Replacing old 2 stroke with newer 4 stroke advice?

[shallow hull]

82 ProCraft 16.5' fish & ski bass boat with 90hp Evinrude. Still runs good but does have the typical smoke cloud and a clutch dog that skips every once in a while. Am thinking of replacing with a newer 115hp 4 stroke. What problems might I encounter? Any advice, tips, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[roscoe]

You Will be on the lake longer.
You will miss the smell of napalm in the morning.
You may have to slow down.

You will need new controls, shift and throttle cables.

 

[tphoyt]

And you may find yourself starting your motor and realizing it’s already running.
They are so quite.

 

[KJM]

And wondering if you gas gauge is working......

 

[alldodge]

And don't forget the 4 strokes are heavier.
A 90 4 stroke weighs more then a 90 2 stroke, going to 115 make sure your boat can handle the weight

 

[shallow hull]

And don't forget the 4 strokes are heavier.
A 90 4 stroke weighs more then a 90 2 stroke, going to 115 make sure your boat can handle the weight

It was initially rated for 125hp, so I'm hoping a 4 stroke 115 will work. Any brands / years of motors recommended?

 

[alldodge]

A 125 2 stroke weight is about 350 lb
A 115 4 stroke Merc list 363 lb

Many folks swear by Yam but for me it depends on who is around to fix something I cannot fix, so I went with Merc Verado

 

[racerone]

Many 4 strokes are not rebuildable.----Cost of labor / parts is way up there.-----Picked up a 150 4 stroke 2004 with water getting in the engine oil.----Owner bought new motor as did not want to wait for it to be repaired.--

 

[KJM]

Yamaha is the most popular around my area

 

[guy48065]

Many 4 strokes are not rebuildable.----Cost of labor / parts is way up there.-----Picked up a 150 4 stroke 2004 with water getting in the engine oil.----Owner bought new motor as did not want to wait for it to be repaired.--

Did I read that right?
A $12,000 4-stroke is considered disposable?

Environmentalists can suck smoke--I'm sticking with 2-stroke antiques.

 

[jimmbo]

More cost effective to just replace the worn Gear and Clutch Dog. Even with the 25 extra Horsepower, be prepared to be Underwhelmed when it comes to Acceleration. Your 90 would have been across the lake and back before the 4 stroke gets up on plane

Another feature of that super sweet beautiful Fragrant Smoke from the 2 Stroke, it also keeps the Mosquitos at bay

 

[tphoyt]

Long live the 2 smoke!
There are a few ponds my area that have become 4 stroke only and I suspect they will be electric only within 8 or 10 years and people will be swapping out again. I can live without using the ponds. More than enough water around me.

 

[BWR1953]

Many 4 strokes are not rebuildable.----Cost of labor / parts is way up there.-----Picked up a 150 4 stroke 2004 with water getting in the engine oil.----Owner bought new motor as did not want to wait for it to be repaired.--

Did I read that right?
A $12,000 4-stroke is considered disposable?

Environmentalists can suck smoke--I'm sticking with 2-stroke antiques.

Yup! I spoke with my Mercury mechanic and he told me that it simply wasn't cost effective to repair a 2005 150 4-stroke that he had at his shop because of lack of parts. So he scraps them when they come into the shop. Sad.

He calls my old 2-strokes "ancient" but I'll keep them for awhile longer!

 

[KJM]

Get yourself the 4 stroke! They are certainly not considered disposable where I am. Yah gotta move with the times, I didn't even know they still made 2-strokes!

 

[matt167]

I repowered my boat with a 25hp Suzuki from an old big twin 40. It really didn’t loose any speed, just the snap getting on plane. I took it to the Erie Canal and it was really nice. It’s quieter and burns half the fuel. I love seeing the old 2 strokes run, but after runnning an efi 4 stroke I won’t run anything else

 

[dingbat]

Yamaha is the most popular around my area

With Suzuki coming on very strong in the te power market

 

[KJM]

With Suzuki coming on very strong in the te power market

I've read some reports of Susuki having poor customer service, but I have no personal experience with Susuki, so really don't know.

 

[dingbat]

I've read some reports of Susuki having poor customer service, but I have no personal experience with Susuki, so really don't know.

Have friends that bought new boats or repowered with Suzuki in the past 5 years with a single 115, twin 200's and twin 300 hp.

No problems.... offering 5 years warranties.
Ten dealers within an hour of the house.

Two local boat builders now hang Suzuki as OE on their boats

 

[briangcc]

I went from a 1999 - 120HP 2 Stroke Force to a 2000 - 115HP 4 Stroke Honda on my '99 Bayliner. The pundits proclaiming you'll be slower are full of...well you fill in the blank. I didn't notice any difference other than sitting about 2" lower in the water as basically I was carrying a teenager full time on the back deck.

Nice and quiet. Turn key and it starts. All I ever heard at the helm at idle was the water coming out the tell tale. Very easy to work on - was a Civic/Accord engine.

 

[jimmbo]

2 Strokes generally will out accelerate a 4 stroke by a long shot. Could explain why basic Waterskiing now requires 150+hp, where a 50hp 2stroke used to do it