Montauk 170 Re-power

[jheiii]

I plan to re-power a 170 Montauk. The 170 Montauk is run loaded down with my family of four. The present engine is Mercury 90 FORSTROKE EFI that weighs 368-lbs. Performance is alright.

In the re-power I do not want to add any engine weight; in fact want to take off some [engine] weight off if I can.

[Give me advice about re-powering with a 90-HP 115-HP engine, and advice about using an engine made by] Mercury in preference to an engine made by Suzuki?

I really want a white outboard. That requirement had me looking at Suzuki since the Mercury 90 is only available in black.

Then I noticed the Mercury engine had more displacement and that's attractive because I always run heavy.

Current performance with my 2006 Mercury 90 FOURSTROKE EFI:

41.5-MPH
5690-RPM
8.8-GPH

21.5-MPH
3400-RPM
3.0-GPH

To buy a 115-HP instead of 90-HP only increases the cost a few hundred dollars.

The Mercury and Suzuki engines are within $1,000 in cost difference.

The engine dealer and my insurer are fine with the 115-HP.

[Give me advice on which brand and which horsepower to buy for re-powering my 170 MONTAUK.]

[frontier]

Go with a new Yamaha F90 at 353 pounds. As the saying goes "nobody was ever sorry they bought the best there was".

[Phil T]

If you run heavy, go with the 115hp.

Suzuki DF115hp - 401lbs
Mercury Fourstroke 115hp - 386lbs

Pricing between both brands is within a grand

I have been told the price difference is more like 2-3K with the Suzuki 115hp being ~11K +/-.

Recommend you getting detailed quotes from more than 1 dealer for each brand that detail item costs for engine, binnacle, gauges, stainless prop, harnesses, derig, install, water test and sales tax

Many owners selected Suzuki this season for repower. I think they are actively buying market share with low prices.

[biggiefl]

I have been running Suzukis since 1981 and they have never seen a mechanic after install. The Mercury may save you money as you can reuse many parts from current rigging. Depending on demographics, Suzuki can be much cheaper than their competition, especially in FL. In 2006 I bought a new DF115 for $5995 out the door.

[jimh]

What is the real goal of the re-power?

To improve acceleration and top speed?

To get a white engine?

To reduce engine weight?

I don’t think you can realize those three goals with one engine.

I don’t understand why the present engine is being replaced.

[MarkCz]

Too bad Evinrude [stopped making their E-TEC engines.] [They made an E-TEC] 115-HP [that weighed] 375-lbs (that I believe you could have gotten) in white.

[jheiii]

Go with a new Yamaha F90 at 353 pounds. As the saying goes "nobody was ever sorry they bought the best there was".

At 1.7L I fear I'd be that sorry party.

[jheiii]

I have been told the price difference is more like 2-3K....

The Suzuki was $9,500 controls all-in for the 115.
Mercury is $9,500 with new binnacle for the 115.

[jheiii]

What is the real goal of the re-power?

Real goal is to get another 15 years of turn-the-key-and-go instead of repairing this Mercury 90 FOURSTROKE.

In the last three years I changed fluids and impeller. Then in the last three months I [replaced] the fuel pressure module, the neutral safety switch, and the ignition key switch. Those [repairs] were 20-percent of the cost of a new engine.

This Mercury 90 FOURSTROKE only has 580 hour run time.

To find myself 15-miles offshore or covering 75-miles in a day is common.

[The engine paint] color is [secondary] to performance and weight [for the choice of the re-power engine].

[jheiii]

Too bad Evinrude [stopped making their E-TEC engines.] [They made an E-TEC] 115-HP [that weighed] 375-lbs (that I believe you could have gotten) in white.

Nearly did exactly that last year.

I decided on a 2021 Mercury 115 ProXS Command Thrust.

[jimh]

ASIDE: Mercury, like all other outboard makers, no longer has a model year designator. I don’t know how Mercury identifies a particular model other than by the date of manufacture of the product. On that basis one cannot buy a “2021” model in the year 2020. Any engine bought in 2020 would have to have been made in 2020 or earlier. The engines are referred to by their year of production.