The gas pump blues...

[mmw0k7o]

Well I hate to say it but the day has come when I'm choosing my boat based on the outboard rather than the other way around. With the price of gas these days all I can think of is how I can get on the water and stay on the water for less. My current conclusion is to go four stroke. Now the question is how much horse power can I afford to run. I'm currently leaning toward the Suzuki 140 HP four stroke. How much boat can I get with a 140 HP four stroke? I've read in previous posts that this is great for the SC 18 ft, but will it be enough for the seacraft 20 center console? If so am I limited to certain years based on hull design and weight?

[NoBones]

Keep in mind a Potter built SeaCraft was built like a tank,
This was before they knew how much fiberglass is was going to take to hold them together. A 140 Suzi would work just fine on a 20 SF. The price of fuel is a factor in today's world. But from my stand point safety comes first.
We have several CSC members that are running the 4 stroke
Susuki's on this site, they love'em. If you are that concerned
about fuel economy you may want to consider a kevlar hull.
The weight ratio is far less, hence better fuel economy.
Just my 2 cents worth..........
See ya, Ken

[Ikan Besar]

A SeaCraft 18' and a SeaCraft 20' are only 200#s different in weight. I've owned both simultaneously and any engine that will push the 18' will do just fine with the 20'. I've had three different engines on those two hulls, two 140's and a 130hp.

I was pretty pleased with my fuel consumption before the current spike in gasoline prices. I'm even happier now that I went with the engine that I did (currently a 140 Suzy). Other people may get there faster than I do but I do it for a lot less

[mmw0k7o]

Does anybody have an opinion on which shaft length works better for the SC 20 CC. I believe the Suzuki 140 comes in a 20" and 25" shaft. Should I make any special modifications to the transom before I mount the engine...raise or reinforce? What about the prop, what pitch gives the best overall performance? I'd just assume take everything into consideration so I can do it right the first time. I've learned the hard way that hindsight may be 20/20 but you pay dearly for each change. Many thanks to those willing to share their valuable knowledge.

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Ha Fish

To answer your questions we would need to go from hypothetical to actually having a boat we are talking about. My first questions would which year, transom length, condition of the boat, stuff like that.

FellowShip

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My motto: Just for the Grins

[Snookerd]

25" shaft on the 140 for the 20SF. The 140 Suzuki on the 18SF is the set-up on my dad's boat.