225 ETEC HO on my Cougar — a couple of questions.

[Basscat Dan]

Good Day,My 2001 Johnson 225HOs lower unit was severely damaged by an Unidentified Underwater Object. After inspection, the housing was bent, the prop shaft bent, all gears and bearings toasted. Insurance company has paid for entire estimate to replace my lower unit minus my $250 deductible. The cost of repair is actually beyond the value of a new lower unit and even beyond the book value of the engine (low retail). My Evinrude dealer has offered me $3000 trade in for my engine as-is on a 2007 ETEC 225HO he has in the showroom. Ill take that $3k plus my insurance check as down payment. Since I already have the Evinrude compatible controls and gauges on my rig, the price of the Evinrude will be less than mounting an Optimax or HPDI. I believe I will have to trade 2 of my props for a new one, as I currently have a RakerII 26 pitch and a Tempest 25 pitch. My Renegade 27 should still do the job as a good backup. Any advice on prop(s)? I know BCB has noted that they dont like the Raker II and think it is best applied to sleds (translate Ranger?) Would a 27 Tempest be my best bet on a Classic Cougar (99 Model)?Another question: Do you recommend that I go with the XD-100 oil, as the dealer asked me which option I prefer?Thanks,BassCatDan

[Bass Cat Boats]

BassCatDan,Pay for new controls and go Black! ProXS Black that is!

[Bass Cat Boats]

We would go to the NADA site, on the Boats For Sale board there is a link to it. Figure out your average used value for your engine in running condition. Though from our knowledge and based n what has been offered we do not know how you can go wrong. It seems like a great trade. We would figure out where you stand on the trade, and you can look at the dollar values, we think you are ahead greatly on what we understand here. The XD-100 oil is what we would do, as it reduces the oil burn. And the 50 series will burn a lot from our experience. The propeller in a 27 Tempest would be a good start, and may be very close. It will be a better wheel than many others. Hope this helps! BCB

[Bass Cat Boats]

Riverside Marine here in North Little Rock Arkansas does almost ALL the evinrude rebuilds on Lower Units and powerheads. I wouldnt make any decisions until I called them and talked to them about this. As for props, the guys that work in there race boats on the side and they strongly recommed the hydromotive props on all etecs.C.O.D. Jr. III

[Bass Cat Boats]

Ward,Just a mention on the Hydromotive props. While all E-Tecs may be created in a similar fashion, all boat brands and hulls are not. So a Hydromotive is not necessarily a great wheel on all hulls. It does have some nice characteristics though!BCB

[clownshoes]

Also- if you get a new motor I was told by these guys to get the magnum gearcase- same price as the lightning. Motor just puts out too much torque for the “current” lightning gearcase in the etec motor.I would definitely call one of the guys at Riverside before you trade though. I took my 04 200 HO there Monday for a TPI hiccup and they were impressive- fixed my boat within 1-2 hours and even put it in a tank at the shop to check it. Boat was in the shop less then one work day. Cant beat dealing with the guys that do nearly all of evinrudes lower unit and powerhead rebuilds.C.O.D. Jr. III

[clownshoes]

Heck Ive never even seen one!(hydromotive) What do you think on a BCB?C.O.D. Jr. III

[Bass Cat Boats]

Thanks to all for the advice. I dont think any of it is bad advice, that is for sure.BassCat – your input is truly appreciated; how many other boat companies would even think about responding? I checked NADA guides, low retail is $4900 (with a lower unit…haha.). Thats not trade-in value, but can be a good estimate I would surmise. My insurance check plus the trade in gets me to over $7k.The reason I have chosen Evinrude over Optimax and Yamaha is that I have established a very good relationship over the past 20 years with my dealer. Many will tell you the dealer is more important that the brand you actually go with. I will admit that the XS was screaming my name a bit…Prop-wise, the 27 Tempest does sound like a good option. I had one which ran fine with my Cougar/HO combo until one of the blades cracked. I then resorted to my trusty 27 Renegade, which will be my backup wheel on this boat. The RakerII and the 25 Tempest are hitting the road.The 2007 HO that I am getting is in stock for my deal and it has the lightning case on it. The mechanic noted that the magnum case could slow me down by as much as 2-3mph. Thats hard to give up. My prop should not be surfacing as the Cougars are fast, but not to that rate.Thanks all,Dan

[Bass Cat Boats]

You will have a Warranty now! That is worth plenty! BCB

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