I'm about to buy an auxiliary outboard engine for a small (800#)
sailboat, and the little Honda 2 HP 4-stroke engine seems attractive.
But my only experience is with 2-strokes, so I'm hoping that someone
who uses this motor can offer a sanity check on the dealer's optimistic
predictions.

For example, this model's power head is air-cooled.  Does that mean
that the motor does not need to be flushed in a barrel of fresh water
after salt water usage, or is that still necessary for the water-
cooled exhaust system?

Does it leak oil if laid down horizontally in the back of a van,
or leak gasoline from its internal tank?

The built-in gas tank is only 1 liter.  The dealer claims the
engine can run 3-4 hours at full throttle on this capacity.  I know
the mileage is better than a 2-stroke's, but this seems too good to
be true?

Another claim is that the 4-stroke's thrust pattern makes it the
equivalent of a more powerful 2-stroke engine when pushing a
displacement hull at low speed.  Is this enough engine to cope with
5-6 knot current in no-wind conditions, or motor into wind and chop?

Any particular reliability problems associated with this model?

Thanks for your help,
George Bunting
g...@netcom.com

     >..Honda 2 HP...sanity check

I have one on my Merit 25, and I like it. Starts easy, idles well, quiet
and smooth compared to other 2 HP 2-strokes. Major shortcoming is lack of
external fuel tank and lack of a long shaft model. My top speed is around
4.5 knots in flat calm, it's useless in waves. But that's not what it's
for.

I never flush with salt water, but I only expect 7-8 years of life from
the motor (I'm on my second one). It lives 12 months/year in the damp
cockpit locker of a small sailboat, almost totally neglected from May to
October when the wind blows, and then used about 4 hours/month to get to
the starting line for midwinter races. It's treated about the same as the
anchor (in fact, the anchor probably gets a fresh-water rinse more often
than the engine). *Very* tough service for any piece of mechanical
equipment. In fact, for daysailing with guests I usually tell them that
there's no motor on the boat, so they don't start whining "let's turn on
the motor" 5 seconds after the wind dies.

Doesn't leak oil or fuel in storage, but you do have to check the oil sump
once in a while as it gets old, just like a car engine.

3-4 hours at full throttle is fantasy. More like 60-90 minutes at cruise
power. Some owners have hacked in a romote fitting of some sort, though.
Useful power is the same as other 2-HP motors, and a little less than a
more powerful 2-stroke of the same weight.

The only reliabiltiy problem I've had relates to old fuel gumming up the
craburator. Now I'm using a fuel treatment additive, and things seem okay
with my usual 8-month-old fuel from my half-full 4-liter storage tank.  

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In article <gwbDKBr83....@netcom.com>, g...@netcom.com (George
water

Perhaps they have two versions of this engine, the 2 hp. Honda that I
have is definitely water cooled and it does need flushing.  Honda
definitely has experience in making air cooled engines, so it
wouldn't surprise me if they do make an air cooled one as well, in
which case you shouldn't need to flush it, just maybe rinse off the
outside parts.

Honda is pretty good at making things well sealed, but I have had
mine leak oil while prone, although it is over 8 years old now.

Maybe the new ones are even better on fuel than mine, because mine
won't go that long on one fill.  I always carry extra fuel with me,
because it always seem to run out when I least expect it.  I have
never actually timed how long it runs, but it is definitely not 3-4
hrs., but, then again, mine is older...

5-6 knots would definitely slow me down to a crawl.  I use an 8 ft.
aluminum tender.  It goes like stink with a 6 horse, but the 2
horse with one person sitting well forward will just barely make it
plane.

Mine has been pretty good, just the usual tune-up stuff, impellers,
spark plugs, starter cords etc.  I seem to have less trouble with my
9.8 Johnson, but the Honda has had no major problems and I really
like it for the tender because it is so light and easy to handle.

Hope this helps you,

Jamie Bracht
syeng...@port.island.net