E-Tec 60HP and Frontrunner 4.55

[fRuItCaKe]

I'm BAAAAAAK! Here...whatever!:D:D

Anyway, no new posts in this forum so I thought I'd put one in to stop it being lonely.

I have a Frontrunner 4.55 with an E-tec 60 HP engine.

Great combination for anyone considering purchasing one.

Quiet, good on fuel, starts first time every time.

Good hole shots with the 2 stroke torque. Nice SS 13" prop.

Not many moving parts, which is good for us, electrical , how did it go..." ignorant spanney jockeys", eh Doug??

[Fishmarket]

Hi Fruitcake, looking at a 4.5m 60hp package ... just wondering if you had any "teething" problems with the etec ... I'm really torn between getting a package deal or whacking a Yammy 60 4 Stroke on there. What sort of numbers are you getting with the 60? Thanks for your help.

Ta
Matt

[Zutta]

Next boat for me is going to be 4.5 or maybe 4.8 if the sun,moon, mars and venus all collide at once :P

seriously thinking etec for the holeshot, I have the 50 4 banger and it struggles to get my fat ass out on a tube.lol thats with a fiol aswell, Im pretty sure it wouldnt without the foil helping me.

Any comparisons would be good mate, Have u towed a biscuit??
cheers Zut

[fRuItCaKe]

Matt,
No teething problems. Worked fine from the first go.

I was torn between getting the Yammy 60 and the Etec 60.

Went to Huett Marine. Huey (Craig) has a very good reputation. See fishraider forums.

He sells both. He prefers the simplicity of the 2 stroke Etec to the Yammy. Both have low emissions ratings, both work well. Etec - a few moving parts, Yamaha - lots (well, any 4 stroke has lots).

Numbers?? Don't know, don't really pay attentiion. But I do know it is streets ahead of the 40HP I had on the boat when I bought it 2nd hand - the 40HP was an Etec too.

Zutta,
Biscuit?? No I eat those :) :) See Whitto's stuff on the old forums re the tubes. He has/had the same setup as me but I've got no foil. He had no issues at all. And he ain't no lightweight either :D:D

[Mark]

Hi fRuItCaKe,
I think you made a good choice as well. Its hard to compare a 4 stroke vers a 2 stroke because they are SOOOO different. But I did what you did and went with the Power of the 2 Stroke / The light weight of a Etech / the Economy & Low Emissions of a Injected 2 Stroke. I went to Max HP so the engine doesn't struggle with anything I put to it. ETechs have such awesome low down grunt that its help me to use it for pulling out people on skis / tubes / wakaboards with a boat full as well.

Cheers
Mark

This is 2 heavy buggers and pulling them along at 35-40 MPH had them pack'n. Only in a straight line LOL

http://www.polyboatowners.com/2010/vb/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=86

.

[Got_a_poly]

Hi All
I think we when choosing an engine your first point of call is the F&B engine summary. This lists the basics such as weight, typical price, emissions, amps, CC's, cylinders etc. Cuts out the perceived BS as well.

In the 60Hp range there are a number of excellent units available with both Honda and Suzuki recently releasing brand new models. E-tec previously had weight as a major selling point over 4 strokes, this is gone on most models. Some E-tecs are actually heavier than their 4 stroke competition. The new Suzi and Honda 60's are same if not lighter. My 80Hp Suzi is heavier than the 75 E-tec by 10kg, but on a kg/hP its the same. ie 1.9kg/Hp.

Emissions wise there does seem some variance from one Hp range to another by the same manufactures. E-tecs are sometimes better, but with each new 4 stroke model this is also fast disappearing. Mine 80 is on par or slightly better with E-tec. But in 60 range still is the better, just although Suzi data is not published for the new model.

I hear the E-tec torque promo and watched the video and I have friends who are 2 stroke single minded over the torque thingy, especailly with sking. I've let them drive my heavy poly with two tubes and the come back you couldn't ask for more out of the hole grunt from an 80 pushing a 550kg boat + tubes and boat pax. I think if I was into sking and had a ski boat es I'd look into this more and ask for a few trials. But for general purpose no.

Noise wise, 4 strokes are seen and not heard in idle and quieter on the run.

Number of parts. Obviously a concern for anyone not wanting to get strandard. But my 26 year old 4 stroke Holden Barina (Suzi Swift) engine has never missed a beat despite my lack of MTCE. So I ask the question, is there actually any data to suggest the 4 stoke motors break down more?

MTCE and amps is where the E-tec is still the class leader. Even my dad who is sold on my Suzi says the amps from these mid range motors is a bit lean, although Honda is also up there. But certainly it appears service costs and lack of requried servicing is cheaper on the E-Tec.

At the end of the day, on most models (assume recent releases) the differences are minor and dealer support is probably worth more than X brand over Y. But before picking a brand, you need to pick up the book and compare the Hp range you are interested on. My brother is a 1 eyed Yammie, I showed him the data on 80Hp range and he agreed Suzi is currently the better engine. Well its alot lighter if nothing else.

Just my thoughts

Regards
Shane
Formerly: Wanna_get_a_poly

[sheebaridgeback]

When I was on the hunt for my Poly 4.55 Frontrunner ( used ), i specifically searched for the E-tec 60 package. I do a lot of creek/river crab pot drops, which involve a lot of idling and trolling. 4 stroke engines, be it car or boats tend to glase the bore if they spend a large portion of their working life at idle. Before I put my boat in the water after purchasing it, I put the motor in for a service just to be on the safe side. The diognostic report on the E-tec indicated that the motor had been at ilde for 70% of its running life ( 120 hours ) the previous owner mentioned to me when I purchased the boat, that he did not do crabbing/cast netting/trolling, just bay day trips.

So even motors that do run about the bay, still spend most of their running life at Idle. I have seen a lot of engines pulled down for rebuilds over the years due to glased bores, knowing what type of work my boat was going to perform, I believed the Injected 2 stroke was the best option for me.

Incidently, I've probably got 300hours up now on my 60 etec without any issues, it idles and trolls all day without a puff or smell of smoke or misfire. I rarely put fuel or oil in the thing. First thing I did was put some NGK plugs in it, the champions are absolute rubbish.


Regards,
Jason

[Keithy P]

I am currently looking at getting a new Brumby and I too do a lot of creek trolling and flicking, for which my old Mariner 2 banger is usless, but I also like to get out wide when weather permits. In every ones opinion, is there any point me considering a 60hp E tech for a 4.8 m rig. My sole consideration is price, and the fact that I dont do any form of skiing.
Whadaya recon?
Also, how does the e tech go for noise? At work we run yammy 2 and 4 strokes of varying hp and there is no comparing them for noise as I am sure you guys know, how does the E compare?
Cheers

[sheebaridgeback]

Keith,


You would be underpowering the Brumby with a 60 on the back. Most go at least 75hp. Don't get me wrong, the boat will still get up on the plane, just take a little longer to get there. You'll also have to consider how much additional weight you carry on fishing trips, how many people you put onboard ec etc.

At full noise I can still have a conversation with the person sitting beside me ( frontrunner ) I've been onboard a similar boat with a 70hp Suzuki 4stroke and at full noise the Etec is definately a little louder, but not overly. I've also test run a 50 Honda 4 stroke on a 4.55 and it was a little louder than my 60 etec.

Best thing is to organise an on water test drive with your local dealer with different motor packages. Its the only way you will know for sure what is right for you.


Jason

[Keithy P]

Thanks Jason, the more I look into it the more grunt the better.