Northeast - Repowering Older MAKO

Interested in getting some feedback on a possible deal on what I have been told is a good albeit older hull in a late 1980 23' Mako. Hull seems to be in good condition but is begging for a repower. Probably would put one of the new or leftover 4-stroke Suzuki / Yamaha and would be a nice more affordable package for '09 fishing in Buzzards Bay and beyond. Any insights, feedback, advice appreciated. Thanks.
Steve

I've been very happy with my Honda that I repowered a 22 Mako with. Paul at Chatham Boat Company.

I got a 22 Mako 1975 and is powered by a 2 stroke Yamaha 97 and cruises at 28 and can do 35 on full throttle..had to adjust the idle to give me a 2.5 on the troll, tends to troll around 3.0

good luck

150hp on that yamaha! :roll

I would look for a used late model 4 stroke motor and install it yourself if you can, if you buy a new motor you have to have the dealer install it, doing it yourself you will save a lot of money and if you decide to sell it in a couple years it will not matter that you put a slightly used motor on it.

Go with the yamaha. Great motor 4stoke only. Stay away from the 2 smoke yamahas.

If you do get a 2 stroke Yamaha make sure you run it hard if not you'll be having the Carbs cleaned consistantly..

I have had good luck with my 2 stroke...altho he is right 4 stroke is the way to go if you can afford it.

I would be more worried about whether the transom is sound than what motor to put on at this point. Check out the folks at classic mako dot com. They will be able to tell you what to look for. It seems that most of the older makos require a proper transom rebuild at some point in their lives. If you are considering a 4 stroke this would be a serious consideration...

Also, don't worry about getting a new 2 stroke. It will probably be more appropriate for that hull. Written by a Yamaha 2 stroke owner who doesn't clean his carbs all the time. In fact what is a carburetor anyway :-)

Steve, I just repowerd a 79 23' mako last summer, I put an 09 E-tec 225 on the back and its been great, you do want to watch the weight of the 4-strokes as I found it would have been too heavy for mine. I'll through it out there that I am thinking of parting with mine as I have my eye on a 26 regulator that has my attention, the motor has no more than 40-50 hrs on it, boat is solid and was rewired in 06. Let me know if this is of any interest to you. you can reach me at 774-238-8383

Cres....what year is the Regulator...and what does it have.....hope all is well...

Mark

You can also save a ton of money by just pulling everyting off yourself. Wire harness, controlls guages etc. If all a dealer needs to do is take out 4 bolts and hoist the old motor you won't be paying for 100.00/hour for relatively non skilled labor.

not sure about the warrantee with rigging your own motor. I'd contact the manufacturer to see if it has to be installed by a qualified dealer to get the warrantee.

JoeR2 - 2/18/2009 4:29 PM

not sure about the warrantee with rigging your own motor. I'd contact the manufacturer to see if it has to be installed by a qualified dealer to get the warrantee.

Not true. Merc honored the warranty when I repowered my Mako. No questions asked. I did not however need to make a claim.
Those who are quick to jump onto the 4S band wagon need to realize some hulls just won't take the extra weight. Can you add 150 lbs to your boat while at rest with a notched transom?

While I love most aspects of my 4s, the weight pushes the limits of my boat. 359#s for a 70hp......thats heavy!

Until about a year ago, I owned a 1991 Mako 231. It was powered with a Suzuki Dt 225 2 stroke that weighed 487 lbs. My boat was never kept in the water so it was dry as a bone and sat high in the water.

I thought about repowering it at one point, and decided that the best way to do so...was raise the transom from 25 inches to 30 inches and then repower with a motor that was not more than 50-75lbs heavier.

The key thing is to make sure that your scuppers stay above the waterline.

How your Mako sits in the water will most likely be different than mine. If I were you.....I would float your boat with the existing motor, full tank & gear, one person at the helm and then measure the water line and its location in reference to your scuppers. Then, I would take 25lb sand bags and stack them on top of the motor and see how much weight you can add before your scuppers are under water. Then, add the weight of the sandbags to the weight of your existing motor and you will then know how heavy of an outboard you can install without causing the scuppers to go under.

BTW- My Mako had scuppers that exited through the rear of the transom. Your older Mako may have the shower drain type that go through the deck and drain underwater.

I have a 25 Mako it is a 1985 in 2004 we put twin Yamaha f150's. I couldn't be happier with the Yamaha's. Great fuel efficiency, quiet, and very responsive.

best of luck

I would make sure the transom is sound and try to keep the weight down if possible. I assume you are going with atleast a single 200 but most likely bigger. The zukes are the lightest 4 strokes and etec's will be close in weight to what it was built around. The 2 main reasons for putting the etec on my 1982 hull was lightest engine weight and a free 7 year warranty promotion.

ya i run a 88' 231 with a notched transom you want as little weight as possible. trust me im out there in all sea conditions and with that model if it has the 160 gal tank like mine, u are gonna want to stick to a 2 stroke no less then 225 hp. i run a saltwater series 95' 225 yamaha and cruse at 43 hundred rpm at 23 knots burning 15 gal/hr top at 40 knots with 1/2 tank. i would really like a 250 and think the cruse and burn would greatly improve.....E tec

Bump up to a 30" shaft and go with a 4 stroke. Zuke, Yammie , Honda....

Go with the yamaha. Great motor 4stoke only. Stay away from the 2 smoke yamahas.

Whats wrong with the 150 and 200 HPDI???

Check out the bottom of this thread on classicmako, it should give you some good info... http://www.classicmako.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4616&whichpage=3&SearchTerms=fuel%2Cburn

Whats wrong with the 150 and 200 HPDI???

Some posters view any 2 stroke motor as a worthless pos, akin to a row boat without any motor.

Until about a year ago, I owned a 1991 Mako 231. It was powered with a Suzuki Dt 225 2 stroke that weighed 487 lbs. My boat was never kept in the water so it was dry as a bone and sat high in the water.

I thought about repowering it at one point, and decided that the best way to do so...was raise the transom from 25 inches to 30 inches and then repower with a motor that was not more than 50-75lbs heavier.

The key thing is to make sure that your scuppers stay above the waterline.

How your Mako sits in the water will most likely be different than mine. If I were you.....I would float your boat with the existing motor, full tank & gear, one person at the helm and then measure the water line and its location in reference to your scuppers. Then, I would take 25lb sand bags and stack them on top of the motor and see how much weight you can add before your scuppers are under water. Then, add the weight of the sandbags to the weight of your existing motor and you will then know how heavy of an outboard you can install without causing the scuppers to go under.

BTW- My Mako had scuppers that exited through the rear of the transom. Your older Mako may have the shower drain type that go through the deck and drain underwater.

That is exactly what I did with the sand bags when I repowered my Mako 211 and the 4 Stroke just about buried my scuppers. I went with a 225 Optimax and have been extremely happy with my repower.

As mentioned prior, spend some time on classicmako.com. There is a weatlh of informations there. With any older Mako hull, make sure you have the transom checked and if possible have the fuel tank pressure tested. Maybe you will luck out and the fuel tank has already been replaced. Those are the two areas that seem to be the trouble spots on the older Mako's

You will love that hull.