Re: motor selection
Hey Marm,
I am on the verge of starting my 23cc project. I am leaning towards twins. I would really like to get a pair of used DF 140s, but HPDIs would be great too. I did look at a pair of old honda 150s last year that bigshrimp pointed me towards, but they were heavy. (And my boat was years away from ready!).
My feeling is that if I buy used power, I will get twins. If I buy new I will get a single screw, probably a DF250. That suzi 300 is a great engine, but it's expensive. Also, I want to see if those electronic controls last for more than a few seasons (in the hands of regular users) before committing to them. The honda 225 is a great fit for a 23 too. My feeling is that all the 225-250's are about the right size for a 23. I have read all the arguments about twins versus a big single, and I agree a new big single is the best way to go. Definitely close the transom and put a huge bracket on either way.
Who knows though. Maybe by the time I finish my build (in a decade), there will be a diesel outboard with variable gearing, and I will just buy a few of those. One of the big knocks on the 4 strokes (heard this in a Japanese commercial fishing boat yard) is that although 4 strokes are car engines, in cars they come with transmissions that allow them to spend most of their time running in the optimal torque/power range. I know nissan has build a car transmission with belts and cones, that doesn't have any gears, which would be neat to see in an outboard. Maybe you could plane a 23 with a geared 90hp? I also know that there are a new set of small block diesels coming out right now with lots of fancy electronics. Anyway, I will probably end up with some light weight twins. That DF140 is a beast and my favorite engine of all time. Just need to find a lightly used, counter rotating, 30" pair.
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best,
Ken
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