1993 MONTAUK 17 Re-power

[jkwatkins]

[I] just bought [a 1993 Boston Whaler MONTAUK 17] boat. [Its 1993 Yamaha 90-HP two-stroke cycle outboard] engine quit the first time out. [I am] not sure what happened, but it was checked out before purchase. I was going to re-power anyway. [The 1993 Boston Whaler MONTAUK 17] boat ran great [with the 90-HP engine]. [I] would like to re-power with a 2011 Yamaha F60 four-stroke-cycle engine.

Does anyone out there have [a Boston Whaler MONTAUK 17 powered by a Yamaha F60]?

I want to be sure this is a good decision. Part of the reason is that I already have the F60 engine. I would love to hear any feedback and any actual performance numbers. Thanks--Jack

[Moderator's note: this thread was posted in two forums. Please do not begin two discussion on the same topic in two different forums. All that will happen is your second discussion will be shut down and merged with the first one. And you cause the moderator to spend far more time moderating the forum. --jimh]

[Phil T]

Do not mount a 60-HP engine motor. You will be very, very unhappy.

A 60 will struggle to get the boat on a plane and will be operating at almost full power most of the time. A 70 hp motor will give you an acceptable cruising speed with a full load of four adults. A 90-HP is more typical and will add 5 to 7-MPH more boat speed at full throttle.

[John_Madison CT]

What was wrong with the 90-HP? Those are very reliable motors.

[Moderator's note: I think what is being suggested here is the original engine ought to be repaired instead of replaced--jimh]

[flymo]

Is your new motor an F60 or a T60? If you do a search on the old forum using the search string "Montauk AND F60" you'll find lots of posts on the subject. Some folks advocate the T60, with its larger gearcase and prop, others think the F60 works okay.

Tim

[jimh]

Here is the search that Tim proposed. You can craft your own search terms from the form submission at:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/oldForum/

Many people feel that 60-HP is adequate for the classic MONTAUK 17. The performance of small boats is influenced significantly by the weight of the gear and crew that is aboard. The weight of crew and their gear is variable, but can become a very large percentage of the total weight of the boat. If you are a 170-lbs fellow and go out by yourself most of the time time, a smaller engine like a 60-HP may be adequate. If you weigh 280-lbs and go out with two other guys that size, carrying 100-lbs of ice and beer in a cooler, the 60-HP is going to struggle.

Here is a very interesting story, re-told by me, from a fellow with a classic MONTAUK. He made some interesting choices in re-powering his boat after he had a very unusual experience with it. I recommend reading this:

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/013113.html

[jimh]

The Yamaha 90-HP three-cylinder two-stroke-cycle outboard engine is an excellent and classic outboard. Typically those engines run forever and deliver very good performance. Unless the engine suffered some sort of catastrophic failure, you really ought to investigate what caused it "to quit." The remedy might be very simple. In any case, getting the 90-HP running again will greatly improve its value for re-sale or trade-in. I would anticipate there is a ready market for a 1993 Yamaha 90 two-stroke-cycle engine, if you indeed must replace it.

[macfam]

I currently have (new to me) a 150 Montauk with a Mercury 60hp EFI 4-stroke BIGFOOT. I emphasize BIGFOOT with the larger gear case, and the ability to swing a 13 3/8" x 14"P stainless prop. More similar to the Yamaha T-60 with larger gear case.

Montauk 17 vs 150 Montauk?? Yes, I know! These are NOT the same boat. But the hull weight of both models is 950 pounds.

I don't find the 150 Montauk lacking performance with 2-3 people aboard with moderate gear.
See the performance results here:
http://www.bostonwhaler.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/Company94/_58_918201544003PM.pdf

With my wife an I aboard with 12-13 gallons and a cooler and some gear, we also ran 35+mph on gps, no problem. Normal cruise speed 18-23 mph......perfect for me.

