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Outboard for Ranger 22

5K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  US27inKS 
#1 ·
Hey y''all. I bought a Ranger 22 a couple of weeks ago and I don't like the Nissan 3.5 that came with it. It runs great but has no reverse gear or external fuel tank. Sometimes I like to just get out and motor around so the dinky little tank doesn't do it for me.

I'm conisdering a Tohatsu 5hp 4 stroke and a yamaha 4 hp four stroke(both 20" shaft). Both are around $1200 new at the stores around here in St. Pete. My Nissan is 40 pounds and the Yamaha and Tohatsu are approx 50 pounds.

I've heard that different manufacturers rate their horsepower differently. I even heard that a 4hp four stroke might have less power than a 3.5 two stroke.

Can anyone clear this up for me?

Oh and I use the boat for day sailing but I want to be able to get back upwind home if I get caught out in the bay in highwinds or a storm.

Boat weighs 2200 pounds dry.
 
#2 ·
All outboards are rated at the porp

I prefer older 2 strokes BUT if going new there is 4s or nothing :(

The big issue is all the single cylinder motors vibrate really BAD compared to the older 2 stroke two cylinder motors but again it is all there is

I own the last 4hp single cyl 2 stroke Tohatsu made and the vibration is so bad you have to play with the RPM to find a smooth spot

There is a pretty limited amount of porp pitches BUT there is one size down from standard that will push the boat a LOT better
 
#3 ·
You won,t do the sailing performance of the boat any favor by adding more weight to the back end. I think replacing a good 3.5 2 stroke OB would be a bad use of money - buy a new jib or something that makes for a better sailboat. Have you figured out a good exterior spot to securely stow an external tank?. Back when I had a 22' with a 4HP OB, I used to just turn the engine around for reverse, worked better than in reverse gear. Your money I guess... In terms of useability, whatever OB you have should first and foremost be a long shaft.

In terms
 
#4 ·
Good Point

Thanks for the replies. Good point. I'm not exactly sure how much an extra 20 pounds hanging off the back would affect my performance...in what ways would that affect performance? Slower, reduced pointing ability, something else? I would spin it around but the transom is sloped forward and it is quite a reach to the motor....and I have a beer belly:)

You are right about the money though. I could buy a stereo, GPS and a Jib for that almost. The next owner will definitely not appreciate the $1200 put into the motor, but I might, and the girlfriend will definitely will appreciate not having to push the boat out of the slip.
 
#5 · (Edited)
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You might try one of these extensions, may ease use of the OB, there are some with a joint which might make turning the engine around easier...

The 20 pounds will cause the stern to squat some which will slow th eboat, but not enough that you'd notice in daysailing...if you were to race seriously you;d need to go to a 2HP and even then, keep it down below...
 

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#7 ·
One other point... Tohatsu makes the small outboards for themselves, Nissan and Mercury IIRC.
 
#8 ·
I crew on my friend's Ranger 22 during our regular race series. He has a little 2 stroke with an integral tank that we keep stowed below. I can't imagine where we would put an external tank. The cockpit is pretty small. Besides that boat is so easy to sail in and out of the slip, we've never felt the need to pull the motor out. The only reason he keeps it on board because we get a little break on the PHRF.
 
#9 ·
With all due respect to the preceding comments, this isn't an exceedingly complex issue. Buy your 5-HP outboard and go sailing. You'll have a decent little outboard and power to get back home when the need arises. Good luck with your choice.
 
#10 ·
I would have to agree, i have a 5hp mercury on my ranger 22 and it moves around pretty well with it. I also had the same problems with the shift levers being so far away, the previous owner of the boat made a little pole with a little metal tab on the end of it to grab the shift lever. Ive used it a few times and it works pretty well but i still normally resort to hanging off the back to shift. i dunno, u may prove to make more use of it. For the external tank issue, when not in use, i keep it stowed beneath the opening into the cabin with my anchors. So far the 2.5 gallon tank has been more than adequate to get the thing in and out of the marina multiple times, and chugging around the bay.
 
#11 ·
One thing you might want to consider, to make using the outboard safer, especially in heavier conditions... is a PowerTiller. It moves the throttle and shifter controls forward to the tiller.

 
#13 ·
"I've heard that different manufacturers rate their horsepower differently."

No

"I even heard that a 4hp four stroke might have less power than a 3.5 two stroke."

Depends...In the case of the Tohatsu/Nissan/Mercury the answer would be no as the 4 is a detuned 6. However, a 4 is too small for a 2200 lb boat. You would need a 5 at a minimum and would be well served by getting a 6 pitch prop.
 
#15 ·
4 stroke woes

Here is the breakdown on the engines. You cannot beat the Tohatsu 4 , 5 , or even the 6 hp engines. The Nissan 3.5 that you have weighs only 30 pounds filled with fuel. I like the Tohatsu engine line up. I have worked for one of the best Marine outfitters as the service manager for the last 8 years here in soutrhern New England.

The Tohatsu 4,5,6 all weigh in at 55 pounds, 58 with the long shaft. The 4 dives you the option of using the internal tank but also has the capability of hooking up an external tank , purchased seperatley.The 5,6 are external tank only.I am not happy with the yamaha 4 engine nor am I happy with the Honda 5 hp weighing in at 62 pounds and also the old school Honda design withe the plastic vertical startee mechanism. People also like the Mercury 4.5.6 but they are produced by Tohatsu for Mercury along with all Mercury engines up to 30 hp
 
#16 ·
Bought a Nissan 6hp 25"

Hey gang,

Thank you for all of your previous responses. I thought I'd send an update to the quest for a better motor, and for any other ranger 22 owner out there. I bought a brand new Nissan 6 hp with a 25" shaft. It's awesome, quiet, sticks way down in the water and I couldn't be happier. In case I get serious about racing I kept the 3.5 2stroke that I had. The 6hp 4stroke is 30 pounds heavier than the 3.5 2strk and much harder to pull up and down on my bracket because of the raked transom, but I just leave it all the way down and tilt the motor all the way up and it is plenty far out of the water. I was in a nasty chop on Tampa bay the other day and my prop didn't ventilate once. Compared to every time a wave passed with the old 20" shaft. Price tag $1399 plus tax. 3 year warranty and also charges the battery. I leave the tank in the cockpit, no big deal.
 
#18 ·
Hey gang,

Thank you for all of your previous responses. I thought I'd send an update to the quest for a better motor, and for any other ranger 22 owner out there. I bought a brand new Nissan 6 hp with a 25" shaft. It's awesome, quiet, sticks way down in the water and I couldn't be happier. In case I get serious about racing I kept the 3.5 2stroke that I had. The 6hp 4stroke is 30 pounds heavier than the 3.5 2strk and much harder to pull up and down on my bracket because of the raked transom, but I just leave it all the way down and tilt the motor all the way up and it is plenty far out of the water. I was in a nasty chop on Tampa bay the other day and my prop didn't ventilate once. Compared to every time a wave passed with the old 20" shaft. Price tag $1399 plus tax. 3 year warranty and also charges the battery. I leave the tank in the cockpit, no big deal.
Glad to hear you found a motor that will work for you.

BTW my friend's ranger 22 that I crew on won 1st place in our fleet for the series, holding off a pair of J-24's. Bill bought a new mainsail in time for the last 2 race weekends, and we started cleaning up the J's even though one of the J-24's had a new main and jib.
 
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