Motor for a 1648 MV

Hello all, second post! My first was on which boat to buy, and you've all been really helpful! I put the order in at the dealer today! But... I will also need a motor to push this beastly new beast of a (my first) brand new boat.

it is rated for a 35 horse motor. I am looking at a 25 horse e tec. E tec does not come in 35 horse, and the 30 horse is the same exact motor as a the 25 with a different computer, and apparently the 25 actually makes about 27, and the 30 actually makes about 28.5. Not much difference there. According to the dealer, the 25 e tec and 1648 sierra are a great match, runs and planes out nice, he suggested that the 30 is really a waste of money for me, as the difference is only really there on long runs at the top end of WOT.

I think this boat could easily handle a 40 horse, because in my opinion its freaking huge.

I know this is a bit like asking what the best brand of oil filter is for a truck (everyone has a different answer) but what would I be able to find as a reasonable price for a 80s/90s/2000s 2 stroke 40 horse tiller? with electric start? power trim and tilt? are any of these more advanced than the previous?

For me it's about USING the motor and not having to worry as much about working on it. It's a tool to duck hunt and fish with, I want as little downtime as possible. I have precious few days off, and I don't want to miss any fall days of hunting with a downed outboard. The fuel injection of the e-tec is so alluring it hurts! but the big-time price tag of a brand new 40 horse e tec really would feel like taking one right in the boys, even though I "could" finance it.

I am humbly asking for guidance, sorry about the novel! What are your suggestions for a setup with this boat, and why?

Thank you!


Paul

I have a 1648 mv with a new Mercury 25 4 stroke efi. I love it. Very quite, smooth as can be, NO PROBLEMS STARTING EVER, and really reliable! I gps'd my boat this weekend and it ran 26.6 with me and a buddy, no equipment. About all the help I can give you!

Jeff

Thank you so much! I wish the mercury flyway was still available, that would have been a consideration of mine. Reliability is the key, rather than speed, but I'm not going to spend 4k on a motor to have it slug around, know what I mean? I love the evinrudes, but i will feel awful painting it camoflauge. LOL

I am looking around and finding 80s and 90s era 40 horse outboards for 1200-1500, sometimes less. I am wondering whether or not the propshaft hp difference will really be that much, and the 5 year warranty is very nice...

My father in law has a 60horse remote steer etec on his boat, 3 years without one single problem. that's a pretty darn good run in my opinion.

Well there is something to be said for the peace of mind that you get from owning a new motor. It comes at a price, but for some it's worth every penny. I've grown up around and with a lot of different duck hunters/fishermen. I've seen lots of different old motors and some new ones, some having problems and some running flawlessly. The one thing I've noticed though was that the ones that ran good, were the ones that the owners took the time to replace the impeller and plugs before they failed. They always seemed to be the ones that spent a little time before each season opened to do a tuneup and test run of their motor and just give it a good once over, to make sure it was ready for the upcoming season.

As for not wanting to paint your motor, have you considered buying a camo cover for the cowling? You can buy them or make your own fairly easy. I went one step farther than the cowl cover, I used a large piece of camo'd burlap that was intended for use on a blind. I used it like a big blanket to cover my motor and most of my boat or at least my motor and ice chest when I got out of the boat to get in the blind. Worked good for me.

My boat will BE the blind. :lol: I have decided to order a 25 e-tec, I like everything about them, so i just decided to pull the trigger. this will be my main hunting and fishing boat, so I want that reliability.

Now i just need a trolling motor... and a blind... and some pedestal seats... and an extra gas tank... and a gun box... and a rod holder... and a light bar... and a fuse/switch panel......


What has this forum gotten me into? :mrgreen: