1996 18 Repower- 20" v 25" shaft

[ddbparker18]

I am getting ready to re-power my 1996 18'0 and I am trying to decide on a motor. I contacted Parker for a recommendation and the tech says that they go with the Yamaha F115 with 25" shaft 99.9% of the time. Does anyone out there have an 18 with a 115 with 20" shaft? The only reason I am considering the 20" is I can get a new old stock (2014) for about $1,500 less than a new one, but the only available at that price have the 20" shaft.

On a side note, I am also considering the etec. Feel free to leave your experience/preference for one or the other as well.

Thanks in advance for the input.

 

[kidfreediver]

Etec all the way.
If u have any question let me know. But susuki would be my next choice

 

[shawnee83]

If the engineers told you that you need a 25" shaft and that what comes on an 18, then it's a done deal. You can't run a 20" shaft period. IMO. The prop and AV plate needs to be in a certain position for the boat to perform properly and this is just not something that you can mess with. Also, a friend of mine just purchased a 2014 Robalo 18 that had the 2014 Yamaha 115 on it and he would only do the deal if they swapped out the 2014 for a 2015 motor. According to him, Yamaha made some changes to the 15 that makes it a little stronger motor and more desirable. Only hearsay from my friend on this but something that you may want to consider/do some research on. I drove his new boat last month and I will say that the new 115 was extremely quiet and smooth. I liked it. Good luck!

 

[camron]

I have an 18 parker with a 20 inch transon. Measure your transom and that will dictate which engine you will be able to go with. I think they still produced them with both the 20 and 25 inch transoms.

 

[mildew2]

go with the e-tec. Better hole shot and power.

 

[ddbparker18]

Thanks for the input. As it turns out, my 18 Parker is one of the ones with a 20" transom anyway. Anyone know why some have the 25" and others 20"? My father-in-law has a 94 1800 and it has a 25", I have a 96 and it has a 20", and the current 1801's have a 25". I'm just curious if there is a reason for the back and forth.

 

[kidfreediver]

Different dead rise

 

[shawnee83]

Thanks for the input. As it turns out, my 18 Parker is one of the ones with a 20" transom anyway. Anyone know why some have the 25" and others 20"? My father-in-law has a 94 1800 and it has a 25", I have a 96 and it has a 20", and the current 1801's have a 25". I'm just curious if there is a reason for the back and forth.

Interesting. I assumed that the engineer did his due dillagence when he advised you. Good thing the Camron knew what he was talking about.

 

[Silversides]

I too have a 96 Parker 1800.
I recently re-powered with a new Yamaha 90 4 Stroke - 20" Shaft
I was worried about weight on the outboard. The new 115's are now similar in weight to the 90's so it wouldnt be an issue.
Simply measure your transom; mine was 20".
I looked at all the competitors and ended up with Yamaha.
Honda was a close second. I did consider the E-Tech. A fishing guide friend recommended it but when I was ready to pull the trigger, I emailed a local dealer around Christmas last year, but he never got back to me.
Friends have Yamaha's and they day they are bullet proof. So far after one season, I am pleased.

 

[ddbparker18]

Thanks for all the input. I have decided to go with the Yamaha 115, which will be going on next week. I plan to post the project to the "projects" forum in the coming weeks with pictures, so keep an eye out for that if you're interested.

 

[Megabyte]

When questions like this arise, your best bet is to call the factory with your HIN.
That way the engineers there can look up your as-built drawings and tell you exactly what you need as far as shaft length.

Not sure how far back those records go, but they had the info on my 1996 MVSC when I needed info on it. :wink:

 

[ddbparker18]

When questions like this arise, your best bet is to call the factory with your HIN.
That way the engineers there can look up your as-built drawings and tell you exactly what you need as far as shaft length.

Not sure how far back those records go, but they had the info on my 1996 MVSC when I needed info on it. :wink:

I thought the same thing as I have heard good things about Parker staff offering advice and insight to owners. I didn't have any luck when I called over there, but did get a quick response to an email I sent. Unfortunately, I got the following message:

"We can not access that file due to a virus. We lost the scan of the invoice. You can measure it to make sure."

I guess this must have taken place somewhat recently given that you were able to get info on your 96 Parker.

 

[Megabyte]

I got my info in Feb of last year when I toured the factory.