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Author Topic:   MONTAUK: E-TEC 90 Pontoon Model

scott3294 posted 11-19-2014 10:11 PM ET (US)
I am looking at putting a new engine on [a 1991 MONTAUK]. I have read tons of glowing reviews of the E-TEC 90 for a [1991] Montauk. I got a quote today [from] a dealer in Atlanta (where I am) specifically for re-powering the Montauk. The dealer gave me a quote of around $9,000 with rigging. I then noticed he quoted a E90ESL, which appears, on the Evinrude site, to be one of their pontoon boat engines. I think the appropriate 2015 engine for a Montauk would be an E90DSL. Any insight into this? Am I correct?? Has this has come up? Thanks
Scott
jimh posted 11-20-2014 01:09 AM ET (US)
The difference between a standard E-TEC 90 and the special pontoon version is probably in these areas:
--the pontoon engine is set up for an external oil reservoir instead of an under-cowling reservoir;
--the pontoon engine has different engine mount rubber isolatiors, which are probably softer than the standard engine's rubber isolators;
--there might be different gear ratios; I am not certain on this point.
I don't have any reason to think that an E-TEC 90 intended for use on a pontoon boat will be a better set-up than an E-TEC 90 standard engine. Ask the dealer why he gave you that engine as the quoted engine for a MONTAUK re-power. Maybe he has one in stock he wants to sell.
I do not recall anyone giving a report of a MONTAUK re-powered with the E-TEC 90 pontoon model.
scott3294 posted 11-20-2014 06:13 AM ET (US)
Hi Jim,
You're spot on with you guess that he has one in stock...and only one. I did see on the Evinrude site that the gearing is different.
I guess my question now is, will the pontoon version be a better or lesser choice for my application?
Sounds to me like it would not be ideal.
Scott
scott3294 posted 11-20-2014 09:34 AM ET (US)
I guess I need to push this discussion along a little more because I am not getting much useful information from searching the interwebs. I have not found anything that points to the pontoon series NOT being a good fit for regular boats.
The gearing is different from a standard 90hp E-Tec. The standard is 2:0:1 on the E90DSL and the pontoon ratio is 2.36:1 High Speed. I am clueless as to whether this is good or bad for a Montauk application. I did see that other 90hp outboards (4strokes and the Optimax) are in the 2.33:1 range for gearing...similar to the Pontoon series.
Other than the gearing and rubber motor mounts...I can't see a difference.
Anyone have input on if this would be a good choice, same difference, or bad choice for a 91 Montauk?
Thanks!!!
Scott
Jefecinco posted 11-20-2014 10:04 AM ET (US)
From the numbers I believe the pontoon engine will be turning more RPM for a given speed than the normal engine. For this I would conclude the pontoon engine will burn more fuel and have a lower top speed.
Unless the price is spectacular why even consider the pontoon engine.
Frankly I believe the dealer is more interested in moving his stock than he is in doing right by you. I would seek another dealer and see what he has to say about the RIGHT E-TEC for your Montauk.
jimh posted 11-20-2014 10:46 AM ET (US)
The gear ratio difference between the standard E-TEC and the pontoon E-TEC will affect the choice of propellers. With the pontoon engine you will run a higher pitch propeller. Both models make 90-HP. The boat speed is a function of horsepower. A MONTAUK with 90-HP should be able to go about 40-MPH. That suggests the propeller pitch on the pontoon engine might be 20-inch, and on the standard engine the pitch might be 18-inches. In practical application, maybe 19-pitch versus 17-pitch. I don't think it is a big deal.
There is even a line of thinking that propellers with certain ratios of pitch and diameter tend to be more efficient propellers. It has been suggested that in the usual diameters around 14 to 15-inch, a 19-pitch propeller is more efficient than smaller pitches.
As for having a remote oil tank, I DO NOT think that will be an asset for use on a MONTAUK. The added oil hose, primer bulb, remote tank, and its electrical harness will just add to the rigging clutter at the transom. You will have to find some place to install the remote oil tank. It is usually recommended to put the oil tank in a battery box to give it protection against splashing water. A hose and electrical harness have to run from the tank to the engine. Sometimes the tank is hidden under the console, but then it is hard to fill the tank in that location.
The reason for making a pontoon model with a remote oil tank for the E-TEC was to accommodate the usual engine mounting on a pontoon boat. The engine is often far below the deck level, and on some sort of extended little engine bracket. It is awkward to take off the engine cowling and add oil in that situation. On a MONTAUK, it will not be difficult or awkward at all to add oil to the under-cowling reservoir of the standard E-TEC.