Perhaps you can consult your local (hopefully knowledgable) Yamaha dealer regarding the performance expectations between the F-60 and the T-60.

[Qtrmeg]

[Moderator's Note. I deleted an ASIDE about the thread itself--jimh.]

First of all, that Yamaha 90 is a favorite of Montauk owners and it will bring a premium price. If you are determined to get rid of it it would be nice if you offered it for sale on this website. It would be in your best interest to have it in running condition. I also doubt there is a problem with the 90 I couldn't fix in like 10 minutes. Let me guess, the boat is nice, clean and original? Probably sat around more than it was run?

The Yamaha F60 will be okay, and that is all it ever will be. It is more modern and efficient, but the Yamaha 90 just has more power and capability. I should say that I think the two-stroke-cyclee Yamaha 90 is a pretty weak 90-HP engine, so I don't think we are talking about leaving 30-HP on the table. I'd guess that on a smirked 17 the F60 would do about 33-MPH and the 90 would do about 39-MPH. The F60 will be hurting if you want to pull skiers or tubes, or run heavy. If you run around with one to two people it will almost seem peppy.

A 1993 Montauk might not "officially" be a classic but it is close enough to consider keeping an original boat original. How nice and original is your boat? You do have a classic hull, and nice ones are getting hard to find. There might be something to be said for keeping the package the way it was born.

Either way you are in a very enviable position, you will always have a nice boat.

[jkwatkins]

Been away for a day or so. Thanks for your comments. I did like the 90-HP two-stroke, and it ran well for about 20 minutes. Compression tested out and lower unit oil was good with no water intrusion. The motor did have a catastrophic failure, and one of the pistons gave way. The dealer told me it might not be worth the rebuild. The shift rod has a lot of rust on and would probably need to be replaced with a newer stainless steel version. Replacing it with another 90-HP two-stroke-cycle engine rather a rebuild might be better. I did like the idea of all original since it was first built--only two owners, and the person I purchased from from had owned the boat for the last 16 years.

The 1993 MONTAUK 17 is nice and in good shape. I am going to keep it. I will ask the dealer to give me a price to rebuild and see what he says. May also get a second opinion from someone other than a Yamaha dealer.

Thanks to all again and will let you guys know what I end up doing.

[jimh]

Thanks for the follow-up. If the Yamaha 90 is no longer in running condition, the decision to re-power is appreciated in a new perspective.

From my view, the decision to rebuild an older outboard engine must be carefully considered. The outcome of an engine rebuilding will depend primarily on the skill of the person doing the rebuild and exactly what has to be replaced and repaired. If the rebuilder is skilled in his craft, uses excellent parts, and provides his services at a reasonable fee, having the engine rebuilt may be a reasonable investment compared to the cost of buying a replacement. On the other hand, if the rebuild is done poorly, the rebuilt engine may not really be very durable or provide a long service life, and the cost of the rebuild may become a very expensive and very temporary repair.

Since you already have a new Yamaha F60 on hand, I guess talking about rebuilding the old 90-HP engine is a moot point.

[JRP]

Since you're asking for feedback, in your shoes, I would not put money into rebuilding the Yamaha 90 that has had catastrophic failure. Deciding not to is made easier by the fact that you own a Yamaha F60 already. Sell the Yamaha 90 for parts value, mount the Yamaha F60, and then see how you like the performance of the Montauk with the Yamaha F60. If you are happy with the performance of your Montauk, you will not have spent a bunch of money, and might even have a little extra gas money from the sale of the Yamaha 90.

If it turns out you are not satisfied with the performance of your Montauk with the F60, you can always upgrade later. And it will be easier to sell the F60 if you can demonstrate how well it operates while mounted on the Montauk.

The F60 will probably do fine for you much of the time, but you may occasionally wish you had a bit more power back there on the transom. If you can keep the boat light by not loading it up with too much "stuff", you will have fewer occasions when you wish you had more power available.