Gary Tuthill
Cadet
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2001
- Messages
- 16
Hello all: We have a small '82 Glastron that we will be replacing an excellent running '82 Merc 90 on (I want less smoke, better fuel economy, less noise). What is the weight of my motor with tilt/trim? I've been quoted as the 320's. This motor is well maintained and in pristine condition if anyone's interested. We primarily ski/cruise with the boat. As it seems somewhat rear heavy right now, I don't want to add much weight on the extreme aft end if possible. I've been studying new motors and have settled, for the noted reasons, on a few models. Here I go:<br /><br />Ficht 90 or 115. Downside is the bankruptcy thing but I feel Bombardier will back this motor, period. The V-4's have been considerably more reliable than the V-6's so I don't see that as being an issue. Prices I've been quoted are mid 7k's. There should be no smoke, 2006 EPA compliant, fairly smooth, not as quiet as a four stroke but probably as efficient fuel-wise, and light at 350lbs. The best hole shot is a bonus. The 115 is 36lbs lighter than the next lightest 115 four stroker. <br /><br />Honda 90: A big plus is Honda's deserved reputation for quality and reliability. Downside is the weight issue (~385lbs on our small runabout), and the carb thing. For pulling skiers out of the hole it seems that EFI would do a better job. Other than the weight and carbs, I can't imagine that I'd be dissatisfied with the Honda. Prices are low 8k's. Their 115 is too heavy, period.<br /><br />Merc: They offer no DFI two strokes in this HP range. They do offer Yamaha powered 90 carb or 115HP (a longer stroked 90 powerhead I think) four strokes. The 115 comes in at the same weight as the 90, and offers EFI to boot. At ~386lbs (I'm working from memory here) it could be considered svelte. The downside is that I figure if I choose a Yamaha, I should in fact choose a Yamaha. Lots of good Merc dealers in the area though. Anybody have concrete opinions on the 115EFI, as in actually owning one?<br /><br />Suzuki: Too heavy for the horsepower class. Other than that, they look impressive. I did have a Suzuki powered snowmobile that put a sour taste in my mouth for that brand though. I know, I know, that's just one incident.....!<br /><br />Yamaha: Here's where I'm leaning. They don't offer a DFI two stoke in this range. They have an 80 and 100 carb four stroke and an EFI 115 four stroke. The 80/100 are 356lbs for next year, and the 115 comes in at 400. With only a six pound weight differential vs. the Ficht 90, and 10 more ponies, I figure the acceleration from stopped should be similar. I test rode a four stroke 100 yesterday and was pretty impressed. As with all of them, no smoke, quiet, and the holeshot was better than I expected. The slowness of the idle speed was also nice. I suspect that with the 100 making ten more ponies than my Merc 90 (probably more with the whole crank vs. prop thing) I'd see very similar acceleration from idle. On the downside, I did note a slight bog when first giving it full throttle. I understand that's not there on the EFI's? Probably I'd be happy with either the 100 or 115 but for only 600 bucks more (7 vs 7.6k) I think the 115 is worth it.<br /><br />Ok, thanks to every one who have waded through all my driveling on here. Your opinions are appreciated.<br />Gary Tuthill<br />'82 SSV-151<br />'82 Merc L6 90<br />Britt, MN