As for the engine rubber mounts, I think the pontoon model has softer more flexible mounts. That was probably intended to reduce any transmission of vibration from the engine to the pontoon hull. I don't think a typical two-tube pontoon boat with a lot of riveted aluminum has a hull stiffness that is a good as a Boston Whaler Unibond hull. Evinrude probably found that softer engine mounts were better for pontoon boats.
scott3294 posted 11-20-2014 10:52 AM ET (US)
Thanks Jim. I cannot find any reference that the pontoon version of the engine has a remote oil tank. I have asked the dealer to clarify.
Thanks for your input...as usual it is awesome!
Scott
dg3 posted 11-20-2014 04:14 PM ET (US)
I would say that your dealer is behaving unscrupulously and trying to unload a motor he fears being stuck with at the end of the season.
The pontoon version is specifically altered to push heavy loads at slow speeds. Hence the lower (numerically higher) lower unit gear ratio. That is designed to to put the motor RPMs higher in the power curve while turning a bigger prop slower to move a heavier weight. You want a bigger diameter lower pitch prop to turn slower so it doesn't cavitate and loose its grip pushing a heavy load.
In other words; more engine RPM = more power to turn a bigger (usually four blade) prop slower.
You could compensate by using increased pitch to cancel out the gear change. But then you encounter increased drag by trying to twist a bigger prop faster. The bigger the prop, the higher the drag. It will not perform as well.
That dealer knows all this and doesn't care.
I'd take my business elsewhere. Forever.
seahorse posted 11-20-2014 06:02 PM ET (US)
The optional remote oil tank can be used on either the regular and the pontoon versions.
Teak Oil posted 11-20-2014 08:36 PM ET (US)
The Pontoon motor with the deeper gearing may get better mileage but will have less top speed, similar to modern four strokes that have deeper gearing than two strokes.
The dealer probably has extra pontoon motors in stock. I would get the standard 90, and you should be able to do a little better on price if you shop around. Also the best thing to do is wait until after Jan 1 and get a free six year warranty and free rigging
scott3294 posted 11-20-2014 08:50 PM ET (US)
You guys are spot on. Once I questioned him about the pontoon version he suddenly began talking about ordering a regular, inline E-Tec. Thanks for the input!!
Scott

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Author	Topic: MONTAUK: E-TEC 90 Pontoon Model
scott3294	posted 11-19-2014 10:11 PM ET (US) I am looking at putting a new engine on [a 1991 MONTAUK]. I have read tons of glowing reviews of the E-TEC 90 for a [1991] Montauk. I got a quote today [from] a dealer in Atlanta (where I am) specifically for re-powering the Montauk. The dealer gave me a quote of around $9,000 with rigging. I then noticed he quoted a E90ESL, which appears, on the Evinrude site, to be one of their pontoon boat engines. I think the appropriate 2015 engine for a Montauk would be an E90DSL. Any insight into this? Am I correct?? Has this has come up? Thanks Scott
jimh	posted 11-20-2014 01:09 AM ET (US) The difference between a standard E-TEC 90 and the special pontoon version is probably in these areas: --the pontoon engine is set up for an external oil reservoir instead of an under-cowling reservoir; --the pontoon engine has different engine mount rubber isolatiors, which are probably softer than the standard engine's rubber isolators; --there might be different gear ratios; I am not certain on this point. I don't have any reason to think that an E-TEC 90 intended for use on a pontoon boat will be a better set-up than an E-TEC 90 standard engine. Ask the dealer why he gave you that engine as the quoted engine for a MONTAUK re-power. Maybe he has one in stock he wants to sell. I do not recall anyone giving a report of a MONTAUK re-powered with the E-TEC 90 pontoon model.
scott3294	posted 11-20-2014 06:13 AM ET (US) Hi Jim, You're spot on with you guess that he has one in stock...and only one. I did see on the Evinrude site that the gearing is different. I guess my question now is, will the pontoon version be a better or lesser choice for my application? Sounds to me like it would not be ideal. Scott
scott3294	posted 11-20-2014 09:34 AM ET (US) I guess I need to push this discussion along a little more because I am not getting much useful information from searching the interwebs. I have not found anything that points to the pontoon series NOT being a good fit for regular boats. The gearing is different from a standard 90hp E-Tec. The standard is 2:0:1 on the E90DSL and the pontoon ratio is 2.36:1 High Speed. I am clueless as to whether this is good or bad for a Montauk application. I did see that other 90hp outboards (4strokes and the Optimax) are in the 2.33:1 range for gearing...similar to the Pontoon series. Other than the gearing and rubber motor mounts...I can't see a difference. Anyone have input on if this would be a good choice, same difference, or bad choice for a 91 Montauk? Thanks!!! Scott
Jefecinco	posted 11-20-2014 10:04 AM ET (US) From the numbers I believe the pontoon engine will be turning more RPM for a given speed than the normal engine. For this I would conclude the pontoon engine will burn more fuel and have a lower top speed. Unless the price is spectacular why even consider the pontoon engine. Frankly I believe the dealer is more interested in moving his stock than he is in doing right by you. I would seek another dealer and see what he has to say about the RIGHT E-TEC for your Montauk.
