Suzuki DF 140's
 

I know some here have them but a friend of mine is getting a new boat with one and was wondering how they perform, hold up and how well you like them?

I absolutly LOVE mine.

I know I've posted all this before, but I'll do it again cause I like seeing it in print.

I average 5 mpg (statute) with the 140 on my V-20 Cuddy (usually cruising at 20-28 mph most of the time. I get a top speed of 40 mph. It is so quiet that I don't know its running at idle. No messing with oil, except to change it in the winter. No smoke or smoke smell. It starts on the first crank every time.

I bought mine in July of 03 and have done nothing but change the oil in it. I am thinking about doing the waterpump this year, just because.

I think it is the perfect motor for me and my V.

Thas good to hear. I want one for my 18. I think it would be SWEET on the 18.

I've heard mostly good reports about Suzi 4 strokes. I'm thinking about a 90 Suzi for my new (to me) Pro-Line for next year. Hopefully.

90 HP 4-STROKE EFI SUZUKI $6,000

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90 HP YAMAHA $5,100

90 HP 4-STROKE EFI YAMAHA $6,200

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90 HP E-TEC EVINRUDE 20" $7,300

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90 HP MERCURY $5,000

90 HP OPTIMAX MERCURY $6,900

90 HP 4-STROKE MERCURY 20" $7,200

:head::head::head::head::head::head::head::head::h ead:

I occasionally run into an older gent at my ramp....he has a v20 w/ a 2005[?] zuke140.....claims to have 1100 hours on it already, 1100!! Says it hasn't missed a beat. I've tried to speak to him in detail but he's kinda grumpy and doesn't say much.

Mine is great but I only have 15.4 hours on it so I can't give you a fair evaluation.

TH, your mission, if you chose to except it, is to put at least 100 hours on that baby this year.

This thread will self destruct in 5.....4.....3....

Phes, he's probably thinkin, "dam young whippersnappers ask too many darn questions!"
:booty:

Repowered with zuki DF140 last July. Love it. Plenty of power, good fuel usage, quiet. Between my son and I we put 250+ hours on it between July and September. There are three other DF 140 owners at my club. The oldest is 8 years old with absolutely no problems.

Is that you Reprits?? Did your name get lost on the switch to the new board?? I can fix it if thats the case??

Suzuki 140
 

I originally repowered mine and was a little unsure because of the speed, but now with the high gas prices I have grown to love the engine. It does not have the same kick as a two stroke but hey...who cares so long as it's reliable and efficient...I have not had a problem with the engine. Mine is actually a suzuki 140 with the white johnson paint and decals on it, otherwise it's identical. I agree with the above posts in terms of performance -- I get anywheres between 4 to 5 miles to the gallon depending on sea conditions and I have done numerous shark and offshore wreck fishing trips on my boat without a problem.

If I ever had to re-power I may go to the suzuki 175, but the 140 is fine otherwise.

check out http://www.edsmarinesuperstore.com/

it's where I got my engine and they have great prices on suzuki and it's also a 2% sales tax

Hi Maco,

Yah that' me. Think I'll keep the Boston Habba name. really more descriptive than the other.

Sounds like a plan!! :nice:

I am going to cancle the old name and combine your posts also.

Why are the 225Hp & 250HP 25" motors $1500 more than the 30" but the 300HP 25" is $1000 less than the 30"?

I have close to 400 hours on mine. I run slow a lot or idle so it is sounding rough and probably needs plugs already. Most of my runs are less than two miles. The motor seldom sees 5000rpm, I run about 42-4600rpm and that gives me 20 kts. It has been a joy to own.

One note: I was not thinking too clearly when I bought a 20 inch one to fit the transom. I should have got the longer shaft and raised the transom. My CC ships far too much water over the stern. It has not been a problem for the motor, I just do not like to see it.

Hey MJ......can you combine my posts? I stuck with "Whale" but never did the 100+ posts I lost with "Whalen".

Good to see you check in Snoozer.

I forgot that I did change the sparkplugs last year, it started to run a little rough at idle when cold but straightened right out with new plugs.

I also have a 20 inch motor/transom and I can not remember a single time getting water over the transom, nothing more than a splash anyways.

It may be the difference in the weight distribution of the Cuddy verses CC.

Well my friend went and got a new Caroline Skiff DLV 21 with the 140 suzuki. He has about 10 hrs on it by now and is really impressed with it. Quite, Smooth and fuel effecient. At WOT his speedo is showing 49mph, he has not installed the GPS yet. Maybe going out with him tomorrow.

Thanks for all your input.

