02 Honda 25 problems and new 25-30hp motor options?

[ScottW]

Howdy, just looking for a little real world input on some problems with my Honda 25 and any good/bad/otherwise when it comes to new 25-30 hp motors nowadays.

Just kinda fed up and looking at my options. I finally broke down and upgraded from my 1968 StarCraft and bought a nice used boat this winter with an 02 Honda 25 4 stroker long shaft. Supposedly ran perfect, winterized professionally each year, and that whole song and dance. The entire motor looks almost like new, and I'm thinking I know why now (I know.....should never buy anything without hearing it run, and this is the first time I've ever really been taken to the cleaners)! Put it in the water and figured it was just a little cold starting in the early season, plus hadn't been run since last season, and I'm new to the motor to boot. Turns out it will hardly keep running on idle, idled ROUGH, but ran like a dream when you got it going and the RPM's up. I checked the plugs and the top plug looks almost like new with a hint of white while the others looked alright....not good. While I was gone for a few weeks my dad looked at it and took a compression test and turns out that upper cylinder has very weak compression. After he talked to several friends with some know on these motors and some dealers the prognosis doesn't sound good. From what he's told, this age range of 25 Honda were problematic. Anyone have any input on this to be truthful? I hate to put dang near what the motor is worth only to have it dump out again soon. We're probably just gonna tear into it ourselves here shortly but half wonder if it's even worth our time.

Aside from that I'm looking at the option of buying a new 25-30 hp (boat is rated 35 max). Would love an EFI Yam or Suzuk, but the 25 hp carbuerated Yamaha seems to have some of the best bang for the buck combined with awesome reviews. Anyone have any new motors in the class that has ANY opinions on theirs or other brand motors?

I really appreciate any input! Thanks. Scott

[Ufatz]

I had one of these motors and what I mainly remember is that it was a cold blooded hard starting motor but when it was running it was unbeatable. They were very finicky about CLEAN gas and fresh gas. Don't have anything to help with the lack of compression in one cylinder but if the motor truly looks that nice inside and out I would tend to believe it is worth saving. Those motors, to be best of my knowledge, were very solid.

I've owned Honda four strokes going back to the first one, a 71/2 horse in 1976 and they are good stuff.

I'd at least try to get it running right and go from there. Add an inline filter maybe. Good luck.