Torqueedo or not Torqueedo?

[damvolpe]

Hi all. I am getting ready to jettison my 2 year old Tohatsu SailPro long shaft as it has been nothing but trouble. The old SailPros were great, but the redesigned models have carburetor issues, and are also slightly too large for the engine well. I noticed Torqueedo now has a 5HP with removable batteries, which is important as I am on a mooring. My hope is that the tiller will attach through the little port under the traveller, and give me better steerage than the Tohatsu which is so tight I can only swing it about 10°. Has anyone installed one of these electric engines in their CD25? It's an outrageous amount of money, but I am just desperate enough to bite the bullet so I don't miss another season on the water with engine problems.

https://www.torqeedo.com/us/en-us/produ ... 62-00.html

[keneasley]

I had two Tohatsu SailPro engines on my old Sea Sprite 23 for many years.
The first one from 2009 to 2016. I was pretty ignorant of maintenance requirements and never replaced the impeller and cooked the engine. The second from 2016 to 2019 when I sold the boat.
I did have to replace the carburetor on the first engine. It gummed up somewhere but the replacement was only about $100 and an easy DIY task.
After that I learned to always run the engine dry by disconnecting the fuel line at the engine and running it until it stopped.
That did the trick for me and I never had another problem.
Each winter before storing it in my garage I ran it dry (at home in a tub of fresh water) by disconnecting the fuel line at the tank and running it until it stopped. I did this to get all the fuel out of the fuel line. The fuel in the tank went into the family car. I would also remove the little drain plug from the carburetor bowl to let the last bit of fuel drain out. I was careful with the fuel.
Others have made comments about replacing the needle valve or some-such in the carburetor but I never messed with that.
So for me the Tohatsu was the best option. Just a few tricks to learn and simple maintenance made it very reliable for me.

As an aside - the person I sold the Sea Sprite 23 to did not like the Tohatsu went with an ePropulsion electric motor. He said that it develops torque from the first revolution so you can maneuver in tight spaces. He charged the batteries with a solar panel. He said that downsides were: expensive, parts can be hard to find, and dealers do not know much about maintenance. But it looks like a lower cost than the Torqueedo.

[John Stone]

I have an Tohtsu 9.8 two stroke I bought 10 years ago. I always run the carburetor dry after every use--with fresh water muffs on the cooling intake or course. I only run non ethanol fuel in it. It runs perfectly. When I was powering the Far Reach with a Honda 9.9 four stroke I used the same approach. Never failed to start on the 1st or second pull and I couldn't fresh water flush it. My nearly 30 year old Kawasaki KLR 650 is a four stroke. I take the same approach. I run the carb dry after use and only use non ethanol fuel in it as well. Run perfect and starts immediately. I add fuel stabilizer to our gas cans.

You may have a bad engine but the Sail Pro has a good reputation in general. They are easy to work on and you might find if you are not taking certain preventative steps your luck may change with running the carb dry, adding fuel stabilizer to your supply of outboard fuel, and flush when able.

[damvolpe]

Thanks for the replies! I hear you all about running the lines dry. If I don't replace it this season I'll do that. Besides the carb issue though, I like the idea of an engine I can lift out after use, either to use it on my inflatable or just to avoid the barnacle build up. I'm wondering if anyone here has put in an electric, either Torqueedo or EPropulsion? And if so what size and how does it sit in the well?

[gonesail]

yes to running it dry. also did this with my lawnmower over the winter. best to start with fresh gas next season.