Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
This is like watching paint dry…seems like six years of build, and still counting…this boat better be the fastest in the fleet when finally done…
😉
I also bought one of the Tohatsu 6HP motors. I will pick up in late May on our return from FL. If you need assistance setting up your rigs, contact Fred Allerton. Partly because he is one of our most accomplished Tohatsu 6 guys, and mostly because he has nothing else to do…
Forrest, you might reach out to Morgan Friday, driver of Skittles. He runs a Suzuki 8hp and his father has a boat/motor shop in VA. He likely can get you on the right track.
Ben, the mid-80s 6and 8hp motors use a special remote connector set (motor mount and special fittings that attach to the ends of the standard omc cables) that is REALLY hard to find any more. I know that Rick Loewen just found one, though. If you can’t find, I have my original 1984 8hp Johnson with the rig set up, and could sell to you. I’d hate to just sell you the kit because it required you to drill a hole through the side of the motor housing to attach the mount.
There are several 3 gallon portable plastic tanks out there today. I suggest you first check a local marine consignment shop for the old OMC tanks, as they are very low profile. I use a newer Attwood low profile tank. And mine slips under the deck through the slot on the port side. And since I use a 10 inch wheel, I don’t need to remove.
I see on Amazon that Sceptor also makes a good looking one. Both are on Amazon and West Marine sites. Â As Jeff said, a permanent fuel cell mounted under the deck is not common, but has been done. My concern is that you would have a bigger issue getting the tank cleaned out if you ever got water from a capsize…happens occasionally in racing the higher speed motors in dirty water.
I’ll see if Rich Faulkner can send a pic of the pivot piece from one of his OMCs. Unless Alan Brown has access to a Tohatsu, I don’t think we would have one available yet. As for location, is sits just above the cavitation plate on the front of the lower unit and i perfectly rounded so it pivots smoothly throughout the turn in the white plastic piece on the thrust bracket.
See my answers to your 6hp vs 8hp question on the forum. But, I would say yes on the Tohatsu 4 stroke 6hp, then definitely look for 8hp 2 strokes as well.
Sorry, in my fervor for the 8hp I forgot to mention the 6hps. As a “fatty”, I think the early classic OMC 6hp is too slow and difficult for big folks to get on plane. The late classic (1976-1979) OMCs are much better, but I still like more speed. So, I primarily run the post-1979 OMC 6hp. It goes ~21-22mph and gets on plane quickly. It’s also nice because the post-79 6hp and 8hp setups are identical, which makes for easy switching of motors on race day.
The new Tohatsu 4 stroke 6hp is about the same speed as the 76-79 OMCs, possibly since it is only a single piston, but they were fun in testing last summer and I have one on order now for racing in 2019. They are pricier, especially when considering the need for a different remote throttle setup vs the OMCs, but they also have the advantages of less pollution, more reliability and possibly less variation between motors.
Ben, there is no more fun to be had that racing our boats with an 8hp motor! Regardless of whether you are heavy (I am 245 currently) or not, the 8hp class races are a minimum 200lb driver weight class. Which means if you are svelte, you need to carry enough water or sand to get your weight to 200. However, we’ve all pretty much concluded that 4 stroke 8s are way too heavy. So, the debate becomes which 2 stroke motor – Tohatsu/Nissan/Merc or Evinrude/Johnson(OMC)? The OMC motors are the most popular, mostly because of availability. In racing conditions, my experience is that the OMC 8hps are a tick faster in a straight line, but the Japanese motors seem to have more torque/thrust for starts, turns etc. However, there are so many variables (prop, tuning, motor history, quality start, driver skill, etc.) that is really comes down to what you can find.
Now, if Tohatsu would only come out with the full titanium 4 stroke 8hp!
Hi Ben, welcome to the CCWBRA! Rich Faulkner and I actually worked with Alan Brown several years ago to get him to build some CCWBRA specific stuff. We gave him a boat and the pre-1979 and post-1979 OMC motors so he could spec out the thrust brackets. I’ve run it on HotToddy for the past 5 years and like it a lot. It allows me to get the angle of the lower unit exactly where I want it without hitting the transom, and I feel it maximizes thrust in races.
The key, though, is that you also need the aluminum pivot piece installed on the motor’s lower unit to have a smooth, full turning motor. I just noticed in the photos on the btmco.com site that you can’t see it, but Alan Brown should be able to machine it for any OMC motor you have. And Rich or I should soon be dropping off a new Tohatsu 6hp 4stroke to Brown so he can machine pivots for the Tohatsu. (BTW, that is the HotToddy and my 8hp Evinrude in the photos, so I should be getting royalties!)
I also like it as I don’t through bolt the motor to the transom in races, rather I tie the lower unit to the transom with a line through two eyebolts in the transom…I don’t like through hulls in a cocktail boat!
I’m not sure too many other guys use the thrust bracket, maybe thinking of added weight, although I don’t believe that makes any difference.
Feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions. I’ve been racing since 2010, built the HotToddy from plans, and race a lot. I’m not a much of motor mechanic, but can help with steering, race thoughts, boat setup, etc. We split time between FL and MD, so I’m not near my racer now, or I would send you pics of the bracket/pivot.
Todd Steffes
Commodore Emeritus
610-306-0026