jimh	posted 11-20-2014 10:46 AM ET (US) The gear ratio difference between the standard E-TEC and the pontoon E-TEC will affect the choice of propellers. With the pontoon engine you will run a higher pitch propeller. Both models make 90-HP. The boat speed is a function of horsepower. A MONTAUK with 90-HP should be able to go about 40-MPH. That suggests the propeller pitch on the pontoon engine might be 20-inch, and on the standard engine the pitch might be 18-inches. In practical application, maybe 19-pitch versus 17-pitch. I don't think it is a big deal. There is even a line of thinking that propellers with certain ratios of pitch and diameter tend to be more efficient propellers. It has been suggested that in the usual diameters around 14 to 15-inch, a 19-pitch propeller is more efficient than smaller pitches. As for having a remote oil tank, I DO NOT think that will be an asset for use on a MONTAUK. The added oil hose, primer bulb, remote tank, and its electrical harness will just add to the rigging clutter at the transom. You will have to find some place to install the remote oil tank. It is usually recommended to put the oil tank in a battery box to give it protection against splashing water. A hose and electrical harness have to run from the tank to the engine. Sometimes the tank is hidden under the console, but then it is hard to fill the tank in that location. The reason for making a pontoon model with a remote oil tank for the E-TEC was to accommodate the usual engine mounting on a pontoon boat. The engine is often far below the deck level, and on some sort of extended little engine bracket. It is awkward to take off the engine cowling and add oil in that situation. On a MONTAUK, it will not be difficult or awkward at all to add oil to the under-cowling reservoir of the standard E-TEC. As for the engine rubber mounts, I think the pontoon model has softer more flexible mounts. That was probably intended to reduce any transmission of vibration from the engine to the pontoon hull. I don't think a typical two-tube pontoon boat with a lot of riveted aluminum has a hull stiffness that is a good as a Boston Whaler Unibond hull. Evinrude probably found that softer engine mounts were better for pontoon boats.
scott3294	posted 11-20-2014 10:52 AM ET (US) Thanks Jim. I cannot find any reference that the pontoon version of the engine has a remote oil tank. I have asked the dealer to clarify. Thanks for your input...as usual it is awesome! Scott
dg3	posted 11-20-2014 04:14 PM ET (US) I would say that your dealer is behaving unscrupulously and trying to unload a motor he fears being stuck with at the end of the season. The pontoon version is specifically altered to push heavy loads at slow speeds. Hence the lower (numerically higher) lower unit gear ratio. That is designed to to put the motor RPMs higher in the power curve while turning a bigger prop slower to move a heavier weight. You want a bigger diameter lower pitch prop to turn slower so it doesn't cavitate and loose its grip pushing a heavy load. In other words; more engine RPM = more power to turn a bigger (usually four blade) prop slower. You could compensate by using increased pitch to cancel out the gear change. But then you encounter increased drag by trying to twist a bigger prop faster. The bigger the prop, the higher the drag. It will not perform as well. That dealer knows all this and doesn't care. I'd take my business elsewhere. Forever.
seahorse	posted 11-20-2014 06:02 PM ET (US) The optional remote oil tank can be used on either the regular and the pontoon versions.
Teak Oil	posted 11-20-2014 08:36 PM ET (US) The Pontoon motor with the deeper gearing may get better mileage but will have less top speed, similar to modern four strokes that have deeper gearing than two strokes. The dealer probably has extra pontoon motors in stock. I would get the standard 90, and you should be able to do a little better on price if you shop around. Also the best thing to do is wait until after Jan 1 and get a free six year warranty and free rigging
scott3294	posted 11-20-2014 08:50 PM ET (US) You guys are spot on. Once I questioned him about the pontoon version he suddenly began talking about ordering a regular, inline E-Tec. Thanks for the input!! Scott