New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

[rshogg]

Hello. This is my first post. I have been a boat owner for exactly 6 days now. I purchased a 2006 Sylvan Mirage 20' model #8520 last weekend. It has a 2006 Evinrude 60HP model E60DPLSD. Took it out on the lake on Tuesday and we had a great time. I have a few questions that hopefully will be easy to answer for those of you who have owned pontoons for a while.

Speedometer: It doesn't have one. I have a tachometer, and at wide open throttle, I was at about 5500 rpm. I have no idea how fast I was going. Can I install a speedometer fairly easily? Should the wiring be behind the console?

Trim: My wife was asking about a trim gauge. Can one be installed? The only experience I have with boats is with my friend, who has a Glastron with an I/O, and it has a trim gauge.

Engine Size: I've been browsing the iboats forums and realize this is a topic everyone seems to be asking regarding over-sized engines on pontoons. I found that most later model Sylvan Mirage 8520's can handle 115hp. My placard indicates it can only handle 90hp. My question is, do later models have a reinforced transom or something else that allows them to handle the increased HP? I would only put an engine on my boat that the insurance will cover in the case of an accident, I'm just curious if anyone knows why there is a difference. I'd like to be able to pull a grown man (200lbs) on a knee board with between 4-5 people on board.

Prop: I have no idea what size the prop is. Would a new one help with my speed/knee-boarder question above?

The motor: I just noticed that my motor is leaking oil onto my driveway... are these motors notoriously leaky?

That's it. Appreciate your comments and look forward to hearing from the experts!

Ryan H.

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

Speedometer: It doesn't have one. I have a tachometer, and at wide open throttle, I was at about 5500 rpm. I have no idea how fast I was going. Can I install a speedometer fairly easily? Should the wiring be behind the console?
It is easy to install a speedometer but they are useless on most boats. If you really must know your speed, and few of us tooners care, use a portable GPS.

Trim: My wife was asking about a trim gauge. Can one be installed? The only experience I have with boats is with my friend, who has a Glastron with an I/O, and it has a trim gauge.
It is easy to install a trim gauge and the wiring will be in the console. Trim has little effect on a pontoon but the gauge is usefull if you can't see the motor or if you navigate in shallow water.

Engine Size: I've been browsing the iboats forums and realize this is a topic everyone seems to be asking regarding over-sized engines on pontoons. I found that most later model Sylvan Mirage 8520's can handle 115hp. My placard indicates it can only handle 90hp. My question is, do later models have a reinforced transom or something else that allows them to handle the increased HP? I would only put an engine on my boat that the insurance will cover in the case of an accident, I'm just curious if anyone knows why there is a difference. I'd like to be able to pull a grown man (200lbs) on a knee board with between 4-5 people on board.
If your placard says 90, then thats it. Only the manufacturer can tell you why the later models can handle the 115. A 90 is a good choice for a 24 foot boat, but I don't know about the knee boarding desire.

Prop: I have no idea what size the prop is. Would a new one help with my speed/knee-boarder question above?
If you are turning 5500 RPM WOT, then your prop size is correct. A different pitch will have negligible effect on speed or knee boarding.


The motor: I just noticed that my motor is leaking oil onto my driveway... are these motors notoriously leaky?

If the motor is a four-stoke, then you need to take it to the shop. If it is a two stroke, then if will often leak a little from the exhaust soon after being pulled from the water.

Welcome to the forum. Visit back often.

 

[lncoop]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

Welcome aboard rs. Eglide is spot on as usual, but I'll elaborate a little on the oil subject. Some two stroke outboards will leave behind a little bit of oil that will dribble down after a day of use, but I don't think the E-tecs are supposed to do that. Are you able to determine whether the leak is originating around the head or around the foot? It could be engine oil or it could be LU oil. You'll need to find out which, preferably before your next outing, because you certainly don't want water intrusion if it turns out you have a leaky LU. That's a sure way to turn a $60 job into a $600 job. You might want to ask about it separately over in the Johnnyrude section.

 

[rshogg]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

EGlideRider,

Thanks for your information. Really appreciate it. The engine is a two stroke, so I guess I won't get that concerned about the leaking oil. I will look online for a wiring diagram to determine where/how to install the trim gauge. I did install a Humminbird 525 fishfinder and just realized that I can install the speed attachment to get a reading on my speed.

Ryan H.

 

[rshogg]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

Incoop,

I think it is engine oil coming from the head. Will have to double check though. Thanks for the reply.

Ryan H.

 

[crablegs]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

How much oil are we talking? Also if its a two stroke it doesnt have engine oil...

 

[rshogg]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

crablegs,

I'm not sure about the amount of oil, just that I noticed a splotch of it on my driveway, maybe 6"x6" in diameter. It doesn't look like it's getting bigger.

Ryan H.

 

[lncoop]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

How much oil are we talking? Also if its a two stroke it doesnt have engine oil...

Huh?

 

[EGlideRider]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

Incoop made a good point about the possibility of LU oil that I had not considered. So make sure you top off that fluid before your next outing in case is the LU. LU's = big bucks..

And of course a two stroke does use engine oil.

 

[lncoop]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

Rs, if I were you I'd drag the rig to a dealer and ask someone to come out and take a peek. Any dealer worth his salt will do that for you (of course if you bought it from a dealer take it there). My outboard knowledge is cursory at best, and I know squat about E-tecs, but my impression is that they're very efficient and high tolerance engines and as such shouldn't really produce any residual unburned engine oil. We're not talking about the typical fifteen year old three cylinder two stroke beast. You really need to figure out what's going on. If it is residual engine oil you need an E-tec man to tell you whether that's okay. If it's LU oil you need new LU seals at least, because if oil can get out, guess what can get in? Get it checked out. You'll be glad you did.

 

[rshogg]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

I finally got around to taking the motor cover off and found out that the leak is coming from a crack in my oil tank. I have found the replacement part to order on the Evinrude website. Apparently these tanks have a history of cracking.

 

[5150abf]

Re: New (to me) Sylvan Mirage Pontoon - Some Questions

I thnk you will find a trim gauge fairly useless, I got a CMC aftermarket tilt trim and spent the extra 100 on a gauge and never even look at it, you trim by feel and as others have said on a toon trim has very limited affect.

If the speedo for the fish finder is a wheel thing also don't bother, had one of those too and it never worked, it would register 5-6 mph when I was going 25-30.

The HP rating is higher on other boats because they probably have more crossmembers and a thicker motor pod.