:beer::beer:

It could be there is more weight in the stern. There is certainly less in the bow.

It is not me anymore, I have lost 130 lbs since last august.

The water coming over the stern is the ONLY thing I do not like about this boat. And I know how to fix it, but most likely will not, now that I have a 20 inch motor. I bought this boat as a 'beater', but think enough of it now to put some money in it. The fix may be to put this motor on a bracket and build up the transom. Living in the Keys is tough because there is no 'down' time between seasons to do the bigger jobs.

A bracket will make your problem WORSE! You will be giving it even more leverage, and when you come down off plane you will be putting it further back in the oncoming water. A good splashwell is the solution to your quandry you have. If you have a good splashwell, whatever water comes in will go right back out. Maybe also put your batteries in the bow somewhere. You need to move your CG furthur forward to keep the water off the stern with a 20" shaft. If you had a 25" shaft that would be different.

Very True.
I did not want to sink any money into this hull untill I decided wether I liked or not.
But it has worked out to be a a fine boat for the Keys and the type of 'playing in the water' I do.
The stone crab pots are on the hard now for the off season, so the boat will come out next week for a bottom job and oil change. The splash well on this one needs some attention to stop some leaks. I'll look at moving the batteries, but I am not optomistic that just moving them will do a lot.

A suzuki note: I have a 18 pitch wheel on this one. I hauled in ten pots at a time (all in the bow, 500 extra lbs) and the boat planed out at 4000 and was just a knot off her usual speed. I never run WOT, and seldom as fast as 5000 rpms. today we will be in the gulf, looking at lobster holes.

Notice how many times snoozer rubs it in that he lives in the Keys?

Just kidding snoozer, I'd brag about it too.

Snoozer, I think you would do well to switch to a 19 or 20 pitch prop, I am running a 21 pitch and it works good for me (even when loaded up with a bunch of people/weight), and brings down the RPM's considerably. I tried a 17 and an 18 pitch when I first got the motor and they were way too little pitch.

I was running a 19 pitch and it was ok, but still spun higher than I wanted. You know that sweet spot in the RPM's where the motor sounds happy, I was always just above that with the 19 when cruising around 25 mph.

I'm with you, I rarely run WOT, infact the only time I ever have with this motor was to check top speed with the different props.

Living in the KEYS isn't all that you would expect it to be RANDLEMAN. I did it for awhile and it got old quicker than you think. The average person is lucky to last 6 months down there before you leave.

I have the 20 in transom on a CC also. This past winter I moved my two battries forward to just infront of the console and before the fishing platform. I've only had the boat in once to change out my bunk brackets, but I noticed a BIG differance in how she sat in the water. I've only been at headway speed and just above so I can't tell you how the proformance is, but it has to be better balanced then before.

I got new cable off ebay for half price about 1.60 a foot and ran the cable in the void space between the outter hull and the cap. It was no problem at all. Since I put my battry switch under the console front seat I think it took 40 feet of cable, but you could do it with less if you try and fish it though with your controls and depending on where you switch is.

Sorry Randle,
I am told what an insensitive pig I am a lot, so it must be true.

I am from Cape May NJ, and used to fish in the bay. The wave sets are different down here, it is roughter than I thought it would be. The flare on this V-20 keeps me dryer than I thought I would be. So I am plesantly surprised.

I do have too much weight aft in the boat; I looked today. It is due for some yard time and maintaince. I'll see what I can do.

On the Keys: This place is not for everyone. I have been here four years and I have seen them come and seen them go. It is very expensive to live here if you must work. Rents are high and prices higher. Insurance is untouchable for wind or water damage. Everone needs two jobs to stay even. Wages are low and so are the brows of the people who can afford to buy a house here now (this can't include me as I live on a boat).
But the water is clear most of the year, the reef is still full of fish, temp is warm. Let me recap; clear water, fish, warm, yep that's it. I am a very lucky sob, and I know it.
I guess that is bragging a bit, But anyone can come on down and try it. Any job that there is up north, there is one like it here.

The rampant drug use is the major reason my dad left there years back. He worked at the JEEP dealer in KEY WEST and the guys down there would do lines of coke right out in the open on top of there tool boxes while working on COP cars with the cops STANDING RIGHT THERE! Then there was the high costs(the conch card helped with that a little), and then the massive GAY PRIDE PARADES was a real deal killer for an old time FLORIDA CRACKER that had grown up in old time FLORIDA(where the elite wore white robes). Couldn't take it for but 6 months before we left. He moved up to NAPLES area, and I went back with my mom for my senior year of high school.

