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96 Mirage Re-build vs. Re-power Considerations - Yamaha 70/90


96mirage

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Had this boat going on a couple years and love it. 
2005 2 stroke yamaha 90 w/ ~550 hrs.

Lost compression in the bottom cylinder, and now considering the rebuild vs. repower dilemma.
It seems either way is a sacrifice.


Love this boat, and been slowly doing upgrades and updates including:

  • 21 ft stiffy push pole
  • simrad go9 + Florida Marine Tracks
  • New riptide trolling motor w/ remote 
  • Full rewire moving blue top batteries up front


Read through a few threads like this one, but the bonefisher is a bit different hull as well.


Current options seem to be:

  • yamaha 70
  • yamaha 90
  • yamaha 90 sho
  • rebuild 2 stroke 90

Yamaha 70 seems to have mixed reviews on overall top end and hole shot, but seems to be quite a bit lighter than the 90 while floating/ poling might be worth the trade off.

Anyone repowered the original mirage with a 70 or 90? 

Everyone love the 2 stroke, and the power to weight is great, but I think I'd like the reliability of a proper repower over time.


 

 

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Where are you located ?

For a rebuild...I would take it to John at Maximum Marine in Pompano...he's a 5 star mechanic and is one of the true honest mechanics.

Tell him Dino from the MA17 - the Holy Ghost sent ya :)   He loves my ol skiff as I think he had one years ago.

Has a great following...

He can also sell you a new motor if he can find one...last time I was in his shop (see my post on head gaskets) for my 1995, he had 1/2 dozen rebuilds on his shop benches as he told me he can't find new motors.

Great work and enjoy the rebuild/repower decision......personally I feel a good mechanic rebuild is worth the $$ these days...but, it must be performed by a qualified experienced mechanic.....not by a friend who has a cousin in Miami that worked on motors when he was in high school and watches YouTube videos  :) 

dc

 

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i HAVE OWNED A 90 Yamaha 2 STROKE on my BW Montauk.  I repowered with the same engine when Yamaha was still making them.  It's a classic great engine.  I would be careful doing a rebuild due the possibilities of corrosion in the block. I also couldn't put a 4 stroke 90 on the BW because of the weight.  I forgot the difference,but it's significant for a small boat.

If you handle the extra weight I'd go 4 stroke,you'll be amazed the difference in fuel consumption.  My 20 ft LT now has a new 150 4 stroke and I think the consumption is 50% less vs the 150 VMAX 2 stroke.  It's also supper quiet.  

Good luck with what you decide.

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Call me crazy, but with the added weight you get with a 4-stroke 90 hp outboard, I have seriously thought about checking into this...

How much would the added cost be to ship a new 2021 Yamaha 2-stroke 90 from this dealer in HongKong?  They have 42 units in stock:

https://www.yamaha-outboardsale.com/yamaha-90hp-2-stroke-outboard-motors-sale2022-90aetol-p-810.html

2021 Yamaha 90hp 2 Stroke outboard motors sale

-long shaft 90AETOL

Max. Prop Shaft Output :

66.2kW (90 ps) @ 5000 r/m
Full throttle rpm range : 4500 ~ 5500 r/m
Fuel Induction System : 3-Carb
Starter System : Prime Start
Starter : Electric
Lubrication : Oil injection
Bore x Stroke (mm) : 82.0 mm x 72.0 mm
Trim & Tilt : PTT
Gear ratio : 2.0 (26/13)
Engine transom height : L: 521 mm (20.5in)
Dry Weight : 120.5 kg / 123.5 kg
Alternator output : 12V-10Amp

(6Amp @ 1000 r/m) with Rectifier Regulator
Oil Ratio Fuel Mixture : N/A

 

    Model: 626
    42 Units in Stock

 

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That sounds interesting, I'd certainly look into the details of shipping and price.  I don't think you want a long shaft for the boat,but I could be wrong. They could have a standard shaft in their inventory.

I hear horror stories in the news of getting anything shipped from the far east. I also wonder if a old tech 2 stroke can be imported.

I just thought of something . Are there still new 90HP  E Techs around?

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28 minutes ago, polliwog said:

That sounds interesting, I'd certainly look into the details of shipping and price.  I don't think you want a long shaft for the boat,but I could be wrong. They could have a standard shaft in their inventory.

I hear horror stories in the news of getting anything shipped from the far east. I also wonder if a old tech 2 stroke can be imported.

I just thought of something . Are there still new 90HP  E Techs around?

