Glen-L.com

I am trying to figure out which outboard to buy and almost have decided on the Mercury 40EFI with 15 inch shaft. There are two aspects which are making me very nervous:

1) It weighs 267 lb which seems very heavy (is it too heavy?)
2) There is no power trim available on any 15 inch (according to the guy in the marine store). How best to deal with the trim issue?

Thanks for any advice you can give...

I don't know much about the Zip, but that seems heavy to me for a 40HP engine. I have an E-TEC 90 on a Malahini. It weighs 320lbs (too much in my opinion) or ~1lb for each additional HP.

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2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

Ian, I run a 13 ft boat that is similar to the Zip with a 1964 Merc 500 (with no tilt or trim). The boat performs very well and the motor only weighs 155 lbs. I am a member of the antique outboard club and like the old motors. My personal option is the best motor Mercury ever made was the 44 cu-in 50 hp and a wood boat with a white Merc motor is the only way to go.

Ian, that sounds heavy to me. I would look into a 30hp. I think youll still be very happy with the performance and if they happen to be a little lighter and dimensionally smaller I think you will be happier. They may share the same block though and not save you any weight so youll have to do some checking.

Keep in mind that old motors were hp rated at the crankshaft while newer motors (post 1982) are rated at the prop. So a new 30 hp is probably very close in power to what an old 40 hp actually put out especially if you figure in 30+ years of wear on the old one.

The manual tilt is no problem to worry about at all and helps keep the weight down.

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My Zip build log...
http://www.vupilot.blogspot.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/Chr ... O0x7SvsQE#

"Nothing screams poor craftsmanship like wrinkles in your duct tape."

Wasn't that a 4 stroke 40 Merc on Tom Drakes Zip?

_________________
Boat building can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream

Yes, Im pretty sure it was. Only difference was Tom's was a 20" shaft model. So it can and has been done before. What I didnt like looking at that setup was if you look at the Gathering pics of it in the water the the transom was halfway under water from the weight. It sure is a beauty of a boat though and having a reliable new motor would be nice to have. Everything is a compromise, the good thing is this is your boat and you get to do whatever you want with it.

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My Zip build log...
http://www.vupilot.blogspot.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/Chr ... O0x7SvsQE#

"Nothing screams poor craftsmanship like wrinkles in your duct tape."

can't remember where his tank was though....that could be somewhat of a factor too.

_________________
Boat building can best be defined as an endless series of
tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle, followed by a good bottle of beer.

Don't Dream Your Life, Live Your Dream

His tank and battery were both behind the rear seat if I remember correctly. I know for sure the tank was.

_________________
My Zip build log...
http://www.vupilot.blogspot.com
http://picasaweb.google.com/vupilot/Chr ... O0x7SvsQE#

"Nothing screams poor craftsmanship like wrinkles in your duct tape."

Hmmmm.

My Merc brochure lists the 40 EFI at 216 lb. It is the Merc. 40 EFI Jet that is 267 lb. And my Suzuki brochure lists the 40, 50 and 60 hp. models all at 228lb. So you dont need to go to 267 lb. unless you insist on a jet version. And all the models I mentioned have power trim.

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Ches

I still have my 35 HP 1958 Evinrude Lark. I have the complete boat harness but no controls. The coils, points condensers and impeller will be here in a couple of days. I should be able to have it finished by Mothers' Day. It will be a sweet running classic motor for only $600. BTW it only weighs 130 lbs.

$600 and no controls?

Travis

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It's like anything you Build. You have to be Patient.

Measure Twice, cut Once.

I understand why some people put late model engines on the retro-boat they just built, but it just seems wrong to me. good luck,
Jim

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RetroMan
Built A Zip/Flying Saucer. I do my boating on South Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY
Documenting my build on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/SuperUnknownMC

267 el-bees on the stern of a Zip seems like a lot of weight back there. The Mark 55E on our Zip weighs around 120 lbs. and the fuel tank and battery are located under the bridge deck and front seat, respectively, placing those two items on or near the center of buoyancy. We run with the outboard trimmed to its lowest setting. At rest, our boat sits in the water similar to retroman's. If you locate the tank under the forward deck, bear in mind that the center of buoyancy will move aft as fuel burns off. Better to place something that stays heavy all the time, e.g., the battery, up there. Just my two cents.

-Mark Shipley

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A boat is just a wooden box with no right angles.

ZO You Vant controls? I vill have to find zome. Zere are zome on e-bay right now. Zere is even a zet that matches zee vintage for $125.00.
In the end you get a simple, lightweight motor with the full boat harness and junction box that will last for years and you can still get parts.
Zo vat else do you vant?
BTW here is a pic of my 1959 Lark on my old Whitehouse.