Simplicity kick

[darci]

After seven years of adding this or that to Darci...We have been removing items that while justified (yea right!) at the time and are just in the way now.
GONE .........the kicker (I know, I know)
           .........the two battery setup and all the cables switches and expensive Blue Seas stuff
SET ASIDE ........jump seats, porta potty, spare parts box, extra spare props shotgun and shells a bunch of outdated flares,
                          200 feet of extra ground tackle.
SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING.......Removing the aft 27 gallon fuel tank.

What has changed? Location, in Alaska you take with you what you may need. (Plus a spare to help out a Chechanko)
                                 Fuel needs, going off two stroke pre mixed for the original 90 hp Yamaha to the new 90 e-Tec,
                                                    has me thinking that the two saddle tanks are twice what I need for CR or day use crabbing.
                                                    Also, the cost to over winter with a full 27 gallons of non ethanol treated fuel is a factor.
                                                    Then, you start up with a bunch of treated old fuel. Yuck.

                                                    I think 10 gallons of new treated fuel and the other saddle tank bone dry for a Winter time out is a
                                                    good solution.
                                 
                                                    As long as pure gas is available I intend to use it. If I have to use 10% I want to burn it as soon as
                                                    practical. I just do not mind hand fueling the boat with 5 gallon cans, and storing 10 gallons forward
                                                    is just too easy.
Weight and balance considerations...
                                                    The old engine 260 lbs...the new 320 lbs     (+ 60 lbs)
                                                    Old kicker                                                      < -60 lbs>
                                                    Old batteries (guess) 80 lbs, new 100 lbs     ( +20 lbs) 
                                                                             
So, I have gained 20 lbs really not a big deal. (who hasn't)
That said, Mr Arima designed the boats to be efficient with less than conventional power, to be easy to tow and fit in a standard garage. I feel that many of us have over loaded, over trailered, and over powered the boats away from the original concept of efficiency.
                                                     Removing the 200 lbs of aft weight would bring down
                                                     total about 160 lbs or so. From time to time in Alaska,
                                                     We ran with an empty main and just the side tanks. I
                                                     do not recall any real difference in the handling quality
                                                     running stern light. Maybe it trimmed up faster (?)
Sure, leaving the 27 gallon in place and empty is an option. however clean access to the rear bilge area and centering that great big new battery is tempting me to remove the aft gas tank all together. Surly in the bigger better faster world no one was crazy enough to do have done this....Were they?
           

[Rokefin]

I'm with ya on removing all the other stuff but not sure about removing the kicker and 2nd battery. I never use my kicker but keep it in top running condition  "just in case".  It would be nice to run without a kicker but not an option to remove for me....Where I fish I like the peace of mind knowing I have a plan B if the main decides to quit.

[darci]

I use to use my kicker all the time. Tried every rig to tie into the main, all were seriously flawed. One day, I plumbed the kicker to a saddle tank (to free up space for the second battery under a bait well).
I just left the hose as is...about two feet longer than needed. So the kicker did not kick that day.  A big loop of fuel line is a bad thing! EZ fix.

A six HP 2 stroke two cylinder kicker is enough...most of the time...well really some of the time. Running a kicker off the tiller is fun unless it is raining sideways...like in Juneau most of the time...

The day the kicker would not start...I trolled on the 90 all day. Back then I used Amsoil synthetic two stroke so less, actually a lot less smoke but still noisy.

What was great was how it steered in the wind with the 90 in idle...and fuel useage was very little.  Just open 'er up on the last ten minutes back to the slip.

e-Tecs are engineered to reduce the fuel (in idle) and delay the injection to drastically lessen the volume in the cylinder. The oil mix is about nothing so according to the engineers, plug fowling is not an issue. (Of course, some travel to and from the area being trolled, would clean up any carbon from trolling.)

Kickers are a PNW thing. Hard to find a salt water boat in Florida with a kicker. bass boats use electric trolling motors, few have kickers. It may be a mistake to trust a modern engine design...but hey life is an adventure.

So no kicker next to the new e-Tec. I still have a budget for a kicker...If /when I decide, it would be stored up front and used in an emergency. ( Looking seriously at the 5 hp Propane Tohatsu...no stale fuel issues...not much chance of bad fuel...no ethanol damage.)

