Clappa Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Hi, I'm looking to repower a Cruise Craft 550 Explorer with a Honda 135 4 Stroke. Currently it is running (very nicely) a 2002 Mariner 135 V6 2 stroke. The reasons for repowering are purely related to fuel consumption and fumes when trolling. I use the boat purely for fishing and need the long range ability (Browns Mountian / Shelf etc) Has anyone have any feedback at all on this outboard (good / bad or indifferent)? The other suggested outboard is a yammie 115, however with 4 people on board, 120 ltrs of fuel i am worried it would be underpowered. Appreciate your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flightmanager Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 The Honda 4 strokes are a good motor , but being a 4 stroke , they do carry a weight penalty . Another option would be an Etec , or the DI Mercury . Both of these are good on fuel , and the Etec has the lowest emissions of any 2 stroke , in fact , it produces less Carbon Monoxide than a 4 stroke. They are also lighter than the 4 strokes of the same horsepower . Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pelican Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 The 135 and 150hp were the same block only one had the VTEC head on it. Not sure if that is same in current models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonehead Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi Clappa, If you want a 4 stroke and you are considering the 115HP Suzi it might be worth having a look at the 140HP Suzi - it is lighter than their 115HP - 189Kg and the 140HP is 186Kg. The Honda 135HP is 217Kg and the 135HP Opti is 195Kg. I looked into this when repowering my boat. Cheers, Bonehead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy0884 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hi Mate, The Honda BF135 is a 2.4L inline four with i-VTEC, the motor is shared with the accord euro car. It is also the same motor as the 150hp but in a lower state of tune. For a heavier boat like the Cruisecraft you will benefit from having the maximum torque available, which makes the 135 honda the best pick for a four stroke with that specific horsepower rating, the lighter 140hp suzuki runs a highly tuned 2.0L motor shared with the DF90/115 which although is a fantastic motor, it is better suited to lighter boats, although it would do the job. I also think the Yamaha F115 is a great motor, but as you suggested it will be light on power and top speed, personally i dont think you will like it stepping down from a 135hp V6 two stroke. The Hondas are great motors, they are quiet and smoke/smell free, they are reliable and are run in plenty of charter and commercial applications. However they are heavier than comparable DFI 2 strokes and lighter on torque. An alternative here could be the 135hp Mercury Optimax(2.6L V6) or 115 Evinrude Etec (1.7L V4) if you want to sacrifice some speed as they dont offer a 135 model. The Cruisecraft 550 is rated to 150hp, which is alot, but also puts you in the realm of some really great engines, if you can stretch the budget i would look at some of the big block 4 strokes like the 2.7L Yamaha F150 or the 2.9L suzuki DF150 which will all outperform the 2.4L Honda BF135/150. There is also the DFI 2 stroke option with the Mercury Optimax (2.6L V6) 150 or Evinrude Etec 150 (2.6L V6) Hope this helps. Sammy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a boat Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hi Clappa, please see my thoughts on the reply PM I sent you. Sammy I agree mostly with what you say, but the 135HP DOES NOT get VTEC technology. That is the main difference between the 135HP and 150HP, the 150HP does and from the Honda guys I know they say that at the higher RPM is where it is noticed above about 45000RPM, not low down, but it comes at a cost of extra dollars. Some very nice engines in the class you are looking at and as I pointed out in my reply PM to you I have my fav in the 115-150HP class. Cheers, Huey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achjimmy Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hi, I'm looking to repower a Cruise Craft 550 Explorer with a Honda 135 4 Stroke. Currently it is running (very nicely) a 2002 Mariner 135 V6 2 stroke. The reasons for repowering are purely related to fuel consumption and fumes when trolling. I use the boat purely for fishing and need the long range ability (Browns Mountian / Shelf etc) Has anyone have any feedback at all on this outboard (good / bad or indifferent)? The other suggested outboard is a yammie 115, however with 4 people on board, 120 ltrs of fuel i am worried it would be underpowered. Appreciate your help. Hi Clappa I think fellow raider "Boban" has a a 550 or 600 with a Honda 135 on it. Try pm'ing and asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingray Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 (edited) Hi Clappa, As Bonehead sugeested, the Suzuki 140hp 4 stroke is the pick of all engines in this class. It is possibly the greatest 4 stroke ever built. They have sold thousands of these motors around the world, in fact it is possibly the highest selling 4 stroke outboard in history (Yamaha's 60hp is another popular model). It is a high performance small bore (2044cc from memory) outboard with power to weight that is unrivalled. It is significantly lighter than the Honda 135hp. Also beware of the engine weights quoted by Honda. Honda have been caught out lying many times over the years about their published outboard weights. If Honda says 240kg, it is probably 260kg's. Edited February 3, 2008 by stingray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boban Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 On a boat that size I wouldn't be too worried about the weight, at least not the differences between the motors you are talking about. 