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Author Topic:   Repower end of season advice Montauk 17

ChrisCT posted 05-29-2002 09:04 AM ET (US)
Already thinking of end of season repower. the 1985 Yammy 70hp is running well (after I better secured spark plug wires) w/ the exception of intermittent fuel starvation. I think My mechanic will give me around $800 for it and will have a 75 hp Merc coming off a 1 yr (really 4 month) lease from a sailing program at a local lucrative yacht club. Anyone know if this is a good option for replacing the Yammy and what a fair price is for it (Even if someone knows a web site that would give a good reference for pricing - the MSRP always seems to be 20% or so higher than retail - is this sort of a rule)?
Things I have to consider are swithing from the Yammy, the fact that my mechanic doesn't do real service on Yammys, I would need new controls even if I replace w/ new Yammy, need new steering (it goes well one way and very tight the other), and the parts for an old Yammy are pretty significant ($50 per spark plug cable vs $8 for non Yammy - yes the one thing I actually would feel comfotable changing on an engine) Any advice is always extremely appreciated!
Clark Roberts posted 05-29-2002 10:29 AM ET (US)
Chris, the 75 merc is a great choice for Montauk repower. It is a larger engine (84 cubic inches vs. 58 cubic inches for the Yamaha) and will have significantly more powerful hole shot and higher top speed and it weighs approx 50lbs more than the Yamaha. Fuel consumption on the Merc should be very good although maybe not quite as good as the Yam. I personally love the 75/90hp mercs as they are strong and in my experience with a dozen or so of them, very reliable and they don't corrode in a salt environment! Just my 2 cents worth! Happy Whalin'... Clark... SCN
kamml posted 05-29-2002 07:47 PM ET (US)
I went with a Merc 90 repower this spring and am very satisfied. I am sure I would be just as satisfied if it had been a 4 stroke vs a two stroke, a Yammy versus a Johnson etc. I got a pretty good deal on the Merc and it runs well. Opinions on which motor to buy are all subjective, my wallet's objective opinion clinched the deal for the Merc, if you get my drift. I bet the 75 would be a perfect motor for the Montauk as my 90 probably has more power than I will ever use most of the time. Ken
ChrisCT posted 05-30-2002 07:41 AM ET (US)
Thx guys! I'm starting to feel better after the big local Yamaha dealer told me that I would definitely get a deal (or steal I think he said) on anything other than a Yammy because they are so substandard to the Yamaha.
whalerron posted 05-30-2002 08:40 AM ET (US)
"...they are so substandard to the Yamaha..."????
Don't let anybody fool you. Outboards have come a long way and they are all pretty much the same. You need to go with what you can afford and what you are comfortable with. Whatever brand that ends up being will be a good motor. I am convinced that you cannot buy a "bad" outboard if you buy new.
jimh posted 05-30-2002 11:04 AM ET (US)
I think having a strong dealership and a good working relationship with them is more important than brand in many cases.
I know that many people perceive YAMAHA as a premium engine, but to judge its market position from my local situation it would be hard to come to that conclusion.
Although I live in SE Michigan, an area of 4-million people and the nation's number one or two rank in boater registration, I have to drive 50 miles to find a Yamaha dealer that can service my engine. One of these is a very yachty, on-the-water dealer/marina who sells large inboard yachts and some high-end outboards. A pair of 225-HP on a Pursiut is his typical outboard customer. His idea of service is $90/hour and make an appointment about 6-weeks in advance. Maybe if you just bought a $135,000 outboard boat from him you can get in sooner.
Driving 50 miles in the other direction I get to a big mega-dealer who sells everything, including OMC, Mercury, and Yamaha, but he has literally told me that his shop doesn't like to work on Yamahas. He did some work for me two years ago and I was very disappointed in the results. It took three weeks longer than promised, ended up costing twice as much as quoted, and replaced much stuff that was not broken. Scratch him off the list.
Fifty miles in another direction gets me to another dealer, but he just took on Yamaha a year ago when OMC blew up, so I am reserving judgement about his operation. Previously he was an OMC and Mercury dealer for 25+ years. I visited his shop one day and he didn't have a Yamaha engine in any of his service bays--all older OMCs and a few Mercs.
Although Yamaha has listings of a dozen "dealers" in my area that are closer, almost all of these turned out to be places that were little inland lake shops that sold Waverunners or Snowmobiles. Their idea of boating was a 40-HP on a pontoon boat. Most said they did not offer service on outboards.
Now SE Michigan may be a unique market since we have such an automotive-based employer situation. Many people do not like Japanese cars, although there are plenty on the roads, just not as many as in Southern California. Perhaps this buy-American preference has carried over to boating around here. That is my conclusion.
As a result of the dealer situation, I find myself leaning more toward a Mercury brand engine if I were to buy new. I have a good relationship with a very long standing Mercury dealer, he has a huge inventory of in-stock parts, and a staff of mechanics who know how to fix them. He is also off-the-water, which is fine for me as a trailer boater, and his shop rates are much more reasonable.
If the situation were different and my local favorite dealer carried Honda or Tohatsu, for example, then perhaps I would be leaning in that direction.
compounder posted 05-30-2002 08:48 PM ET (US)
jimh,
I have to agree with you that dealer considerations probably should outweigh brand in making a purchasing decision.
However, a Yamaha dealer not having any Yamaha engines in his service bays is probably a good thing!
Bigshot posted 05-31-2002 10:43 AM ET (US)
End of season repower......you live down under?
Post what the prices are gonna be and then we can give you a better idea of the deal you are getting. That engine(if nice) will fetch more than $800. A new 75 might be as cheap as the "rental" that some kids beat the snot out for 4 months(I know I would).

