New Motor

[MGBarket]

I'm rebuilding a Potter built 1969 20 foot open fishermen. Raising the transom to 25 inches. What motor should I put on it.

[eyezlow]

if i had a choice 150 yami 4 stroke. i have a 96 200 johnson on mine and its more than i need not to mention fuel $$

[Bigshrimpin]

115/130 Etec or a 115/140 suzuki four stroke is what I'd pick if I was buying a new motor for a 20 seacraft. If you are buying used . . . any 2.0L or 2.5L merc, OMC v-4 90 - 140, OMC 150/175 60 degree, yamaha 115/130 or 2.6L 150 Carb or EFI. Not sure where you are located, but the boats run great at 18 - 25mph in most conditions here in NE. Rarely can you cruise at 30+mph or take advantage of the power higher HP motors. Smaller lightweight motors proped to cruise at 24/25mph 3800rpm with give you the best ride and performance.

I go along with the ETEC recommendation. I have a 150 on my 1970 20SF and I am very happy. A 130 or even a 115 would do fine - just less power coming in the inlet - and I hate being without good power in an inlet chop. The 150 gives me lots of reserve. Best engine for both performance and fuel economy I ever owned (since 1960).

[Snookerd]

Smaller lightweight motors proped to cruise at 24/25mph 3800rpm with give you the best ride and performance.

Listen to Big. I hate to keep the hp on the low end, but weight and balance on an acceptable lower HP motor trumps higher HP all day in a tuff inlet or sea. Who cares if you can punch it in the inlet when the weight that the power you choose makes it where staying on plane requires heavy throttle and a chance to stuff the bow because the boat doesn't stay on plane. I would go 150 ETEC like Ron has if I were making a choice of 2 150's. The weight is at least 35lbs less on the ETEC vs. the 150 Yamaha

[Bushwacker]

Amen to what Snookerd and Big said! When I repowered from a 300 lb V-4 on the transom to the 429 lb E-Tec sitting 30" aft on a bracket, it took a lot of tweaking, to get it to where it would plane as easily and ride as well as the old setup! I'm sure glad I didn't go any heavier. I considered the 115 but they were not in production at the time I bought it in 2006. It's been a great motor with zero problems in about 370 hrs, but it's definitely a lot more power than you need if you run in anything over about 2-3'. The 20' hull will go airborne in seas over 3' at about 20 kts, so if you run offshore very much, you won't use all that power very often!

[Fr. Frank]

25" 130 Etec is 405 lbs - 28 lbs less than the 150 Etec. Tests show that the 130 actually produces an average of 140-142 horsepower at the propshaft. The 150 Etec averages 163-165 hp at the prop.

In contrast, the DF140 Suzuki is 410 lbs, the 135 Mercury Optimax is 510 lbs, and the 135 Honda is 480 lbs.

It should be noted that the 3 cylinder 1.5L 125 hp Mercury Optimax weighs 375 lbs, and averaged 138-140 hp in tests. However, it has 12% less torque than the 130 Etec, and the extremely efficient air compression/injection system gives it noticeable throttle lag. (It's essentially a supercharged fuel-injected 2 stroke) It does have better fuel economy than any other outboard in the 120-140 hp range.

I nominate the 130 hp Etec.