Replacement Motor??

[stratos92]

I need to replace the motor (91 Evinrude 150) on my 92 fish and ski. A friend of my dads is in the process of switching from an Evinrude to a Merc Optimax on his boat (center console). He is taking off his 97 Evinrude 150 Ocean Pro and has offered it to me for a really good price. Are there any draw backs to this motor or any reason it will not work on my boat? I am a new boater and have already been snake bit on the original motor on this boat and don't want to get it again. Is there anything I should be aware of with this motor? Does the shaft size on the motor matter 20" or 25"? I know the current motor has a 20", but not sure about the Ocean Pro yet. I am waiting for him to send me the model number so I can see what the shaft length is for certain.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Replacement Motor??

OMC made two types of 150's in 1997-those engines which had carbs and the direct inject Fichts. Big difference in reputation between the two types of engines. It would be helpful if you will post the model number off the transom serial plate. There is a big difference between shaft length engines. You may have a tough time adapting it to your boat if it's a 25" shaft. If your 91 is a looper, (not a crossflow) you might be able to use the midsection from that engine instead of trying to adapt a 25" shaft engine to your boat.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Thanks. I will post the model number when I get it.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

I just heard back from him. He does not have the model number available because the boat is at the shop getting the new motor put on, but he did say that it is a 25" shaft and that the motor has carbs. The model of my current motor is VE150GLEIS, I am not sure if it is a looper or if you can tell from the model number.

If I decided to get this motor, would a 5" jack plate solve the problem of the difference in shaft length.

Any tips and/or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

This site has been a great help!

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Replacement Motor??

The engine you currently have on the boat is a 60 degree looper. The GL model is the high performance version of the 150 that year and actually puts out close to 165 hp. It is very similar to the one you are looking at purchasing. The good news is that your 20" midsection and lower unit should work with the new powerhead. Remove the old powerhead from your mid, and install the new one from the other engine. No jackplate needed. The question on the Ocean Pro is whether it is carbed or direct injected. Ask the question to the seller. The carbed version engines in the 60 degree loopers have always been a solid engine with good reliability. If the new engine has direct injectors, it is a Ficht and that's a different story worthy of more investigation.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

How difficult of a job is it to replace the mid and lower end of the motor?
If I decide to purchase this motor and mount it as is would the 5" jack plate work to overcome the shaft difference. If I did that, then I could keep the mid and lower units from the current motor for spare parts.

I need to call the owner of the motor tomorrow to make sure that it is the carbed motor. I am pretty sure that it is, but want to make sure.

Is there a down side to using a saltwater motor on a boat that is only used in freshwater? I really appreciate you taking the time to answer all of my questions.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Once you get the cowlings off this engine, it's pretty easy to access all the powerhead mounting bolts. A couple hour job with a rented automotive engine puller. (or three strong neighbors.) You are just pulling the powerhead-not the lower also. The Ocean Pro series uses more stainless hardware on the engine (for salt protection) than a normal outboard. Still, the salt works on the innards of the engine-the cooling passages and the powerhead bolts. You don't always see the salt problem till you do service work. Possible broken bolts, restricted coolant passages and possible bad electrical grounds/connections. A lot depends on prior owners' maintenance and care and extent of use. Was it trailered, stored on a lift, or left in the water with the engine down? Perhaps the current owner washed the boat/engine after each use and used the engine's water flushing fitting after every outing....

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

He keeps the boat on a trailer and hauls it back and forth to the water.

I was told by a guy last night that if i go with this motor I will also have to change my tach and key switch since they will not be compatible. Is there any truth to this?

Also, if I want to mount the new motor as is, are there any drawbacks to putting on a jackplate to counter the different lengths of shafts? Since the motor will be off anyways, I thought it might not be a bad idea to put one on, but you are the experts...I am definitely a novice. Thanks again for your help.

 

[jwellcraft]

Re: Replacement Motor??

He keeps the boat on a trailer and hauls it back and forth to the water.

I was told by a guy last night that if i go with this motor I will also have to change my tach and key switch since they will not be compatible. Is there any truth to this?

Also, if I want to mount the new motor as is, are there any drawbacks to putting on a jackplate to counter the different lengths of shafts? Since the motor will be off anyways, I thought it might not be a bad idea to put one on, but you are the experts...I am definitely a novice. Thanks again for your help.

I know you will definately have to change your forward control harness that comes from the engine harness to the console of your boat. Your 91 150 currently has the big red plug connection of the 2 harnesses and the 97 150 will have the small grey deutsch connector. What is wrong with your 91?

