Jim-- Thanks for your reply! The motor is on the website bobsmarineonline.com. It is listed as a Evinrude 175 fast strike. In 1997 the motor I believe was a ficht Fast Strike in the Evinrude line up. I know that some of the fichts on the bass boats in the era had blown up on some owners. That is a question mark? I do not want to upgrade to an engine that might let go on me right away. The 175 should be light, good power for the boat, but the compression test should give me the answer that I need on the overall health of the motor. Main question here is making a good decision in repowering a 1979 hydrodyne hull that I love, in a price range that is affordable. There is a 1993 evinrude 150 also listed. Wanted to get some advice from you. Thanks, Jason
Great motors that last well as long as the block is in good shape. They tend to need a new powerpack once in a while, otherwise some of the best carbureted engines built from a starting and runability standpoint. If you can get a cylinder leak down test as well that would be great. If it is an Evinrude it is probably an "Intruder" which is the Evinrude version of the "FastStrike" Johnson. Just make sure it is not a Ficht from that era. With all motors be sure your battery connections are clean and tight and replace wing nuts on the battery with star washers and nuts to prevent any electrical issues.
Mine is on it's third power pack. CDI electronics has come out with a new and different digital power pack for the motor that eliminates the need for special tools to set the spark advance. It has other advantages as well. I am going to order one and try it out. The 93 should be OK if it is in good condition. I would not buy a ficht motor. jim
I am not an authority on the motors for Hydrodynes. After going to bobsmarine online and looking at the motor you talked about it is a long shaft. Somewhere on this form I recall that you should have a short shaft..... Trying to help. Neal
There are some great deals on ski team engines and for your use I would snap one of those up if I could afford it. 150hp is more than enough for barefooting. I'd run a 19" high five prop (no other pitch produces as nice a wake for footing) and it would work well with that motor and gearbox. If a 175 or 200 small block E-TEC came up then they would be perfect too. www.showskiers.com or here in the classifieds. I have had 2 summers with my 2008 225HO E-TEC, there is nothing else like them. My motor would be silly on your boat. Not saying I wouldn't do it but my Matrix Sorrento would be at least twice as big and heavy as your boat and my motor is still awesome on it. Nothing around here will touch it for holeshot, mid range, pulling grunt or even top end. The 90's motors are good reliable units (remembering they are 15 years old already) but an E-TEC is so much nicer. If you did end up with a 90's motor like Jim's you'd want to take him up on his offer of assistance as his would be the best of its type for skiing anywhere in the world by far. Greg
That is good advice. I don't use my boat much anymore, and I have access to fuel with no ethanol in it so I don't plan to replace the boat or the motor. My boat is also stored inside where it does not deteriorate. If I were younger I would probably buy a new 18 and a new motor. I dried my fuel system out at the end of last season because I was using the E10 fuel. I had no fuel problems this year when I started up on the ethanol free fuel. I did completely purge the fuel system before start up except for the primer circuit. It started and ran fine. I did have to replace the power pack. A friend loaned me one until I get the new CDI electronics unit. jim