All good questions, and I don't have answers - except that this model is a 20" shaft according to the specs.  I can only speak for myself, but at $6,400 for the motor, and if the shipping was reasonable enough (and legal), and the company checked out ok, I might go for it - if I wanted to have that good-ole power-to-weight ratio and reliability that the 2S 90 is famous for.

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19 hours ago, polliwog said:

I just thought of something . Are there still new 90HP  E Techs around?

Yes there are new 90 e-tec's still around with full warranty. I happen to be related to a Master factory certified Mechanic for Evinrude so by family law I can't run anything but an Evinrude or Johnson. That and parts are readily available!:D

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On 1/21/2022 at 4:06 PM, polliwog said:

i HAVE OWNED A 90 Yamaha 2 STROKE on my BW Montauk.  I repowered with the same engine when Yamaha was still making them.  It's a classic great engine.  I would be careful doing a rebuild due the possibilities of corrosion in the block. I also couldn't put a 4 stroke 90 on the BW because of the weight.  I forgot the difference,but it's significant for a small boat.

If you handle the extra weight I'd go 4 stroke,you'll be amazed the difference in fuel consumption.  My 20 ft LT now has a new 150 4 stroke and I think the consumption is 50% less vs the 150 VMAX 2 stroke.  It's also supper quiet.  

Good luck with what you decide.

Yea, corrosion in the block has been suggested as an issue from my most trusted marine mechanic and boat surveyor.  It's a great engine, but a bit of a crapshoot since they haven't been imported in over a decade.  I've even found a newer crate 2 stroke imported from the islands local but still a pretty high ask price with no warranty. Plenty of leads in south florida (miami) for used ones, but very much a crapshoot on these, or even a rebuilt powerhead.

The 90 vmax is about 100lbs heavier which definitely seems like a lot on a boat where the best asset is floating in shallow water.  
 

On 1/21/2022 at 6:39 PM, geeviam said:

Call me crazy, but with the added weight you get with a 4-stroke 90 hp outboard, I have seriously thought about checking into this...

How much would the added cost be to ship a new 2021 Yamaha 2-stroke 90 from this dealer in HongKong?  They have 42 units in stock:

https://www.yamaha-outboardsale.com/yamaha-90hp-2-stroke-outboard-motors-sale2022-90aetol-p-810.html

2021 Yamaha 90hp 2 Stroke outboard motors sale

 

Absolutely right about the weight.  There's terrible options it seems, but unless i had a cousin, uncle, or hookup, these would be tough to get here I assume.  Same kind of goes for the e-tec.  I'd prefer to stick with Yamaha and have good local service providers - but there doesn't seem to be an obvious choice at the moment. 

Appreciate all the feedback and confirmation as I navigate the process and endure the pain of persistent dry land.

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  • 2 months later...

FWIW - The Yamaha 70 was the right choice. 
I've been out on a dozen or so trips, and over 20 hours fishing it. 
Caught a bunch of snook, and love the way the skiff runs with it.

Lost about 5mph on the top end, but not a huge deal. 
Cruise is right around 30mph, and still hits 35mph

Looking forward to running this '95 for a lot of years to come.

IMG_3201.JPG

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3 hours ago, 96mirage said:

FWIW - The Yamaha 70 was the right choice. 
I've been out on a dozen or so trips, and over 20 hours fishing it. 
Caught a bunch of snook, and love the way the skiff runs with it.

Lost about 5mph on the top end, but not a huge deal. 
Cruise is right around 30mph, and still hits 35mph

Looking forward to running this '95 for a lot of years to come.

Awesome!  Good choice IMO.  Just out of curiosity...  What size/pitch prop? What is maximum RPM at WOT (35 mph) with just you driving and a light load?

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  • 1 month later...

Still very happy with the choice 40+ hrs in a few months later.  Tried a 15 and a 16 and the 16 is the right choice, but could still use some tuning I think.

WOT solo is around 35 w/ full tank on a flat day. 
This is running 5000 RPM range.  Smaller proper I got over 6000, but not where you want to run the engine regularly from best I understand.  I might be able to get just a little more top end or hole shot, but overall very happy with the cruise speed ~33.3 at 4500 rpm .   Fuel economy is unreal, and no more burning oil.    Very happy with the decision overall, and the skiff still floats in nothing rather than adding 100lbs of engine weight for a little more speed and power to a boat that is built to float skinny.

I might look at a 4 blade for a little better hole shot, but not a lot of need to get on a plane in 18" of water most the time, and will probably be happier enjoying a flat that prop testing.  If I do, I will report back.

 

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image.thumb.jpeg.6b6e81aee2d4f02f0a0715c271ee53b5.jpeg

bp-snook-goldie 2.JPG

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