Well then, there is that too.
Drugs are a big problem here. The easy going way of the place fosters that. If you can pass a drug test, and show up on time, you can have any job you want here. Good help is hard to find and in demand, but I suppose that is everywhere these days.

We hardly ever go to Key West any more, they call it Key weird for a reason. Marathon has always been more into fishing, and now into diving. It is a better fit for me.
After the hurricanes, couple years back, and the high prices of homes, about 20% of the population packed up and left.

I spent a few years in Clearwater before I made the move here. Too much traffic, too many people. But living on an island is not for everyone.

The grass is always greener..........until you cross the fence.

You guys are destroying my idea of the Keys, in my mind it is just like it was on "Flipper".

I plan on getting down there for a visit in the next few years.....and maybe in 9 years (when I retire) I will do like my retired Uncle does, rent a house in So. Fla. for a month each January.

If your going to go down, skip GAY DAYS. And when you go into KEY WEST, think of it as MARDI GRAS in a sense. From the sevin mile bridge east it isn't that bad, and ISLAMORADA is pretty much a fishermans haven. But KEY WEST has gone to the flambouyant types, where the boys like boys and girls like girls. The girl girl part can be amusing at times, but not for the entire family. I did notice that they have halted alot of the same sex displays except for GAY DAYS.

Theferm's got it just about right.

Key West would be perfect for a Bi-sexual honeymoon. Not much for families anymore. Diving and fishing is OK. There is some good food in places, but the prices are way too much. Room rates are way too much.

They have toned things down a little, lately. In the past I have seen some God-awlful displays in other Gay towns, as well as Key West. P-town on Cape Cod is probably worse, and the weather up there is deffenetly worse. The Gay's have more disposable income, so the prices of everything goes up when they come to town. But they bring a lot of investment also, and for the population, they do not need as many schools. The schools here are some of the best in Florida. High property taxes + few families = good schools. Florida is not known for a stellar education system.

The reefs and clear water, oh yes and warmth too, is why I am here. And I am probably on my way to somewhere else in the future. But for now, It is a cool place to call home.

????
 

WHY WON'T ANYONE PUT THEIR CRUSING SPEED ON HERE WITH A 140 SUZ 4 STROKE????????? One post says 20 to 28???? thats a BIG range. WHat RPMs will make it go 30? This is a weird site.

not to hijack, but
Snoozer, i'll be down in bahia honda the last two weeks of june, if you have any good spots on the gulf side and can share them, i'd appreciate it. i have some numbers, but mostly dive spots on the atlantic. didja have a good stoney season? i was doing ok this week, but now the water is warm enough for the poachers to get in them.
thanks

Well.....cruising speed, to me, is the speed your boat is most efficient. That seems to be the range for this motor on this boat, 20-28 mph.

As for RPM @ 30? We are all going to give a different answer cause we are all running a different pitched prop.

Plus, its been so long, I cant remember, but I'm pretty sure I put all that info in another post about a year ago.

And you are right, there are some real weirdos on this site.

Here is when I was running a 19p. I am running a 21p prop now.

http://wellcraftv20.com/community/sh...ohnzuki&page=2

I'm pretty sure I reported the results for the 21p somewhere.

I wanna go back to the Keys! But, like many places (including the island that I call home), from what I "hear" things have changed a lot in the past 20 years, and much of it was not for the better. Or maybe I've changed...

I first went to Key West in the early '80s on a college spring break trip. Roomie and I calculated we could do the trip (1200 miles each way) in my VW Beetle and Camp on Stock Island, eat and drink all for less than $200 a person. Would have managed it, too, except that we met up with girls and the $ went quicker! 'Twas an epic journey. Loved the laid back atmosphere. Roomie liked it so much that after graduation he packed up and moved there. I visited him 3 times, the last time I was there was around 1990.

Air was so clean and the water so green . . .

Then I moved to SC and the rest, as they say, is history. I have all this wonderful nostalgia for Key West and the Keys floating around in my brain, much of it awash in salty margueritas, and I keep saying I'm going to pack up the wife and make the trip back down there. Mapquest says it's 11 hours by car.

Roomie moved from Key West several years ago, up to Naples, and says while he still misses the Keys waters he is happier in Naples. So no more free place to stay, I'll have to be a tourist like all the others. If I had a good trailer I'd want to take the PD down there, into that beautiful clear water. (Sigh) Perhaps someday . . .

Who wants another round of the green Kool-Aide? Tsubaki made this batch.....it's pretty good!

:sun::beer::sun::beer::sun::beer::sun::beer: