Evinrude 90

B

Bruceo2000

New member
I need to replace my 1993 70 Johnson on my 22ft CDORY. A local dealer pushed the new Evinrude 70-90. Claimed it is better now then the 4 strokes. It would be an easier transition with my swim step and kicker. Any comments? :
 
The E-TEC is a good engine. When we bought our 22 last spring the dealer offered us an E-TEC powered boat at a significantly lower price than with the Honda. Ultimately I decided that I liked the Honda better. It is quieter and smoother and comes from the proven Honda Fit automobile engine. The E-TEC is a bit lighter.

I have been totally happy with the Honda and many people have liked the E-TEC. tpbrady may chime in here, he originally had an E-TEC 90 on his 22 and re-powered with a Honda. There has been a lot of debate over power options in the past, so try a search.

Regardless of what engine you buy, the improvement will be huge over your old Johnson. Instant, smokeless starts, much quieter, and better fuel economy.
 
The fact that the E-Tec is lighter is a real plus but.... For me the fumes from it are pretty bad. I was stopped last year by a Marine Patrol for a safety check and he left his engine (E-Tec) idling while he was rafted up to me doing the check and I found the fumes unbearable. I have resperatory problems so it may not be bad for someone with healthy lungs.
 
My main problem with the ETEC was oil consumption and the cooling system. In 100 hours I would go through about 4 tanks of oil, each tank holding a little less than a gallon. That was $150 worth of oil versus about $30 for oil and a filter for the Honda. The cooling system always over cooled the engine so it would never reach a reasonable operating temperature.

Would I buy another ETEC. No. After removing the cabling from the ETEC and rigging the Honda myself, the difference in manufacturing quality and engineering was readily apparent.

The Honda is not free of problems though. I really believe they need a warmer thermostat for cold water/weather operation. I can watch my fuel economy go up and down with water temp. Next, the software managing the fuel system needs some work. Fuel economy drops by 40% between 4200 and 4400 RPM. This has to do with something known as lean burn. That seems rather drastic and needs to be smoothed out.
 
We've been happy with the E-Tec 90 on our boat - what I liked is the no break in period and 300 hours between maintanence. We have 200+ hours on the engine and have gone through four gallons of oil (I think), seems like 60 to 70 hours between fill ups.
Gas milage also seems pretty good. Haven't noticed fumes, it does generate a lot of steam in the cold water here (at first I thought it was smoke).
 
I have an E-tec 115 on my angler and really like it. No smoke, faster, and as quite as my Honda 90. I use a gallon of HD100 to every 100 gallons of fuel. It weighs about 6 pounds more than my Honda 90. I run 29-31 mph at 4150 rpm's. I fished it eveyday for 5 weeks this summer and have had no problems.
Chica
 
Before you make up your mind take a close look at the new Tohatsu/Nissan 90 DFI / TLDI outboards. Tohatsu makes Nissan but is usually less expensive; the Nissan name for some reason has more appeal this side of the pond.
 
I have had my E-TEC 90 for about 6 months now, and really like it. The far lesser maintenance requirements, maintenance costs, and lighter weight were major selling points for me. I have had the motor programmed to use XD100, and it sips it. The very first time I started it up, there was absolutely no hesitation, and hasn't been any since, either.

Don't get me wrong...the Hondas and Suzukis and Yamahas are all great motors. No bad choices here (don't know much about the other two stroker, the Tohatsu, but it sounds good, too). The simplicity of the E-TEC was just perfect for me.

I believe a lot of good or bad still comes from the rigging dealer. If he's good, chances are the motor will be, too. RJ's in Duluth, MN know what they are doing!

I'd buy it again.

Regards,
Mark
 
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