86 70hp Evinrude vs New 4 stroke 40 or 50 hp...

[rico suave]

Re: 86 70hp Evinrude vs New 4 stroke 40 or 50 hp...

If your thinking new motor you should check out the Evinrude Etec.(2 stroke direct injection)
They have a 50 and a 60 that weigh about 240 lbs.They meet and exceed all CARB requirements.
They have Very few moving parts require fewer less complicated service intervals,no break in period,
No service for 3 years or 300 hours.
When checking fuel use compare mpg not gph.

That sounds impressive. It looks like the best of both worlds. The slight hefty weight tells me it's probably fairly quiet too.

 

[rico suave]

Re: 86 70hp Evinrude vs New 4 stroke 40 or 50 hp...

I have a mid-80's 70 on a boat that I bought to replace a mid-80's 70 when it encountered a problem that was not economical to fix. It's a great motor. I've been having some problems, though that are hard to diagnose (one intermittant electrical short took 1 1/2 years to find).

If I had money lying around I'd replace it, but only to increase dependability. Few people will recapture the price difference in fuel savings; you might in repair shop savings and the cost of down time*. For some people, the risk of an old motor is also a safety issue.

*You pay a lot for recreation, and if your boat doesn't work, you are losing money, unless you have an extra boat. Something to consider.

On my motor I've made it a point of replacing components, especially electrical, wiring, whenever I have any doubt. I'm not a guy that will spend a lot of time messing with diagnostic equipment. I got my 1971 boat and motor cheap, so I figure I can well afford to replace any component I have any doubt at all about since I don't know the repair/replacement history and it is quite old. Once it's been replaced I keep the info in a log and it buys me some piece of mind. You mentioned safety which is a good point about old motors since I was very hesitant to take it very far for the first couple years I owned it but as I've replaced many parts and know the repair history my confidence is coming back and I'll take it anywhere now ..........(knock on wood).