CD25 Outboard

[Scott B.]

I presently have a 15 hp mercury 2-stroke, long shaft with my CD25 that is heavy, overpowered for the boat, and is difficult to get into the motor well. I notice a lot of people using 6 hp nissans. But i would like a ittle more than 6 hp power and a 4-stroke. Has anyone found a 8 or 9.8 hp 4-stroke motor that fits into the motor well of their CD25? I have started my search but the 4-strokes have a large "head".

[Carl Thunberg]

Scott,

Tom Foley has a Honda Classic 8 in his CD25. Tom doesn't post very often or I'd let him respond directly. I think he had to take the handle off temporarily so he could lower the engine in the well. Then he re-installed the handle. I know he can't turn the motor in the well, so he has to steer with the tiller. But it physically fits.

Personally, I'm very satisfied with the Nissan/Tohatsu 6 HP. It has all the power I need and my mooring is in the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth with a brisk current.

[Scott B.]

Thanx Carl. I would be looking at a new motor. And not one to take apart to get in. The 6 hp still seems a bit light. I have a 4 on my 16 ft Compac and it barely moves. I believe the CD's originally came with a 7.5.

By the way, I assume you got the llong shaft 6. what length? did you go for electric start or did the 6 even come with it as an option. and that is the 4-stroke? is it quiet? does it choke/stall out when you hhave the engine well shut? do you have to operate it at near full throttle to get the power out of the 6?

[Will Wheatley]

Hi Scott
I also have the Tohatsu/Nissan 6hp 4 stroke. It fits in the well nicely with room to turn it which is very helpful especially when backing up. I went with a short shaft which works great in all but nasty swells and is light enough to lift from the well at the end of the day without straining anything.

I have heard many folks say that they want more power and I have heard others say it won't matter. I have bought the won't matter side based on the fact that a CD25 has a max hull speed of just under 6 knots and the 6hp engines push a CD25 at just under 6 knots. However I am curious about the more power arguement. Are there situations that you feel more power is helpful?

BTW the Tohatsu 6hp 4 stroke uses considerably less gas than my old Evinrude 6hp 2 stroke. The Evinrude used to use about a gallon an hour. Last season I sailed a lot less than previous seasons but in any event I used less than 3 gallons of gas all season and no mixing .

Good Luck with the motor search.

[Carl Thunberg]

Scott

I went with the long shaft, but the short shaft would also be satisfactory, and like Will said, it sure lifts out the of well easier. Yes, it's a 4-stroke. My only real complaint is that it seems to vibrate a lot. I stayed with the pull-start and didn't even look into an electric start. The engine exhausts through the prop, so I can run it with the engine well cover closed and it's never been starved for oxygen. One other complaint is that the zinc anode is tiny. The zinc is almost completely gone by the end of one season. I'm on a mooring in a fairly open mooring field, so I don't think there's much stray current that would consume the zinc pre-maturely. Make sure you change it yearly.

Will, about the only real argument I can see for more power is the ability to have more reverse thrust when it's time to set your anchor.

[henry hey]

Hi,

I have a Tohatsu 8 hp and it's outstanding.

I won't change that motor until it is truly on it's death bed.

Plenty of power for the 25 and starts immediately (also not too heavy).

-henry

[Roy J.]

Henry,

Did youhave tomake any modifications to get the 8 hp to fit? I thought it was too big for the well. Did you order a flatter, 6" or 7" pitch propeller? Any pictures of your installation available?

Thanks - I am about to make this purchase and thought the Tohatsu 6 was the ideal motor, but if an 8 will work....

Roy

[bgephart]

Be sure to get the "power" propeller - that's the one with the large, flat blades. The standard prop that comes on most moters is not the correct one for pushing a CD25. I almost gave up on my 6HP before I found this out. Now I'm a happy sailor.

[henry hey]

Hi everyone.

Several people have asked me about this motor fitting in the well.

As far as I can tell, there was no modification made to the well.

The motor is relatively easy to remove and can be turned within the well. I often do this at slow speed as our CD25s do not like to turn unless you have a fair bit of speed.

Here are a couple of photos to take a look.

<a href="http://www.ruddermusic.com/engine.jpg"><img width="540" src="http://www.ruddermusic.com/engine.jpg"></a>

<a href="http://www.ruddermusic.com/motor.jpg"><img width="540" src="http://www.ruddermusic.com/motor.jpg"></a>

[Scott B.]

Thank you all. This information has been very helpful. I will look at the T/N 8 with the 6 as a backup.

[Will Wheatley]

Be sure to get the "power" propeller - that's the one with the large, flat blades. The standard prop that comes on most moters is not the correct one for pushing a CD25. I almost gave up on my 6HP before I found this out. Now I'm a happy sailor.

Can you tell me more about the power prop. Where do I get one, who makes it etc.

Thanks.

[Jim Davis]

A comment was made about the very small size of the Nissan/Tohatsu zinc.

Something you can do to increase your zinc size is to bolt a tear drop style on the cavitation plate. On most outboards there is enough room to put one above and one below the plate. Cavitation plates are solid and being aluminium easy to drill through. Test fit the zinc and make sure it doesn't interfere with the prop, drill the mounting holes and sand the paint off where the zinc(s) will be in contact. This is one place you do not want any bedding compound. When I had my CD25, I did this and didn't worry about stray electrical currents eating away my engine.

[henry hey]

My Tohatsu/Nissan 8 is a 98 and it seems to have faired pretty well with it's 'small' zinc.

Have some of you seen corrosion on your motor or is it rather that the zinc just looks too small? I haven't seen any real evidence that there is a problem. Of course you want to change your zinc every year, but it's so easy that I don't know why you wouldn't

h

[Roy J.]

Henry --

your motor doesn't look anything like the new models of the 4 stroke, and you have lots of tankage -- is that a 2 or 4 stroke motor you have there?

Regarding flatter props, the new tohatsu/nissans come with and 8" pitch prop. They offer a flatter 7" for an extra charge. My current motor, a Johnson 8hp 2 stroke has a flat (sail) pitch prop.

Roy

[henry hey]

It's an 8hp 2 stroke. .. and yeah, the tanks were included when I bought the boat. That is quite useful when you are making a long haul trip (or caught in a blow and need some motor help like I did last year)

I don't know what to say about the 4 strokes. They are heavier and bigger. I suppose 6hp is the way to go if you can get enough push from it.

h