"Kicker" motor expertise needed

[itstippy]

I like refurbishing older small outboards (3-10HP), and now have a half-dozen in good running condition. They are designed to push small craft (12' jons & shallow V's) at planing speeds, with RPM's around 4000-5000. I'm the only one in my group of pals interested in doing such a thing. My buddies (all 3) have bigger boats. They are, however, very interested in my little beauties as "kicker" motors. Here's what they are looking for in a "kicker":
1) Get them back to the launch when their big motor pukes.
2) Troll for hours, or cruise the shorline for hours, without running the big motor. Burn less gas, etc.
I can see using a little outboard as an emergency "set of oars", but can one reasonably expect a 5HP Gale or 5.5HP Evinrude to push a 17' bass boat or a 20' pontoon around for hours? These guys think they can buy a "kicker bracket" for the motor, bolt it up, and be on their way. Surely one would have to change the pitch of the prop? I can't find alternative props for these old timers. I will give them the motors and even help do the installation, but I don't want to do something that's fundamentally incorrect. Is it OK to use these old outboards this way and just let the props slip, or will it kill them?

 

[JB]

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Yes, itstippy.

Those engines make fine "kickers" for emergency, trolling or "loafing" duty. They do work best with a three blade sailboat motor prop, but they work well with the "standard" props, too, though you can expect a lot of slip..

 

[Drowned Rat]

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What JB said. You're sitting on a gold mine there.

 

[itstippy]

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Thanks, guys! I'm very happy to hear that. These little outboards have lots of life in them. They aren't collectable because I don't care about factory correct paint or decals or replacement knobs. They all have new impellers & coils & carb kits and good compression, etc. though. They want to go fishin' and cruisin'. They start easy and run smooth and burn very little gas. I'm sure they won't mind playing "sidekick" to the big boys if it gets them back on the water.
I don't know about having a "gold mine". I pay $40-$50 for a motor, spend over $100 in parts and 40 hours of labor, and end up with a clean healthy outboard that no one wants because they think it's too old and too small and hasn't been "rebuilt by a pro". If it doesn't have a fiberglass shroud and an external fuel tank (nonpressurized) I pretty much gotta give 'em away. The 18-20-25's, now THOSE people want!

 

[tashasdaddy]

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you should atleast get the purchase price, and parts out of them. you can afford to give your labor away, if it's a hobby. but you have to recoup the investment so you can keep enjoying what you're doing. i don't make any money on the boats i redo. it just keeps me out of trouble.

if you were'nt around they either do without, or spend bigger bucks for a kicker.

 

[alden135]

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Put them on ebay and see how fast they go.

 

[kenmyfam]

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I am looking for a "kicker" right now !! Let me know what you have, how heavy it is and a price. I am in Canada so I will have to work out the shipping.
I have a 16.5ft runabout with a 140hp Johnson on the back but would like the security of being able to get home if it fails and to troll a little when we fish.

 

[DJ]

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They fly off of e-bay. For some ridiculous prices sometimes-too.

 

[tashasdaddy]

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i agree, ebay moves them, i've bought and sold on ebay. as a matter of fact i only go to the grocery (walmart) store, and the toy (boat) store. every thing else comes of ebay or online. i do go boat hunting occasionally.

 

[kenmyfam]

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Yrp, more and more of our shopping is done on e-bay. Got a sweet prop deal last summer and a lot of our Christmas shopping is done already from there.

 

[imported_beck]

Re: redoing older smaller hp engind

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Itstippy I wish you lived closer.

I have a '70 ish 6hp johnson, it belonged to my father and we used it when I was a child. Anyway it was in my shed and went underwater along with everything else I owned during Katrina. Well I'm just getting my flatboat back together and would like to use it as a kicker. I will be dissembling it to see how bad it is. I really don't have much hope for it I guess it's a case of wishful thinking. The 48 spl witch was on my flat was seized. I mean couldn't budge it. Picked up a decent running 70 hp.

Anyway any ideas on my chances of successfully getting it to run?

