new anything,LOL but I want to say I had a 1988-88SPL on a boat manufacturer call Troller. It was a 20ft center console that engine was the best motor I ever owned in my life. Dad bought the boat off a Desert Storm war Vet in 93, and we used that boat and motor hard. Dad passed away and I got the boat and used it hard also, before I got married I was in Ny more than Pa. The only thing I ever replaced was a power pack for the 2 cylinders on the port side, which to longer to run up to that marina up on rt 3 by the TGI bridge and back then to remove the old one and replace with the new one and hit the Black Rivet Bay for the evening eye bite, since the sale of that boat I have wrenched my ass off every year just to fish!! I kick myself everytime since I sold that boat!!!

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Pap,

As you know I ran my Evinrude 90 (same as your 88) for 30 years and it was still going strong. No motor could ever owe me more.

 

As far as the ETEC, my need was to be able to simplify and I was looking for a motor to troll on as well. That means lots of hours. The 4 strokes get just as much lubrication at 600 RPM as they do at 5000 RPM because its a pressurized wet sump (oil bath). An ETEC is lubricated like any other 2 stroke in that it's a slippery fuel charge (vaporized gas and oil) moving through the crankcase with the oil clinging  to the parts which ultimately needs to be burnt away. 

 

That, coupled with the fact that a Troll Control on the Merc would allow the motor to drop down slower than everyone else's in 10 rpm increments, tipped my hand. My buddy's ETEC doesn't come close on that end. I can get as slow as 1.4.SOG where he is over 2.3.

 

Depends what you're doing.

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  • 1 month later...

I have recently repowered my 18ft Lund ProV with a Yamaha F90. I added the Yamaha Command Link Tach System that enables me to go to a Troll Mode. In the Troll Mode base RPM's is 850. Using a tach mounted button I can control those RPM's by 50's up or down. Lowest is 600. Engine runs smooth a silk. I use the boat for Lake Erie walleye. This engine will troll my boat down to .75mph gps speed and lower. By bumping up or down by 50's I can control the speed of this boat in all conditions. Into waves, with waves, flat water etc. Pick a trolling speed and I can tune right into it. Total control.

Edited by Wrestling Coach
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With all the positive talk about the 4 strokers working so well really has me rethinking my thoughts. I always had outboards till I sold the White Night " Troller boat with 88SPL outboard" then I got a 19ft Sea Ray with a 140 I/O needed to rebuild the motor, then the out drive. Used the boat for 3-4 years because I bought a 22ft cuddy with a 350 I/O which has really tested my nerves and patients and foiled my bank account. My next vessel will defiantly have a 4 stroker on it!! Then I can chuck in the corner, troll bags buckets, bracket for kicker plus all the $$$ in aux steering. I'm sure with the demand for auto pilots, with these motors running there will be a auto pilot designed to operate with the bigger out boards, and won't be a need for the servo motors so cost should cost less!! LOL yea right. I could easily remove the I/0 and they custom make brackets to hang a Outboard on. Get rid of my V8 and could keep my fuel cell where it is and that would give me 4ft more area in the back where the dog house used to set. Nice to dream!!!

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