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

The 91 needs to be rebuilt. I was having a problem with it right after I bought it and took it to the shop. They removed the head because it was making a terrible rattling noise at higher rpms and said that the cylinders are rusted from sitting (the person I bought it from said it sat for a while) and the bottom left piston (from behind) is cracked in two. Instead of a rebuild, I am looking at replacing the motor. The other motor (97) is owned by a friend of my dads and he is upgrading to a newer optimax.

He has a 21' or 22' center console boat and is removing the cables and controls. Will those work on my boat or will those need replaced as well?

 

[jwellcraft]

Re: Replacement Motor??

The 91 needs to be rebuilt. I was having a problem with it right after I bought it and took it to the shop. They removed the head because it was making a terrible rattling noise at higher rpms and said that the cylinders are rusted from sitting (the person I bought it from said it sat for a while) and the bottom left piston (from behind) is cracked in two. Instead of a rebuild, I am looking at replacing the motor. The other motor (97) is owned by a friend of my dads and he is upgrading to a newer optimax.

He has a 21' or 22' center console boat and is removing the cables and controls. Will those work on my boat or will those need replaced as well?

If you are getting the forward harness as well then you should be fine. Depending on how much you are getting this 97 for you could spend it on the 91 and it would be a fresh motor again after rebuilding. Anyhting could happen to the 97 once you get it as well and then you would be stuck with 2 motors. The 97 won't be any better than the 91 in my sense only a little newer in age.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

I believe everything comes with the 97 motor since he is switching to a Mercury. He told me cables and controls anyways. Since he is a good friend of my dads he is giving me a really good price on it. I was thinking of putting the jack plate on to accomodate the difference in motor shaft length, replacing the tach with a smart tach as suggested and would still be way ahead of the rebuild price.

I have a friend who is in a similar situation that has offered to buy my motor as a rebuild project for his boat and that would pay for the tach and jack plate. Just a thought. I haven't made a definite decision, but I am giving it some serious consideration. That is why I am asking so many questions. Everyone on this site has been very helpful.

I did talk to the owner of the 97 and it is not a FICHT motor, it does have carbs. He said it has alot of hours on it, but has been maintained well and still runs strong.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

emdsapmgr,
You suggested earlier swapping out the power heads on these motors. Today I stopped by the local marine repair and asked them what they would charge to swap them out since I have no experience with boat motors and they said that the 91 and 97 weren't compatible. They said that 92 and up were compatible. Is there any way to find out for sure?

I am really beginning to wonder if this is the motor for me or if I should just pass on it.

 

[emdsapmgr]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Even though the powerheads use the same base gasket, it is possible that the splines on the crank/drive shaft changed over the years. The cranks and drive shafts are different parts and don't supercede to each other between the two engines.

 

[boobie]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Ask your local dlr what the difference is between '91 and '92 is and get back to us.

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Will do. I am off on Tuesday so I will stop in there and see what I can find out and will post the results.
If the powerheads are indeed incompatible, is the use of a jack plate a reasonable solution to getting passed the 5" difference or are there problems associated with doing that? I don't want to do anything unwise or unsafe. If it is ok to do that, are there any plates you would recommend looking at? Again, this site and you guys have been great for a newbie with questions.

 

[glengold]

Re: Replacement Motor??

I wouldn't do it.

I'd be mad that I have a jack plate JUST to hold the motor at proper height the whole time. Here in the big bend of Florida we use jack plates to get into skinny water.

A few months ago, I had to replace my 97 evinrude bc the lower went out and it was going to be really expensive to fix. I just looked at 25 inch shaft motors and knew it wouldn't work on my boat designed for a 20 inch shaft. The late 90's driveshaft was a 17 spline and years prior (pre-92 maybe) are 13 spline. The 17 spline lower units are a "rare bird" as I was told. I found many of the older 13 spline for cheap, 17 spline - one in Canada for 700 bucks. This was for a 97 evinrude 50hp.

I found a guy who took it in as a trade and gave me an older 55hp recently tuned up for 500 bucks, installed w/the same controls.

I try to follow the KISS method, Keep It Simple Stupid

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Well...looks like I am back in the market for another motor.

Glengold is right. I talked to my local marine mechanic today and he told me that the drive shaft for a 91 is different than that of the 97. He said 91 and earlier are the same and 92-up are the same.

Also, the more people I talk to, the more I hear putting a 25" motor on with a jack plate to make up the difference is not the right thing to do so I guess I will keep shopping. Thanks again to all of you.

 

[boobie]

Re: Replacement Motor??

Did he by chance say what the difference between the d/s' were ? Length, splines, upper seal area or what ?

 

[stratos92]

Re: Replacement Motor??

He did not say what the difference was, just that they were different so the powerheads could not be swapped. Is that something that I should ask about?

Is it possible to change the 25" shaft to a 20" shaft? If so, what all does the job involve...parts, expense, etc?