Beck

 

[DJ]

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beck,

If it went under salt or brackish water it's pretty much dead. But it's worth "cracking open" to have a looksee.

Even if the powerhead is shot, the lower end is probably not. Those were designed to go under.

I sometimes see powerheads on e-bay. Most people have the opposite problem you have. Most broke off the lower end and don't want to invest any money in a new one. There are allot more powerheads around than there are lowers.

 

[Scaaty]

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Don't think for a minute small motors won't push big boats. Until I got a 15hp, I had a 1961 5 1/2hp on a 5000lb 25 footer. Had to get me back to the marina when I picked up what I think was a jellyfish, and overheated the motor....the little puppy worked, of course a little slow, but got me back. I do the same thing with small motors, and have a shed fulla runners now. Ebay out the parts of a non runner, money pays for new parts for the runners. I'll sell them, but I aint giving them away. I'll take a gone through old 5-10hp Johnson at a hundred fifty bucks, over any 2 thousand new 4 stroke any day.

 

[Silvertip]

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When trolling, and depending on what you are trolling for, speeds range from less than 1 MPH to about 3-4 MPH. There are times when a little faster speeds are needed but a 7.5 HP output works great on even a relatively heavy 19 - 20 foot aluminum boat. Fished Lake of the Woods on the Canada/MN border using just such a rig. Works great. Big motors at idle may push the boat faster than you want to troll so the small motor becomes necessary or you need to install a trolling plate.

 

[bassboy1]

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itstippy, check your PM's.

 

[kenmyfam]

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When trolling, and depending on what you are trolling for, speeds range from less than 1 MPH to about 3-4 MPH. There are times when a little faster speeds are needed but a 7.5 HP output works great on even a relatively heavy 19 - 20 foot aluminum boat. Fished Lake of the Woods on the Canada/MN border using just such a rig. Works great. Big motors at idle may push the boat faster than you want to troll so the small motor becomes necessary or you need to install a trolling plate.

No question about it. My Dads old 18ft sailing cruiser was pushed slowly but very well with an old 6hp Evinrude fisherman.

 

[imported_beck]

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DWJ, thanks for the reply.

Beck

 

[itstippy]

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Thanks, everyone!
The high price of gas has given my hobby new respect in my friends' eyes. They plan to meticulously install "kicker brackets" on their big boats. They want the dang BRACKETS to look good! They're no longer critical of the age, cosmetic condition and puny horsepower of my little motors. They will use the little motors as efficient no-nonsense workhorses when "fishin' with the guys". Show off how manly and practical and ingenious they are. They'll take the ugly little outboards off the boat when they want to "show off to the ladies" how rich and cool they are. This will be very easy to do since the outboards won't be hooked up to any steering, shift, or throttle cables or gas lines.
Actually, I've bought motors and parts on eBay. The shipping cost is prohibitive when buying a small, old outboard that needs work. I got lucky this summer when a local eBay guy bought a defunct marina's stock and had to liquidate everything in 90 days (he didn't buy the land, just the stuff). I picked up a dozen fixer-uppers for $10-$50 apiece. There were very few other bidders because no one wanted to pay shipping costs on a non-runner, and I was close enough to just go pick them up. eBay value is very much affected by a popular series of articles on older outboards written by Max Wawrzyniak for Duckworks magazine. He recommends certain older OMC models as desirable due to longevity and parts availability. If you have one of the models he recommends you will get bidder interest, even if it's not in great cosmetic condition. Folks read his articles and bid up the prices. They dismiss the Elgins & Clintons & direct-drive Gales and TN Johnsons etc. as "junk". The models Wawrzyniak recommends ARE great. I'm sure on the lookout for them. The other stuff isn't junk, though. Not if you're creative in the shop and enjoy tinkering with motors, fabricating necessary parts from other more available parts, etc. Shoot, my wife just spent $30 on a plastic hair dryer made in Taiwan. A 5HP Gale direct-drive wobble-pump outboard that runs great is worth a roomfull of those things. Especially now that I know they can be safely used to push larger craft around without killing them. Thanks again!