I need advice on repowering a 1986 20C

[FredBart]

I have a 1986 Mako 20C that I have owned since new. It has been used in South Florida and the Keys for limited periods each year. The original motor ( a 140 Johnson VRO ) now needs to be replaced along with the Sea-Star hydraulics.

My questions relate to the relative value of this boat after a Yamaha repower. To refit the boat with a 150-200 Yamaha HPDI will cost $13,000 to $16,000. Is it worth it to keep this boat and repower it?

The hull is in good condition and it has been stored in IN and OUT buildings at marinas its whole life. There are no dings or problems. However, in 2004 dollars, I am putting a lot of money into a $2000-3000 value hull. I would not consider a new BPS Mako and I like the boat, but it seems like throwing good money after bad on a 20 year old boat.

The 20 C is neither a great open ocean boat nor a great flats boat, but more of a bay boat compromise. I use it at Ocean Reef and only use it a few weeks a year now that I no longer live in Florida.

There is a slighty soft spot behind the console over the fuel tank where I stand when operating the boat. Does anyone have an opinion on the need to replace the fuel tank after almost 20 years?

Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Would you invest this much money in an old hull?

Thanks

Fred Bartlett

[warthog5]

Fred Only you can answer some of the questions. You go into detail about where the bot shines and where it doesn't. The real question is,

Does it meet YOUR need's? If it does, then it's time to spend some money.

If it doesn't, then it's time to sell.

A Yamaha HPDI would not be my choice of motor. I do own a '98 yamaha C-90

C stands for premix. It done me well.

A Suzuki 4 stroke would be my choice. DF-140 I'll go into details why the Suzuki is leading the pack in 4 strokes latter.

It's time for a fuel tank swap on the boat.

[warthog5]

Fred Only you can answer some of the questions. You go into detail about where the bot shines and where it doesn't. The real question is,

Does it meet YOUR need's? If it does, then it's time to spend some money.

If it doesn't, then it's time to sell.

A Yamaha HPDI would not be my choice of motor. I do own a '98 yamaha C-90

C stands for premix. It done me well.

A Suzuki 4 stroke would be my choice. DF-140 I'll go into details why the Suzuki is leading the pack in 4 strokes latter.

It's time for a fuel tank swap on the boat.

[Capt. Andy]

Exactly... some things cant be measured in $,Have you had a good time in the boat? Kids? Really shop around and i believe you can repower for alot less than 13-16k!

[gw204]

Fred,

Bobby is exacly right. It all depends on how YOU value the boat.

Also, is range a problem in the boat? If not, consider stepping back to a carbed 2-stroke motor in the same HP range. You will spend about half as much as you would for the HPDI. In early '03, I repowered by 20' Grady with a new carbed 2-stroke '02 Merc 150. It was a leftover so I got it for under $7000 which included the wiring harness, new binnacle control, control cables, oil tank, etc. I get approx. 3.75 mpg at cruise so it's not bad on fuel by any means.

If the soft spot is in the fuel tank cover, that's easy enough to repair. There are plenty of threads involving that.

If the boat works for you, and you feel it's worth the investment, plop a new pusher on her.

I've put over $10,000 in my boat (that I only paid $8,000) for in the last two years. [] And I'm still well under what a comparable new boat would cost. []

[HungOne]

GW;

those were my thoughts exactly. I love boating and off shore fishing but I don't do it enough to justify a new one for $45K+. I look at some other used boats in the 23' class and they are still $20K. If I buy one for $10K, it will be really old and will probably need work. The most logical solution for me was to keep the 1978 23' that I have now (completely paid for) and rebuild it for an amount that I feel comfortable with. The way I see it, I'll spend about $15K total to rebuild my old girl to something that I'll enjoy for hopefully another 10 years.

[Prop Blast]

Fred,

Does it have to be a new engine? These days folks are repowering with the new DFI and 4-stroke engines. If you can wait, a good engine from the mid to late 90's will pop up on the market. Stop by dealers in your local area and let them know you're in the market. There are a lot of engines here in FL, so if you come here once or twice a year, you may find something.

Have you looked at the Evinrude 150/175/200? They're great engines and not as expensive as Yamaha?

The problem with buying new engines, as I found out a year ago is that they all now require "smart guages" of some sort -- so that's an added cost.

Good Luck,

Prop Blast

[FredBart]

Thanks for your help and thoughtful answers.

The problem in going from OMC to Yamaha is that all gauges, oil tanks and accessories need to be changed. In addition, my Sea-Star steering set up is shot. The packing on the steering cylinder is leaking badly and the packing cannot be replaced.

When you add up what it takes to replace everything with Yamaha, it becomes very expensive. Thanks for the advice on going to a less expensive Yamaha 2 stroke. That will save $3000 or more right there. I will never use enough fuel to make the HPDI justifiable.

Another factor working against me is the location where the boat is stored. Allied Marine at Ocean Reef knows that they have a captive sales audience. I cannot rely on the steering to take the boat to Miami or Fort Lauderdale to save 10 per cent on the deal. They can charge more because of the remote location of Ocean Reef. They only sell Yamaha so it is even more of a captive market. If I need to change to modern Bombardier electronic gauges anyway, I might as well go to Yamaha.

All of your points are well taken about the value of the hull itself. When I bought the boat, it was just my wife and I. Now we have 3 teenagers that ride with us and bring friends. We can hold only 6 people and this boat gives a pretty wet ride on all but the smoothest days.

Still, it is cheaper to repower. When you add up all that it takes to replace the motor and hydraulic steering, it is a lot of money. But, I still end up with a classic Mako that is a fine boat. The cost is still about half of a new boat of lesser quality.

Thanks again for your help. Any more comments are welcome. Good luck to anyone in the path of Charley.

Fred Bartlett

[hardrider5]

We thought hard about this as well. We have a 1977 20ft Mako we bought to trailer down Baja. She is perfect for that purpose and local spots at home. Problem was a needed re-power. We had a 1986 235hp Evenrude that was getting tired. Fuel consumption was 1.2 MPG so we also had to carry extra fuel to get the range. We finally decided & put a 2004 Yamaha 150 4 stroke. Fuel consumption is now at a little over 3 MPG which almost tripled our range. We lost about 6 MPH on the top end but wide open she still kicks it at 33 MPH which is fine. A large investment in an old boat but buying anything used is a crapshoot when it comes to power & we know the dependability of what we have. She's quite, smooth and a pleasure to have on the water. We made the right choice for our situation.

Good Luck

Mike

[Get Reel]

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