CONTINUOUSWAVE

I plan to re-power a 1969 MINOT 16. This MINOT 16 has its original Chrysler 85-HP engine.

I have looked at old posts.

I plan to buy a Yamaha F70.

Is there a better choice [for a new engine other than a Yamaha F70] for this older lightweight [MINOT 16] hull?

This MINOT 16 will be used mostly for fishing in a bay and on a good day I may go four miles in the Gulf.

You should prefer the newer Yamaha F70A engine over the older F70 model.

The F70A weighs about 262-lbs with a propeller and has a 1.0-liter displacement. Yamaha has been able to reduce the engine weight on this model to a rather amazing figure.

An alternative choice might be an E-TEC 75 or 90-HP, but they weigh 320-lbs. The E-TEC 75 or 90 have 1.3-liter displacement, and they would be a more powerful engine than the Yamaha F70A.

Give serious consideration to the dealer you will buy from. All engines need some after-sale support, and a strong dealer, someone who has been selling an engine brand for a long time, with excellent service facilities will be a factor in your decision on what engine and from whom to buy.

Do you think the E-TEC engine would be too heavy?

Are the E-TEC engines as reliable as a four stroke?

I am not sure of the weight of the original motor.

If you are happy with the performance of the Chrysler, the F70 ill be plenty. That hull can handle the weight of an e-tec and more, but, again, if the 85 satisfies your needs.

Thanks for your response, the original 85 did a ok on performance but it's time for an new motor. But this boat has been sitting for many years and the local mechanics said they can't repair the motor.

The legacy E-TEC three-cylinder engine has been chosen to re-power many 16/17-foot Boston Whaler hulls. Usually the 90-HP model is used, but the 75-HP model is less expensive and only has a few less ponies. I’d say the “90” is probably an 87-HP and the “75” is probably a 79-HP.

These E-TEC engines were very popular, but makers of four-stroke-power-cycle engines worked hard on reducing their weight, and there are now alternative choices.

There are two-stroke-power-cycle outboard engines that are over 40-years-old and have over 4,000-hours of runtime. There is nothing intrinsic in a four-stroke engine that assures long service life.

I re-powered a 1969 Minot with a 2001 Johnson 90-HP two-stroke-power-cycle outboard engine that weighed about 320-lbs. The engine was a match made in heaven for the MINOT 16.