20 kg is sweet f.a. Do you weigh your passengers and tell the fat one "not today". I have the Honda on my Explorer 600 and it can be best described as smooth, reliable and efficient. I don't look at top end speed for a boat that heads outside the heads regularly. My motor keeps me on the plane at low revs which is perfect outside. I've been on other boats with other motors and I like the way the Honda does its business. That said, you wont find a bad motor amongst the new generation of motors. Upgrading your old two stroke with any of them will leave you with a smile on your dial. On top of that you have one of the best hulls around. You'll be happy. Noise is a big factor for me. Nothing worse than traveling for a couple of hours and not being able to talk to anyone without screaming. Of the Direct Injection 2 strokes, the Evinrude is the best noise wise. Of the 4 strokes, I can't say I noticed too much difference between them. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shark Bait Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 (edited) You'd rather the fat passenger sat in the middle of the boat, not at the back. 20kg's in motor weight will make a difference getting onto the plane, particularly when the weight is over the back of the transom. Not such an issue if you have power to burn though. Edited February 2, 2008 by Shark Bait Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njsconst Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 (edited) On a boat that size I wouldn't be too worried about the weight, at least not the differences between the motors you are talking about. 20 kg is sweet f.a. Do you weigh your passengers and tell the fat one "not today". Very funny....but very true! 20kgs is nothing to worry about in the whole scheme of things. When you fill your bait tank up at the back of the boat do you think twice about that? I didn't think so. A live bait tank will add more then 20kgs to the transom and nobody notices the difference whether its full or empty. My bait tank is 70L =70Kgs and I don't notice a bit of difference in performance in my boat which is a 5.5 Seafarer (130hp Yammie) very similar to the Cruisecraft 550 Explorer. Have a look at the Direct Injected Evinrude 135HP 2-stroke. My mate has one and its a awesome motor. Uses a 1/3 less fuel then my engine, its quiet, heaps of grunt, and low emissions. We both run out to Browns and where I use 120 litres plus, he uses about 80 litres. Good luck with your hunt. Edited February 2, 2008 by njsconst Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingray Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 We are not talking 20kg's difference in weight we are talking 40kg's+. When you add on the reputatation that Honda have for lying with their engine weights, the true differerence is probably more than 50kg's between the Suzi DF140 and the Honda 135hp. Another thing to be considered is the bulk size of the outboard, most of these big 4 strokes are HUGE, (especially the Merc Verado's). A huge outboard on the back of a boat can get in the way when your passengers boarding, fishing, skiing, anchoring etc. This is where Suzuki also shines. They are by far the most compact (90hp-250hp) 4 stroke outboards on the market. Just go to a dealer and see for yourself. They are MUCH smaller than the competition. This is due to superior engine design mainly (but not only) a result of the se of offset crankshafts in all their larger outboards. I have no affiliation with Suzuki whatsoever, however when I look at their line up, read the 'independant' reports, user reports, having tried a few also, I am convinced they make the best 100hp+ outboards in every hp category. And to top it all off, I understand that Suzuki's are usually cheaper also. In some cases I have heard of significant differences. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrold101 Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Very funny....but very true! 20kgs is nothing to worry about in the whole scheme of things. When you fill your bait tank up at the back of the boat do you think twice about that? I didn't think so. A live bait tank will add more then 20kgs to the transom and nobody notices the difference whether its full or empty. My bait tank is 70L =70Kgs and I don't notice a bit of difference in performance in my boat which is a 5.5 Seafarer (130hp Yammie) very similar to the Cruisecraft 550 Explorer. Have a look at the Direct Injected Evinrude 135HP 2-stroke. My mate has one and its a awesome motor. Uses a 1/3 less fuel then my engine, its quiet, heaps of grunt, and low emissions. We both run out to Browns and where I use 120 litres plus, he uses about 80 litres. Good luck with your hunt. Gday mate ive got a cruise craft 550 (real old) and im looking to put a 150hp evinrude etec on it what do you think? i have a price on it for $16 000 for the 08 model.... what do you guys think advise? if you know of a evinrude 150 tec cheaper then $16000 fited give us a shout... (im trying to get the boat ready for the kingie social) cheers boys tight lines Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flightmanager Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Great motor , go for it !! Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
achjimmy Posted February 3, 2008 Share Posted February 3, 2008 Gday mate ive got a cruise craft 550 (real old) and im looking to put a 150hp evinrude etec on it what do you think? i have a price on it for $16 000 for the 08 model.... what do you guys think advise? if you know of a evinrude 150 tec cheaper then $16000 fited give us a shout... (im trying to get the boat ready for the kingie social) cheers boys tight lines Gotta love the simplicity of the 2 strokers. got a friend in adelaide having huge problems/costs with a late model 4 stroke Johhno/Suzuki 90 at present, traced back it is due to a poor service/repair which is not directly to be blamed on the motor/brand but if the same poor repair workmanship had been done on a 2 stroke it would not be costing anything like it is going too now. my 2c worth i like the basics of a two stroke. Samy make sure you talk to Craig at Huett re a eTec he offers invaluable advise here at times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clappa Posted April 4, 2008 Author Share Posted April 4, 2008 Just wanted to thank Huett Marine for their outboard advise.. Having taken the advise of Craig @ Huett i went with a 150 ETEC! Best decision i have made. After putting the best part of 20 hours on it in a couple of weeks and running it without fault between the shelf and the heads its been the best decision i could have made. I would seriously recommend the team at Huett Marine. Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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