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Author	Topic: Repower end of season advice Montauk 17
ChrisCT	posted 05-29-2002 09:04 AM ET (US) Already thinking of end of season repower. the 1985 Yammy 70hp is running well (after I better secured spark plug wires) w/ the exception of intermittent fuel starvation. I think My mechanic will give me around $800 for it and will have a 75 hp Merc coming off a 1 yr (really 4 month) lease from a sailing program at a local lucrative yacht club. Anyone know if this is a good option for replacing the Yammy and what a fair price is for it (Even if someone knows a web site that would give a good reference for pricing - the MSRP always seems to be 20% or so higher than retail - is this sort of a rule)? Things I have to consider are swithing from the Yammy, the fact that my mechanic doesn't do real service on Yammys, I would need new controls even if I replace w/ new Yammy, need new steering (it goes well one way and very tight the other), and the parts for an old Yammy are pretty significant ($50 per spark plug cable vs $8 for non Yammy - yes the one thing I actually would feel comfotable changing on an engine) Any advice is always extremely appreciated!
Clark Roberts	posted 05-29-2002 10:29 AM ET (US) Chris, the 75 merc is a great choice for Montauk repower. It is a larger engine (84 cubic inches vs. 58 cubic inches for the Yamaha) and will have significantly more powerful hole shot and higher top speed and it weighs approx 50lbs more than the Yamaha. Fuel consumption on the Merc should be very good although maybe not quite as good as the Yam. I personally love the 75/90hp mercs as they are strong and in my experience with a dozen or so of them, very reliable and they don't corrode in a salt environment! Just my 2 cents worth! Happy Whalin'... Clark... SCN
kamml	posted 05-29-2002 07:47 PM ET (US) I went with a Merc 90 repower this spring and am very satisfied. I am sure I would be just as satisfied if it had been a 4 stroke vs a two stroke, a Yammy versus a Johnson etc. I got a pretty good deal on the Merc and it runs well. Opinions on which motor to buy are all subjective, my wallet's objective opinion clinched the deal for the Merc, if you get my drift. I bet the 75 would be a perfect motor for the Montauk as my 90 probably has more power than I will ever use most of the time. Ken
ChrisCT	posted 05-30-2002 07:41 AM ET (US) Thx guys! I'm starting to feel better after the big local Yamaha dealer told me that I would definitely get a deal (or steal I think he said) on anything other than a Yammy because they are so substandard to the Yamaha.
whalerron	posted 05-30-2002 08:40 AM ET (US) "...they are so substandard to the Yamaha..."???? Don't let anybody fool you. Outboards have come a long way and they are all pretty much the same. You need to go with what you can afford and what you are comfortable with. Whatever brand that ends up being will be a good motor. I am convinced that you cannot buy a "bad" outboard if you buy new.
jimh	posted 05-30-2002 11:04 AM ET (US) I think having a strong dealership and a good working relationship with them is more important than brand in many cases. I know that many people perceive YAMAHA as a premium engine, but to judge its market position from my local situation it would be hard to come to that conclusion. Although I live in SE Michigan, an area of 4-million people and the nation's number one or two rank in boater registration, I have to drive 50 miles to find a Yamaha dealer that can service my engine. One of these is a very yachty, on-the-water dealer/marina who sells large inboard yachts and some high-end outboards. A pair of 225-HP on a Pursiut is his typical outboard customer. His idea of service is $90/hour and make an appointment about 6-weeks in advance. Maybe if you just bought a $135,000 outboard boat from him you can get in sooner. Driving 50 miles in the other direction I get to a big mega-dealer who sells everything, including OMC, Mercury, and Yamaha, but he has literally told me that his shop doesn't like to work on Yamahas. He did some work for me two years ago and I was very disappointed in the results. It took three weeks longer than promised, ended up costing twice as much as quoted, and replaced much stuff that was not broken. Scratch him off the list. Fifty miles in another direction gets me to another dealer, but he just took on Yamaha a year ago when OMC blew up, so I am reserving judgement about his operation. Previously he was an OMC and Mercury dealer for 25+ years. I visited his shop one day and he didn't have a Yamaha engine in any of his service bays--all older OMCs and a few Mercs. Although Yamaha has listings of a dozen "dealers" in my area that are closer, almost all of these turned out to be places that were little inland lake shops that sold Waverunners or Snowmobiles. Their idea of boating was a 40-HP on a pontoon boat. Most said they did not offer service on outboards. Now SE Michigan may be a unique market since we have such an automotive-based employer situation. Many people do not like Japanese cars, although there are plenty on the roads, just not as many as in Southern California. Perhaps this buy-American preference has carried over to boating around here. That is my conclusion. As a result of the dealer situation, I find myself leaning more toward a Mercury brand engine if I were to buy new. I have a good relationship with a very long standing Mercury dealer, he has a huge inventory of in-stock parts, and a staff of mechanics who know how to fix them. He is also off-the-water, which is fine for me as a trailer boater, and his shop rates are much more reasonable. If the situation were different and my local favorite dealer carried Honda or Tohatsu, for example, then perhaps I would be leaning in that direction.
compounder	posted 05-30-2002 08:48 PM ET (US) jimh, I have to agree with you that dealer considerations probably should outweigh brand in making a purchasing decision. However, a Yamaha dealer not having any Yamaha engines in his service bays is probably a good thing!
Bigshot	posted 05-31-2002 10:43 AM ET (US) End of season repower......you live down under? Post what the prices are gonna be and then we can give you a better idea of the deal you are getting. That engine(if nice) will fetch more than $800. A new 75 might be as cheap as the "rental" that some kids beat the snot out for 4 months(I know I would).