Thinking about buying a boat

[BKP]

Nemrod, of course you're right about the four strokes and all DFIs. They're much cleaner than the old 90 HP Johnson I had pushing my toon around, about 7 years ago. (Loved the blue smoke plume every time I cranked it up). However, as you pointed out, the newer power plants are cleaner, but there are quite a few carburated 2-strokes still cranking (and cranking out oil).

As for the I/O engines, even the carburated versions (which are quickly disappearing as well) are not 2-stroke, and not as susceptible to the problems of a gas/oil fuel mixtures.

There are certainly maintenance advantages to the outboards. However, after having owned both outboard and I/O, I'll still take I/O...

As for the Mr. Fusion... put me down for two... (my kids can supply the banana peels and cola cans...).

 

[matt_unique]

Yeah it's the 2-strokes that are going out the door in terms of production. I definitely don't like the idea of the oil I'm emitting when I run my 2-stroke merc outboard on my dinghy. However, I use it only on my dinghy and I burn about 1 gallon of gas an entire season.

--Matt

 

[Wildcard]

Big clean 2 strokes are still going strong. They will be around for years to come. Im speaking of the newer ones. For OBs, 2 stroke is still better than 4 stroke. Flame all you want but you havn't tried to rebuild a new 4 stroke yet. There lies there weakness. That and they weigh more and are more expensive. If I had need of a big OB and outdated enviro regs mandating "clean" 4 strokes didnt get in the way, Id be looking real hard at a 2 stroke.

 

[Hank49]

Big clean 2 strokes are still going strong. They will be around for years to come. Im speaking of the newer ones. For OBs, 2 stroke is still better than 4 stroke. Flame all you want but you havn't tried to rebuild a new 4 stroke yet. There lies there weakness. That and they weigh more and are more expensive. If I had need of a big OB and outdated enviro regs mandating "clean" 4 strokes didnt get in the way, Id be looking real hard at a 2 stroke.

ETECs are comparable to 4 strokes in gas consumption per HP. My 90 even sounds like a four stoke and hardly smokes at all. I burn about 1 quart of oil for 24 gallons of gas too. If you use the fully synthetic oil, you use half of that they claim.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I believe the very cleanest outboard is the Evinrude E-TEC, a DFI two-stroke.

Nobody has mandated 4-stroke, they've mandated CLEAN.

A carbureted 4-stroke is generally a lot cleaner than a carbureted two-stroke because
the 2-stroke stroke pipes a lot of unburned gas and oil out the exhuast.

 

[Wildcard]

Has not CA mandated four stroke? I know some places had 4 stroke only rules. The new two strokes are right there with the 4s on "clean". I dont have the numbers handy and Im not going to look for them.

 

[Nemrod]

http://www.pwia.org/faqs/outboard.html


These ban laws are for the old technology carburated engines, most of which have not been produced for several years. The outboards (DFI two stroke and four stroke) on the market now meet all laws and known proposed laws for California and the USA, last I bothered to research it very much.

You can look on he back of the engines, there should be a sticker there that states the engine meets or does not meet CALIFORNIA emission requirments. My engine clearly has this sticker on it stateing full compliance with CALIFORNIA requirments. The engines in general exceed the requirments by quite a bit--overall. It is also my reading that indicates that all such engines will be grandfathered forward as still legal to use but--but--in some specific circumstances old technology engines will not be grandfathered forward.

To put this in perspective this is the same as if the EPA required states to refuse licensing for all older automobiles. Example, imagine if all automobiles--regardless--older than 10 years were banned from the Los Angelos metro area--all classics, all muscle cars, all modified cars, all older cars. That would cause a firestorm and it would also produce REAL reductions in pollution. In contrast, marine engines are so small a segment of the transportation BTU consumption that it is almost not worth the effort except in special cases. It would also greatly reduce pollution if all non buisness/non commercial auto use were limited to six or fewer cylinder engines and trucks of no more than 1/2 ton capacity or under 4,500 pounds total weight. We should concentrate our green efforts where they produce the greatest impact and savings--banning all older vehicles would produce safety advantages also because they have better safety equipment and better fuel economy as well as reduced emissions. I think we should put a personal use tax on all vehicles that get fewer than 25 MPG based on the percentage under that figure and weigh more than 4,000 pounds.

N

 

[Wildcard]

We already have that sort of tax on fuel. The more you burn the more you pay. Some of us need larger vehicles and some of use are willing to pay extra for the added safety factor. My truck dry, no driver weighs in at 7880. I will survive a head on with anything short of a semi and I get 21 mpg due to my driving habits. It gets used to and beyond it's weight capacity on a regular basis. Not all of us can live with a Volkswagon. OTH my motorcycle gets low 50s and is used for runnning errands when the weather permits. Blanket statements on size and weight just don't work....New VW diesel cars get 45ish mpg, my old 1978 VW rabbit got 55 with a teenager beating it hard. Not all things have gotten better.

 

[mrjimboalaska]

http://www.pwia.org/faqs/outboard.html




To put this in perspective this is the same as if the EPA required states to refuse licensing for all older automobiles. Example, imagine if all automobiles--regardless--older than 10 years were banned from the Los Angelos metro area--all classics, all muscle cars, all modified cars, all older cars. That would cause a firestorm and it would also produce REAL reductions in pollution. In contrast, marine engines are so small a segment of the transportation BTU consumption that it is almost not worth the effort except in special cases. It would also greatly reduce pollution if all non buisness/non commercial auto use were limited to six or fewer cylinder engines and trucks of no more than 1/2 ton capacity or under 4,500 pounds total weight. We should concentrate our green efforts where they produce the greatest impact and savings--banning all older vehicles would produce safety advantages also because they have better safety equipment and better fuel economy as well as reduced emissions. I think we should put a personal use tax on all vehicles that get fewer than 25 MPG based on the percentage under that figure and weigh more than 4,000 pounds.

N

I think that we should charge a $5,000 annual fee to boston whaler owners who advocate crap like this.....................

 

[Cacia]

great pics Nemrod! ...late to the party, very informative posts.

Good luck Peter! I must say, JB and I decided one day after a great weekend on the water, that those two days alone, were worth the price, if we both died the next week.