powering a 204C

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sgt413

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I just purchased my overnighter last Sept. after I took it to a marine mechanic who gave the engine a clean bill of health. I took his word for it and purchased it only to have basically nothing but troubles with the engine since then.

I have one more appointment with a dfferent outfit to see if they can get it to run reliably. If that does not work I will be thinking of repowering (almost to the point of have to repower) the boat. It currently has a 1989 Yamaha 175etxf on it. It ran decent for the last two times I had it out before putting it away for last winter so I know what the engine should be capable of. It is now giving me problems again. I have a buddy who says that engine technology has come a long ways in 20 years and I can probably put a smaller engine on it and get very similar performance to what I should be getting with the 175

I do not think I am going to be able to swing a new state of the art 4 stroke but I can probably afford 6-7,000 worth of motor. Does anyone have any opinions as to what would be the smallest motor you would put on the boat to get comparible performance and how new of a motor should I be able to get in the recommended size for the money I have available. Decent mileage is a concern and I do not have a preference as far as 2-stroke or 4-stroke.

Most of my fishing will be large lake or Chesapeake Bay fishing.

Thanks for any ideas.

The motor can currently get me on plane in less than 4 seconds and reaches a top speed of around 38 mph.
 
Sgt:
Your decision depends on how long you plan to keep your boat. If you are in for the long haul, look seriously at a new 4 stroke motor even though you seem to rule that out. I say this because many dealerships are featuring special Yamaha sale promotions with very attractive prices and warranty options. Worth a look-see. New two stroke Yamahas are also on sale as I recall.
Call Grady White corporate in Greenville for a horsepower recommendation.
Good luck.
 
What year is the boat? With your motor being an '89 I am thinking that the boat is an '89 or earlier. Anyway while on the phone with Grady check not only their HP recommedation but if the transom will support the weight of a 4 stroke.
 
There should be a CG plate with horsepower recomendations and load limits on the boat. Your max is probably about 230 max hp.

I have an 85 204c with 150 hp which I would say is the absolute minimum.
If I were to do it again I would not go below 175. 200 would be even better.

Your biggest concerns here are transom structural integrity, engine weight, DON'T SINK YOUR SCUPPERS. Then look at fuel efficiency.
 
The boat is an '88' and the max H.P. rating is 230 H.P.
 
Sarge, search some of the threads here, including my own. You have an older boat that "may" have some issues you should be interested in.

If your new to boating or not familiar with older Grady's feel free to pm me if you like.

This is a prety good site for information, lotta guy's willing to offer advice based on their own experience.

There is no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to safety of all on board.
 
204c

CDWood:
I have sent you 2 PM's that I am not sure went through. My mailbox tell me I have not sent them but I got the sent message when I sent them. Please let me know what some of these issues are you speak of. Thanks
 
I have an '88 Overnighter that I repowered in 2002 with a Yamaha 200 HPDI. Looked at my hour meter this weekend and I have 493 hours on it. I could not be any happier with the power, fuel consumption, noise, and most importantly the weight of the HPDI. IMO it is the perfect fit for your boat.
 
For $7000 it will be tough to get a 4 stroke on that boat.....a new 2s or 4s at 150-200hp will cost between $12,000-$15,000 installed...I priced them out this past winter's boat show. You may need to stick with a good rebuilt HPDI or an OX66....guys on the site have had good words for those motors. I would not drop down in HP.
 
Are good rebuilt engines fairly common? I have been having difficulty finding them in my area. I live in Pennsylvania within a half hour of the Maryland border. Most of the big marine shops around here cator to the Susquehanna River guys. They don't have any larger used motors as most of theres are 115 H.P or below.
 
That's a good question...I think its very dependent on where you live and what's around you.....the higher the boating activity area, the more likely you'll have a reputable shop close buy. We have one in the CT area called "Outboard Exchange" that has a good reputation and been around for years.....Some guys have bought stuff through Iboats....some through members on the site.....some through their local marine shop. Sometimes even an engine dealer can find one for you through their network as they may get trade ins and factory rebuilds.....you will need to do some research or maybe a member on this site near you has a contact.
 
Remanufacture?

I'm in a similar predicament. I'm contemplating having my 87 yammie remanufactured. The shift shaft will get replaced in the process and I won't have to re-rig. Which I understand can get expensive w/ new harnesses, cables, and labor.

Has anyone had luck having their engine remanufactured?

I know there an outfit in PA that does them....
 
New factory powerhead only.
You are investing a lot, so get the factory QA controlled powerhead, new not remanufactured.

Then when the lower unit goes, talking $2500.

T&T, $1000.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

Street value of motor ups little, pennies, with all this invested.

I'd spend my time finding someone repowering with 4 stroke, just for the sake of doing it, with perfectly good motor. Put add in paper looking for .....
You can get the perfectly good motor for $1500, get Yamaha pro checkout for $150 bucks. Don't go to dealer for such a motor, it will be double/tripple private sale pricing.

Dealers will not take the older motors for money on 4 stroke repowering, so there is plenty of a markert out there looking for something, instead of nothing. Remeber that when negotriating, and also a big time constraint on the sellers.

Then get another one as spare for back of garage - for whole motor or parts, when something goes.

Good luck.
 
If your going to keep the boat for a long time it may be in your best interest to repower with a new 2s evinrude 150hp e-tec. there power matches the 175hp older 2- stroke like I have on mine. and my current engine cruises nice at 3700 rmp pushing me to 35mph. Like other 204 owners can attest 200+hp is prob too much as the faster you go the more pounding you will get in the chop. But some like the 200 on there rigs. I find the 204 runs nice at 30-35 in a moderate chop.

Or you should be able to get a used or rebuilt late model 90's to early 2k engine for around 6k. I would stay with 175hp as the 200hp models of this year range tend to be gas guzzlers. Just dont buy it off any schmuck on ebay or craigslist or something. find a reputable dealer. If you can get to it hands on have it checked or see it run for yourself and get at least a 1ry warranty.
good luck
 
I have located an outfit that has been in business for twenty some years and rebuids/remanufactures engines. They are offering a 2001 Yamaha 200 OX66 salt water series engine for sale for $5800 plus tax.

The motor has a fresh power head and the lower unit was gone over (water pump/impeller/oil). The motor comes with a one year warranty(parts and labor powerhead only) and was repainted. The engine looks spotless.

Is this a good deal?.....from everything I can find it is. One other tid bit is that the motor was taken in on trade for an upgrede. It has a twin and they came in as a working pair.
 
If it was taken in as a working trade, what was done to make the powerhead fresh. If you don't get a clear and concise answer, walk away. That is an easy question for a reputable person to answer. You will feel better asking now than later. I've heard a completely new yamaha 150 carb can be had for a little less than 7k, just something to consider. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
 
I will call and get the answer. The outfit is "Blackbird Industries", AKA... 1Outboard Anybody ever heard of them or do business with them?
 
STOP!!!!!! google something like "blackbird outboard problem" or "Blackbird outboard complaint" I almost made a purchase and was sickened by what I dug up. You can read for hours on this one. Again, I have no personal experience with this guy. Just passing along what i found while researching a purchase of my own. :wink: I don't care to post any more negativity. If you want the rest of my opinion pm me. Good Luck! keep us posted
1 http://www.stayawayoutboardrepair.biz/o ... mments.htm
2 http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/s ... hp?t=41500
 
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