Pride Pacemaker – engine swap

[Slime]

I have an 85 model Pride Pacemaker, which is still in excellent condition. A couple of years ago, I replaced the original 85 model Johnson 115, for a new E-Tec 115. I have had some handling problems with the boat since the new motor went on and after over 2 years trying to work it out, I have come to the conclusion that the E-Tec is just too heavy. With the original 115, the stern of the boat was a bit heavy and I always tried to keep as much gear up the front of the boat as possible to keep the nose down. The dealer who sold me the E-tec told me I would be crazy to go down in horsepower, but failed to mention that the new motor was heavier than the old motor and that the motor is longer, therefore moving the weight further back. Sitting in the water, the stern of the boat is now quite low in the water. I suppose I shouldn’t have just trusted him! Lesson learned.


I don't like driving it so I have stoped using the boat. So, now that I have wasted my money on the E-tec, I have decided that the only thing I can do is to ditch it and replace it with something else that is considerably lighter. I am thinking about going down to a 90hp and wonder what would be the best motor around. I am quite happy to loose a little bit of grunt for a safe, easy to use and well balanced boat.
Any thoughts and opinions would be greatly appreciated. Also, can anyone recommend a good dealership to deal with in the Brisbane area? Any ideas what a 2 ½ year old E-tec with only 37 hours on it is worth now?

Thanks.

[krazyfisher]

why dont you look at a pod/hull extention that will hold the extra weight, save you lossing alot of money on a motor change and you can keep the performance.

[dnej]

I was thinking the same thing about a pod,There is a great article in the March F & B,about a pod fit.
I would talk to Grand Marlin on this site.He is good at this stuff.Do you have any pics of the boat you can post.
David

[big moose]

g'day before you jump in again you should know that the 115 and 90 are the same motor so the 90 having smaller pistons may well be heavier i reckon a well made pod would be your best bet
regds gary

[Chimo]

Gary et al

The new 90 is the same block as the 75 ie a 3 cylinder weighs 145 kg 148 kg 25"
The 115 is the only V4 now sold by BRP
I believe the old V4 115 weighed 133kg plus for long leg; the Ficht 115 weighed 159 kg plus for long leg and the Etec is 167kg 170kg long ie 25"

Slime might as well put a 90 HP on and save some stuffing around with a pod .

Chimo

[Slime]

Thanks for all the replies. The boat is the one on my avatar.

Also thanks for the weights Chimo. I have been trying to find a weight for the old 115. That makes the E-tec 34kg heavier, which when right at the back of the boat, I believe is quite a lot on the back of a boat that was already on the limit of what it can carry happily. From your figures, the 90 E-tec is still heavier than the old 115. I was thinking of a Yamaha 90 which if I remember correctly is 122kg – 45kg less than the E-tec which I think should make a difference.

I have heard of people running around quite happily with a 75 on that hull. I had thought of a pod, but the boat will no longer fit in it’s storage space if I go down that route. I will keep it in mind though.

Thanks again for your advice

[Kero]

Give "Downes Marine" a call, they are BRP dealers and have excellent knowledge of boats and motors of all ages.
45-47 Allison St Bowen Hills.
PH 3252 7719

[FNQCairns]

35kg is not a lot but like you say of the engine hangs back.

Just a couple of things to try and save the expence and time of changing engines, how low is the engine? low engines will make a boat a dog to trim well, also consider a 4 blade prop AND an rpm high in the manufacturers rev range, the extra blade surface area will help muscle the boat around.

It's not inconceivable that setup is largely to blame, static trim is something else though, here you could consider a couple of flotation pods and even design them for travel as a planing surface extension if you are not into tight turns.

cheers fnq

[mromanis]

What about trim tabs, the mechanical wind in type with a wide blade? Won't have the same top end speed but may lift the stern a bit when under way.

[Slime]

Well, I have taken the plunge and ordered a 90hp Yamaha. Impressively, the boat might be ready to pick up tomorrow. When I had the previous motor installed, I think they had it for a month or so. I will let you know how it goes. I was very tempted to buy a 70 as apparently my hull goes quite well with 70hp, but, I thought it might be a little too much of a jump from 115hp. More to post when I have tested it.

[Noelm]

the 90 Yamaha is the lightest 90 around, no doubt about it, and a very strong,simple reliable Motor, but it is no power demon, but it will be fine, I am sort of thinking there was some sort of very basic setup problem from the outset, and for some reason your dealer did not help as much as they should have, 36KG is not a lot of weight to cause major drama, but it's water under the bridge now, your new Yammie will be a good motor, no worries.

[Slime]

Well I picked up the boat on Friday and as they promised, the guys at Wynnum Marine did a great job with the installation. Very neat – can’t fault it. They water tested it and provided the correct prop, which seems to work well. Very different to the service I received last time I dropped big money on a motor! Big thumbs up to Wynnum Marine.

We couldn’t wait to give her a run so went out from Donnybrook on Saturday. It was a very nice day and I really love that part of the bay. I am very happy that all the problems we had with the boat have gone. She sits much better in the water, has plenty of steerage in reverse, the steering is much lighter and responsive and the boat is just much more enjoyable to drive. The difference in weight is only about 45kg, but I believe that 45kg at the stern makes a huge difference. The Yamaha is also much shorter, so the weight is not as far back. There is of course some loss of grunt, but there is still ample to get out of the hole quickly with a full load. I did notice that the straight 3 is not as smooth or as quite as the V4. It did seem to get smoother as we went through the breaking in process though. Or perhaps that was my imagination.

I had come to the conclusion that we either had to sell the boat, or throw some money at the problem. I am so glad we decided to keep the boat and sort out the motor, as we have ended up with a really enjoyable boat. I think the dealer who talked me into the 115 E-tec was only interested in performance at any cost (especially to me $$) , He was pushing the grunt and saying I would need it for skiing, but he failed to listen to me as we don’t ski with it at the moment, and even if we do in the future, it will not be the main thing we use the boat for. I am sure he also failed to consider the extra weight.

If any one is looking for a used 115 E-tec with only 37 hrs on it, you know where to go!

Thanks for all your comments and help. See you on the water!

Slime