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Added 02/17/04
I have considered buying an
8 hp Tohatsu outboard motor for my C26 MKII. Does anyone have any
experience with these motors? The price is good and they are light weight.
The down side is that there are not very many dealers in the DFW area. I
would appreciate any opinions.
Frank Schenk
I have the 3.5 hp model on
my dinghy (8.5 footer) it has been a great engine. Carried it all summer
in a quarter locker on inside. Worked every time I mounted it. Nice
and light but you have to mix the gas right!
Dennis C-27 #271
The Dutchman
Bay City MI
Stew: Is the noise
from the exhaust or from the engine? If it is from the engine perhaps a
little insulation in the cowl would reduce the noise. Can you talk to each
other at full throttle? I only run my engine for about 1000 ft to get away
from the marina so I may be able to live with a little
noise. Thanks for the information. I will check it out before I make
the purchase.
Frank Schenk
Steve:
I made the plunge today and bought a 9.8 hp Nissan which is the same as a
Tohatsu except for paint and name. Tohatsu also builds many Mercury's.
I chose the 2 stroke cycle long shaft which only weighs about 65 pounds and
sells for $1650. The 4 stroke cycle weighs about 100 pounds and sells for
about $1800 in our area. I am hoping that my existing bracket is strong
enough so I do not have to spend another $150 for a stronger one. Everyone
I have talked to said that the Tohatsu is an excellent motor with few if any
repairs. I will post a message after I have installed the motor and
checked
it out.
Frank Schenk
C26 MKII
Today I picked up my
Tohatsu outboard motor that I purchased 10 days ago. The Dealers in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area do not keep them in stock and have to pick them up from a
warehouse. Part of the delay was that the dealer was busy at the Dallas
Boat Show. My first question is on the wire gage for the starting motor.
The wire on the motor appears to be about 8 gage and is not long enough to reach
the battery on my C26 MKII. The total distance from the motor to the
battery is about 15 feet max. with about 6 feet already on the motor. What
minimum gage wire is required for the starting motor for a 9.8 hp outboard?
At present I only have one battery because my previous 6 hp outboard was manual
start. Should I install a second battery just for the outboard? The
present battery is only used for lights and I only sail for about 4 to 5 hours
at night.
My second question is on the break-in procedure for a new outboard motor.
The dealer recommended I use a 30 to 1 mixture in the first gallon of fuel and
run at about 1/2 throttle. I would appreciate any suggestions from the
august body of men and women who post at this web site. PS, I heard that
flattery will get you every thing.
Frank Schenk
Hey Fred,
You have to figure that 15', (after you run the wire around bends etc.) makes
for at least a 30' round trip. That's a pretty fair amount for the sizable
amperage loads of a starter. I personally erred on the side of heavier
rather than lighter, so I ran 4 gauge from my dedicated starting battery (an AGM
Jet Ski battery) to a pair of those round distribution blocks (they look like a
bolt embedded in some plastic - West sells them) where I join the leads from the
motor (Yamaha 9.9 4 stroke). I used 3/8" stud for positive and
5/16" stud for negative. I bolted the distribution blocks
underneath the cockpit combing, and secured the leads using
stainless cable clamps (2 @ each point, on opposite sides of the bolt, carrying
Neg.
& Pos.) bolted onto the exposed ends of the 1/4" Genoa Track bolts.
In the winter when I have to disconnect the motor, I simply slide down into the
lazarette, unscrew the two distribution-block bolts (after disconnecting
the 125 amp fuse @ the battery), and the cable is free. I ran it through a
small hole the transom, (just below the Hull/Deck Joint) which has a 60 Degree,
1" rectangular "tubing Base plate" (the kind you use for pulpits
& stern rails) fastened and bedded to the outside of the transom.