I still have two batteries, a start and a storage they just happen to live in one very heavy size 31 housing.

Not going offshore, not camping. Anchor in the river. Near shore crabbing. Not going to remove the second radio.

[croaker stroker]

What was great was how it steered in the wind with the 90 in idle...and fuel useage was very little.  Just open 'er up on the last ten minutes back to the slip.

e-Tecs are engineered to reduce the fuel (in idle) and delay the injection to drastically lessen the volume in the cylinder. The oil mix is about nothing so according to the engineers, plug fowling is not an issue. (Of course, some travel to and from the area being trolled, would clean up any carbon from trolling.)

My plugs last a long time. However, they do need to be re-gapped occasionally.

[Yachter Yat]

    Gapping plugs?  I thought those two strokes still used surface gap plugs like my 1978 Evinrude 175?     Guess I'm outta touch with these newer Etecs.  BTW, seeing all those kickers is so strange.  Maybe someday I'll actually get to see one on a boat.......I mean live and in person. 

Yat

[darci]

My Evinrude guy said when you change plugs...get a dozen. He said you want the gap to line up with the intake.
He pulled the cowling off my engine and put his finger on the cylinder head and the matching mark on the spark plug. He marks the gap location, then it is easy to find plugs that line up. Trial and elimination. He had a shoe box of NEW spark plugs all  marked with a grease pencil on the ceramic part above the gap, ready to fit to the next customer. You need to allow for the proper torque and crush of the washer...between a half and a quarter turn. Details like this, to me are priceless.

[Markshoreline]

Saving weight is a good idea but I'd get the etech through 50 hours befor dropping the kicker.  Another way to get weight off the stern is to move the batteries forward.  Then you can keep that 27 gallon tank.

[croaker stroker]

My Evinrude guy said when you change plugs...get a dozen. He said you want the gap to line up with the intake.
He pulled the cowling off my engine and put his finger on the cylinder head and the matching mark on the spark plug. He marks the gap location, then it is easy to find plugs that line up. Trial and elimination. He had a shoe box of NEW spark plugs all  marked with a grease pencil on the ceramic part above the gap, ready to fit to the next customer. You need to allow for the proper torque and crush of the washer...between a half and a quarter turn. Details like this, to me are priceless.

They call that "indexing". (The gap points at the injector)

One of the best things on these motors is the "winterization".  We don't have winter, but I do it occasionally just because I can. 

[Yachter Yat]

   We used to winterize our two strokes with fogging oil.  I imagine that's what you still do?   Also, never "shocked" them to life in the spring by turning the key...........always removed the plugs and turned slowly by hand first.  Have mercy on those piston rings.   

Yat

[darci]

e-Tecs have a nifty fog system, since the oil is separate from the gasoline, when in fog mode the gas is starved and the oil is introduced until the engine shuts down.
The lever that is the choke/throttle on other outboards serves as the fog controller on e-Tecs. 
Two steps, presto fogged! If fogging is even needed...we shall see!

[darci]

Update the  Simpleicity 17SC trolls nice 1.3 kts against the Columbia near Troutdale and about 3.6 down stream.
Steers so much better than any kicker IMHO.
Tried a 55lb electric trolling motor as an emergency propulsion...and that was more useful across current and topped out at 2kts against the current, but I was dragging the lower unit of the 90hp, so I imagine "clean" (engine up) would improve the speed somewhat.

Put the first three hours on the e-Tec. Did not burn much fuel or use many amp hours, that big X2 battery is 'da'Bomb.

Very pleased with the first shakedown of the stripped down outfit.

[Markshoreline]

Darci I think for your application that is a good plan.  I'm assuming you aren't running crab pullers or downriggers so there won't be any extreme needs for battery power.  Lightening up the boat willl make it perform much better and use even less fuel.  +1 on only using ethanol free gas!
Let us know how it works out for your fishing.

[darci]

The size 31 X2 battery has a ton of CCAs and a whole bunch of storage. This one (heavy) battery replaces two AGMs with a four year warranty. See Batteries + Bulbs for info on IMHO the better battery system looks like.