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Vic Roberts
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4/29/2025 5:15 PM
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Frank, I have owned three of the Honda 2.3 4-stroke motors, on three different boats, over a period of more than 10 years. I never had a problem, except for one time when I was going to be away for more than 2 weeks and forgot to close the fuel valve and run the motor to drain the gas from the carburetor. The boat was on its mooring in the hot sun all that time and the gas left on the carburetor dried out and clogged the system. You also need to remember to turn the motor the right way on the mount when leaving it. Otherwise, the crankcase oil will seep into the cylinder. Vic Roberts
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Frank Coppa
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4/29/2025 9:11 AM
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Thanks Zeke. With our horrible experience a few years ago with a Honda, we're swearing off that brand for the foreseeable future.
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Frank Coppa
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4/29/2025 9:10 AM
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Excellent points, Bud. We're probably going to avoid the transom route; and either try to modify our current bracket; or get another engine that fits the bracket. Thanks.
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Bud Brown
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4/29/2025 2:30 AM
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No one’s going to write anything about the Ensign transom being a fairly weak place to attach an engine?
Yep… it can be done, and lots have done it… it’s a pretty thin skin, though, and I’ve seen a lot of deformations and skin crazing because motor mount installations didn’t grab enough surface area, was not reinforced appropriately, or both.
There are reasons why the original bracket was attached to the deck.
If you’re going to transom-mount your engine, reinforce and grab significant area.
ijs…
BB
-- Best regards, Bud Brown 281.468.6909 cell and text
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Zeke Durica
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4/28/2025 7:44 PM
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Honda 2.3 hp 4 stroke air cooled
zeke
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Robert McTaggart
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4/28/2025 4:38 PM
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Mercury, Four stroke, long shaft (20”), 3.5 hp It is sufficient. I rarely go to full throttle. I motor out from my marina slip, shut it down and lift it up to sail, and then start it when I need to motor back into the marina (Lake Michigan, Little Traverse Bay, Petoskey marina).
It does not have reverse, and it is too much trouble to swing the motor 180 degrees, so I back out of the slip by hand pushing along the dock, turn the boat and then engage the motor to move forward. Steering is with the tiller.
It would be a problem if it didn't start back up to motor back in, so I might switch to an electric motor someday.
Robert McTaggart Ensign 931 Bay View, Michigan Fleet 84
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Doug Hanks
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4/28/2025 6:55 AM
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Mercury 4HP four stroke, sailboat shaft.
I use the internal tank to get me in and out of the mooring field and an external tank if I’m on a long trip and want to motor into the wind for channels, etc.
Getting it on the bracket mount is a challenge but doable. Try to only do that for maintenance.
Pleased with it. Rarely go above half throttle but will if there is chop/wind.
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Chance Geurin
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4/28/2025 6:31 AM
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Epropulsion Spirit Evo with no tiller locked in position on a panther mount. Throttle control and direction is controlled from the cockpit using Epropulsion’s remote throttle controller. This allows for steering from the cockpit with the Ensign’s rudder. Much easier and safer!
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Rick Doerr
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4/27/2025 11:09 PM
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Hi Frank,
I motor when there’s not enough wind with a lightweight electric trolling engine using a 12v 50A battery, which also runs bilge pumps when needed. I use a solar charger while racing to trickle it full. It gets me off the dock, it’s quiet and it always starts.
Best wishes, Rick
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Frank Coppa
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4/27/2025 10:30 PM
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thanks; we'll look into that. By the way, if you are an Ensign owner, what type of engine do you use? Sort of taking a survey, just in case we want to bite the bullet and get another engine.
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Zeke Durica
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4/26/2025 11:09 PM
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I would just replace the board and you might consider a composite material like Starboard? Raise it up to where it works.
Zeke
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Frank Coppa
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4/26/2025 10:24 AM
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Quoted Text
Can you raise it on the bracket by replacing the wood mount? Pictures always help.
Zeke
Yes; thanks Zeke. That wooden section has been fastened as part of the bracket for almost 60 years; very well made! . I'm going to ask my brother (it's at his house) to see if we can somehow bolt another piece onto the wooden section, so that the engine could pivot and swing without getting stopped by the side-arms. It would be ideal, as we would use the same mount on the transom, but I'm not sure it would be a secure mount. We'll examine the idea a bit more.
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Zeke Durica
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4/25/2025 1:12 PM
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Can you raise it on the bracket by replacing the wood mount? Pictures always help.
Zeke
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Frank Coppa
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4/25/2025 11:36 AM
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Thanks Ward. Yes, it was strange: the new engine has a head too wide to allow the engine to pivot upward enough. I think it would be the same with the bracket you sent. And if the new bracket-project does get too expensive and complicated, we may get another engine. As I pointed out to someone else, the little Honda we had previously purchased fit perfectly in the bracket, but was a terribly unreliable engine. A waste of about $1000+ !
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Ward Woodruff
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4/25/2025 7:07 AM
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Ensignspars.com.
Three prong bracket.
Why not simply sell the unsuitable Suzuki and purchase a different motor that will pivot up on your existing bracket?
What is different about the Suzuki motor that prevents it from pivoting up on the existing bracket?
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Frank Coppa
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4/24/2025 12:51 PM
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Hi folks; I'm new to the nice Ensign website and forum. I see the last comments for Ensign brackets are a bit in the past, but I'd like to renew the topic and ask for some additional comments. Our old Ensign had that beautiful bronze bracket mounted up on the deck, with the two slots fitting into the deck piece. It worked perfectly for decades. But then we purchased a new Suzuki 2 HP motor. It works well, but it's got a head which won't allow it to pivot out of the water when not in use. We're looking for a new bracket. That "3-bolt" version discussed previously is nice and simple, but right now we're focused on a manual-tilting bracket sold by Marine-Tech/Panther. However, per other comments in this forum, we will need to get supporting bolts through the inner surface of the transom. We don't have access ports close to that location, so it's going to involve a lot of digging through "corroded" foam that was packed in there when the boat was built. Does anyone have any experience with the Marine-Tech bracket? And on mounting it? Alternatively, does anyone know where to purchase that 3-bolt version? It's simpler; and its shape tells me we can still pivot our engine. Many thanks in advance. I'm no expert with tools or hardware, so I'm just a messenger for my co-owner brothers. Frank Coppa; fcoppa@nycap.rr.com
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Edward Kokoski
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8/3/2023 5:46 PM
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I agree. I had to reinforce my ensign from the inside to make it work. Fortunately I have two hatches on the aft deck to provide access. I installed several layers of fiberglass. Then I backed it up with marine plywood. Sent from my iPhone
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E Stanley Murphy
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8/3/2023 4:24 PM
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"As far as the 3-prong "race" bracket goes, the original Ensign stern is not designed for the load, especially the push momentum of the lower prong.
It requires some enforcement and should not just be bolted on."
Absolutely. I did not mean to imply otherwise. It is the reason that I am all in for the bronze mount.
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Tobias Biedenkopf
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8/3/2023 9:50 AM
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Hi there!
As far as the 3-prong "race" bracket goes, the original Ensign stern is not designed for the load, especially the push momentum of the lower prong.
It requires some enforcement and should not just be bolted on.
The traditional bronze bracket seems to be currently not available, but I have one available that I could sell.
Best, Tobias
E1033
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Michelle Valadez
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8/2/2023 9:05 PM
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