Gives it
a nice finished look, and makes it a bit more rain proof. I think you
could alternately use a quick disconnect (instead of the Distribution blocks)
from an automotive winch hookup, but quick disconnects on a critical junction
like that make me nervous.... I would definitely have a dedicated starting
battery, and a 75 amp West "Battery Combiner" connected from your
starting batt. to your house battery. My house bank is an AGM, 200AH unit,
and the combiner works
great. I never have to remember to throw (or not to throw) a switch to make sure
I am getting charge to my house bank. You should also make a provision to
parallel the two together in case your starting batt. goes flat. As far as the
break in stuff, I have always heard that you should double the normal premix
amount during break in. Also, most manufacturers say that you should not
run the same RPM continuously for any length of time, so you want vary your
engine speeds for the first tank of so. I
have also been told that running above half throttle is not a bad thing so long
as the engine is up to temp. Supposedly this allow the pistons and rings
to seat and scuff to their full excursions. The experts on this site can
probably tell you a whole lot more. BTW, are you using a portable or a permanent
fuel tank? Good Luck Fred.
Mark "I am now officially sick of winter" Patullo
'72 C26MKII
Great Blue
Mark: Thanks for the info on the wiring: I talked to an electrical
engineer and he said that 6 gauge wire would be adequate. I like the idea
of using a distribution block for quick disconnect. We had about 4 inches
of snow yesterday so I am waiting for it to warm up before I do the
installation. The second battery project will be done later. I use a
3 gallon portable fuel tank which will last for several months. I only
have to motor about 1000 feet to get out of the Marina..
Frank (not Fred) Schenk
Frank,
If you are going to keep fuel around for that long - add some Sea Foam to the
tank. It will keep the carb from gumming up from limited use too.
stephen
The snow has melted and it
warmed up to about 55 degrees today so my sailing buddies and I installed the
new Tohatsu motor today. The hardest part was running the wires from the
battery to the leads (pig tail) on the motor. Since I am the smallest I
have to crawl into all of the tight spots. We motored around for about 30
minutes to check out the motor. The 9.8 hp appears to be more than
adequate. It was quieter than expected and idled at a very low RPM.
I want to thank everyone again for the information. BTW I talked to
another Tohatsu owner who said that the only maintenance on his 10 year old
motor was the impeller for the water pump.
Frank Schenk
C26 MKII
Is your motor a two cycle?
And the one you spoke of by the other motor
owner, is it a two cycle also?
Frank -
I have been considering a new motor for my Columbia 23. I have checked all
the marine engine places in Pensacola, and the Tohatsu appears to be the better
buy for what you get.
BUT, when I check all the engines, I see a very small prop - the current
Chrysler 6 Sailor (obviously it has problems or I wouldn't be looking) has a
HUGE prop by comparison.
I know your boat is much larger than mine, and you probably aren't concerned
with having to remove it after a day's sail, but am I correct in stating that
the weight is about 80-90 lbs, and a 9.8 comes with a 'high thrust' prop?
Have you had any experience in using the smaller hp rated (like 5 or 6)
Tohatsu's? Or know of anyone who has? I think the added weight of
the 9.8 would only push the stern down in the water, not through
the water faster. And the weight wouldn't help either.
Last question - why choose a 4 stroke over a 2 stroke? I've heard many
different arguments why one is better (aside from pollution).
Any comments?
Charles Bourne
Pensacola, FL
For a sailbioat outboard
engine, you should always see if there is a "workboat prop"
available. It has a lower pitch than the standard prop and will push your boat
better, especially if there´s a bit of a "popple"
john
pampero iv
Steve: My new motor
is a two cycle and his old motor is a two cycle.
Frank Schenk
Charles: Tohatsu has
about four different props available. Without any data I just accepted the
prop that comes with a 9.8 hp long shaft motor. It has a low pitch but is not
the lowest pitch available. The idea is to get the maximum rpm at full
throttle. I would have to get a tachometer to determine if my prop is
correct for my boat.
My motor weighs about 65 lbs. I think the 15 inch (short shaft) manual
start is about 57 lbs. The 8 hp is the same weight as the 9.8 hp. A
9.8 hp four stroke Tohatsu is about 90 lbs and a comparable Honda or Yamaha is
about 115 lbs.
I chose the two stroke over the four stroke because of weight. It also
cost about $200 less and I could use my existing motor bracket. A new
bracket would cost $159.95 so I saved about $360 plus 6.25 % tax. I think
a 6 hp motor would be more than adequate for a Columbia 23 and should weigh
less.
I am told that two stroke motors are more reliable than four stroke motors but I
do not have any hard data to support this opinion.
Frank Schenk
C26 MKII