Re: Putting a 115 E-Tec on a G3 Suncatcher 22 ft. tritoon
I'm not real familiar with the hydraulic steering but I'll try to help since you and I are still both on. There should be a cylinder there that the hoses go on that takes the place of our traditional steering cable. If the cylinder is gone it probably stayed on the Yammy. The cylinder moves in and out, and turns the motor in response to input at the helm. Look up Seastar steering at the Teleflex sight, that is most likely what you have although you'll have to check the helm to make sure. It is a very nice system often seen on high performance boats, and if you get it hooked up you will be glad you did. The cylinders are available here at the iboats store, and I've seen them on ebay.
I think the etec will be a nice motor on the 22 footer, not overpowering but adequate for sure.
The engine swap is pretty straight forward. The controller will probably have enough wiring harness to reach without a problem. The cables may or may not be the right length. My 90 was on a 17 foot runabout and the cables fit nicely with a little extra to work with on my 20 foot boat.
On my Johnson it went about like this:
Unhook the power cables from the battery DO THIS FIRST!!. Make sure you unhook the right cables on the donor boat, not confusing trolling motor or light/accessory cables. There are often more than one set of leads going to a boat battery, and sometimes multiple batteries in boats, make sure you get the right ones. Un-route them from wherever they are and get them free hanging next to the motor in a loop. If it's more convenient unhook them from the motor too and move them over to the toon seperate from the motor. The hot is on a solenoid post and the ground on a ground post. Either way make sure you unhook them from the battery before you do anything else. TAKE DIGITAL PICS AS YOU GO!!
Unhook throttle and gear cables from under motor cover, take a pic of where they were so as to put them back in the correct position. Try not to move the adjustment screws while the cables are loose.
Unplug wiring harness from engine, leaving just a cable running back up to the controller. There is no need for any further unwiring. My OMC has a RED plug under the hood that unhooks everything on one plug. Look for something real similar on the Etec. Hooking it back up is a simple as plugging it back in.
Unhook the fuel line.
Loosen the big nut on the end of the steering cable. Unhook the cable from the linkage hooking it to the motor. Be careful the motor is swinging free now.
Unless I missed something the motor should be ready to unbolt.
Unbolt the motor and use a motor hoist or overhead crane or similar device to lift it off. Some motors have places to lift them by, others require a hook or eye to be attached somewhere, you'll have to check on yours. As the motor comes off the transom work the steering cable out of the tube.
Move the donor boat out of the way and back the toon in.
Hang the motor on and hopefully the bolt pattern will be the same on the old Yammy as the new Etec. You will have to sort out the steering issue at about this point. Install the hydraulic cylinder or install a new steering cable. I would try to get the Seastar parts.
Move the controller from the donor boat to the toon. This will involve unbolting it from the side console and pulling the cables back up through the side console. I don't try to unhook cables from the controller, try to move that all as one unit. I made a 10"x20"x 1/8" aluminum plate that bolts to my rails to attach the OMC controller to. If you have a throttle, and/or ignition built into your helm console you'll have to figure out cables and the wiring harness. You might have to seek professional help if that is the case. You may want to move tach, tilt gauge, etc. I think all that is one gauge on the etec.
Hook the fuel up, which will probably require different fittings from the Yammy, but you should have everything you need on the donor boat.
Hook the battery back up.
I'm sure I missed some things that others will point out shortly but that is a pretty good start. I've done this about a half dozen time over the years, OMC to Merc, Yammy to OMC, big motor to small and back with no real big problems. I moved all the gauges from the runabout to the pontoon on the 90 swap. Take your time and try to think it all through before you do it and you should be fine. A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS, DON'T FORGET THAT.
Good luck with your project.
