Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

This was NOT in the plan for this year. 2016 was to be the new boat.
I was just supposed to go to the boat show and look.
Then i stumbled across a good deal.
I am on the verge of pulling the trigger on a 20' 2015 Southbay with a Mercury 50 ELPT EFI motor 4 stroke.

I am coming from a 1984 18 ' w a 40hp Johnson motor 2 stroke with NO power trim.


I have a few questions regarding the engine:

-Is that Mercury engine a good one? I know its 50 and I will not be breaking any sound barriers. But I lounge, fish and tool around. I dont put anyone on tubes because i dont want the liability of they get hurt

-What maintenance difference is there between the 2 stroke vs 4 stroke? I currently change the LUO once a season and have it winterized.

From what I understand I will be in heaven with the amount of gas Ill use as it will get great hours. Also no longer mixing the oil and gas. I am most excited about the power trim and tilt and having bigger toons.

Any sort of advice would be great.

Merc's are good as any major brand

You will love the 4 stroke. They are very quite, make sure to look at the tach to see if it's running so you don't grind the starter!! Also won't have a cloud of smoke blowing over you when your going down wind

Just change the oil and filter per the maintenance schedule in addition to changing the lower unit oil like your old motor.

Enjoy!!!

How often are oil changes?

If you just want to take leisurely cruises then the 50 will do you fine...I've only got a 75 on my toon and I've got no complaints... as for the brand, Mercury is a good motor... you'll love the 4 stroke.. no smoke and generally quieter and very fuel efficient... congrats on finding a new boat.. don't forget to post some pics.

We change the oil in our 4-stroke 90hp Yami once every year. I know it's supposed to be after so many hours of use, but we don't have an hour meter on our motor and we only use it on the weekends (and not every weekend). But I guess if you were out every day, you might need to change the oil more often.

Gotcha. Is there any other maintenance, besides oil/filter change, that is different from the 2 stroke?

Let me just say that the 75 hp Mercury is so much more motor than those in the 50-60-70 hp family. It's also got the larger propeller, and would push your boat so much easier. The difference is about $1,600, and it's worth every penny of it.

Other than the oil/filter change, there is actually less maintenance on a 4-stroke vs a 2-stroke. You don't have to fog the motor and winterize each year. Just leave the motor vertical and let the water drain out after use. Since we keep our boat on a lift at our dock, we can go for boat rides in the winter if we catch a nice warm day. Then just put the boat back on the lift after use and wait for the next warm day.

You'll love the quiet sound of the 4-stroke and no smoking out everyone when you fire it up. Ours is so quiet, I've had to walk back and make sure it's running a few times -- but also a good time to check to make sure it's pee'ing too -- and as I recall, you had an issue on your previous boat about that. So hopefully starting off with a new boat, you won't have any of those issues. Just have to be careful when beaching where it's really sandy -- don't suck up too much sand in the intake which could damage the impeller and cause pee'ing issues (we just went through that a little last year -- but it was time for an impeller change anyway, so all of that got cleared out).

Katiecloonie....That was a dangerous boat show for those of us on the 2016 plan. Salesmen were casting some pretty alluring bait, I nibbled but didn't get landed. Did find a salesman I can work with. I hope by the Bennington will start using yellow again.

OK Toon wrote:Other than the oil/filter change, there is actually less maintenance on a 4-stroke vs a 2-stroke. You don't have to fog the motor and winterize each year. Just leave the motor vertical and let the water drain out after use. Since we keep our boat on a lift at our dock, we can go for boat rides in the winter if we catch a nice warm day. Then just put the boat back on the lift after use and wait for the next warm day.

You'll love the quiet sound of the 4-stroke and no smoking out everyone when you fire it up. Ours is so quiet, I've had to walk back and make sure it's running a few times -- but also a good time to check to make sure it's pee'ing too -- and as I recall, you had an issue on your previous boat about that. So hopefully starting off with a new boat, you won't have any of those issues. Just have to be careful when beaching where it's really sandy -- don't suck up too much sand in the intake which could damage the impeller and cause pee'ing issues (we just went through that a little last year -- but it was time for an impeller change anyway, so all of that got cleared out).

I've always fogged 4 strokes that are stored outside or where temps can swing. The danger is leaving any motor sitting in a non climate controlled area allowing condensate to form (from temp swings) on the cylinder walls thus creating rust.

Illinoid.....yea it was lol. I was dealing with this same salesman a few years ago so i always knew id go back to them when the time was right. And yes i got hooked but at least i got hooked on something affordable and had the sense to sit back and have the mind of what i need vs what is trendy.


Oktoon...yep my other motor had the peeing issue so i have become neurotic about checking that.

You'll LOVE the Merc (and the power trim). Just make sure that your alarm buzzer is working as all the newer motors have a tremendous amount of brainpower and can alert you to a wide variety of problems. You might consider printing and laminating a 'quick card' that tells you what the various beeps mean.
When you change oil, make sure to use the recommended stuff in order to keep your warranty in order. Same goes for fuel (87 or 91 octane?)
'Winterizing' usually presents some options. Make sure to consult the manual and have your dealer do it right. If you are doing it yourself, I have good luck with beefing up the 'fuel saver' in the tank, running it into the motor, and simply shutting down. As mentioned earlier, make sure to store it vertically. I prefer synthetic gear oil in the lower unit, but the manual will dictate all.
That motor should be sooo worry free. Have GREAT summer
On a SOUTH BAY no less. Cadillacs.

Thanks Tuned! We have a mechanic on site whose Merc certified so he will be doing all that. Hassle free.

I have to figure out now how to drive with the trim lol. When to bring it up? when to have it down?

katieclooney wrote:Thanks Tuned! We have a mechanic on site whose Merc certified so he will be doing all that. Hassle free.

I have to figure out now how to drive with the trim lol. When to bring it up? when to have it down?

Unlike regular boats, pontoons are fairly immune to small trim adjustments, so all you need to remember is to trim up a bit in shallow water and most or all of the way up when beaching. Remember that as you trim the motor further and further up (beaching), you will lose most of your steering control, so be prepared for that.
For regular running, trim the motor all the way down (or IN). At full throttle, you can experiment a bit by trimming out a hair and see what it does. Likely very little, but you might gain just a bit of speed as the bow comes up. It's kinda instinctive when you pay attention. If you trim out too far, the motor will over-rev and you will hear that. No worries, your shiny new Merc will have a Rev limiter built in that will save you from any damage.
When moving the boat and trailer around (especially where there are dips or hills), it is a good idea to have your motor tilted up in order to not hit your lower unit on the ground. BUT make sure to put it down for highway use (check your manual on this).
South Bay. Yum