| E-TEC 75 performs on Quintrex | |
| OFTEN when boats are reviewed, it's hard to gather how the engine fitted would perform on your hull. Sure, it might be fine on the boat the tester is driving, but it may be a different animal entirely on your craft.
To account for this on the test day, we decided to run a 75hp E-TEC on two Quintrex hulls that were the same length, but a different shape - Tony Payne's tournament- rigged Quintrex Hornet Eclipse 475 and Hinterland Marine's Quintrex Freedom Sport 475. |  |
| Although made by the same manufacturer and being of the same length, the hulls themselves perform quite differently under identical power. The Hornet carries a Millennium Hull-style extended keel through to the transom while the Freedom Sport's hull flattens out more at the transom.
The E-TECs were also fitted with different propellers - both SST stainless steel models that come with the engines, but a 15" pitch for the Freedom Sport and a 17" pitch for the Hornet. BRP Australia's Matthew Smith explained the differences and why you'd choose a different propeller. | |
| "The 15" propeller is more a general purpose propeller. It'll push the boat the same speed whether you're in it by yourself or if you've got the family on board. A smaller pitch propeller also gets the boat on the plane a bit faster. On this boat [the Freedom Sport] it's an ideal choice," Matt explained.
"The Hornet, on the other hand, has different requirements. Like all tournament anglers, Tony's looking to squeeze a little more speed out of his rig, so a 17" blade will do that. Tony's prepared to trim the motor as he drives to maximise the performance, too, so he can afford to up the pitch for this reason," he continued. |  |
| And while both boats were fitted with different propellers, there was very little difference in performance. The E-TEC 75s delivered smooth and rapid acceleration without the flat spot in the power band that's often associated with a 4-stroke engine.
Tony owned a 50hp 4-stroke on his previous Quintrex and was in an ideal position to comment on the differences at the helm. "I couldn't believe the responsiveness of the Evinrude when I first got the boat in the water. I thought that it drove more like a 90 than a 75!" Tony said. Both boats were fitted with BRP's Retro gauges and the throttle adjustments and gear changes achieved with Evinrude's standard throttle helm. BRP Australia's Julian Gascoine commented further on the durability, quality and reliability of the 75 HP E-TECS. "These 75s use many of the same components that are used in Evinrude's V4 and V6 engines, so they're over-engineered to take the use that Australian conditions can really dish out. They have oversized gearcases and propellers, extra capacity water pumps and a new, patented piston alloy that was developed by NASA. When Evinrude planned for the 3 year scheduled servicing, they really meant it," Julian said. | |
| Marketing's Helen Feeney added, "The best way for us to sell these engine's is simply to get bums on seats - as soon as our customers drive these engines, the sale is made, From the instant starting to the power and quietness, E-TECs just sell themselves.
As an owner of an E-TEC who has forked out his hard earned cash to get into his rig, Tony Payne summed up his purchase. "Overall, with the power and quietness of the engine and the ease of use, it's a dream to use," he said. |  |
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Friday, 29 August 2008
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Email any enquiries about this site to updates@leisure-marine.com.au
3242 Old Cleveland Road, Capalaba 4157, QLD.
Phone: 07 3245 5111 Fax: 07 3245 1263