profile: Tohatsu 40 Horsepower

Direct-Injected Outboard motor

Tohatsu and Nissan build a mid-range, direct injected, two-stroke outboard motor dubbed the 40 TLDI. Compared to equivalent conventional two strokes, the new 40 horsepower motor offers improved fuel economy and significantly reduced exhaust emissions. Beyond a soft footprint on the environment, its biggest claim to fame is razor sharp acceleration.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the technology behind the name, the acronym TLDI stands for Two-stroke Low-pressure Direct Injection. Unlike competitors Mercury, Evinrude and Yamaha, whose outboards also rely on high-pressure direct injection, the Nissan/Tohatsu direct injection method relies on low pressure direct injection.

That said, just like Mercury Marine’s DI Optimax engines, Nissan/Tohatsu’s direct injection is based on the good work done by the Australian think tank, Orbital Engine of Australia.

 Direct injection works its magic by relying on pressure to break fuel molecules into microscopic droplets (smaller than 10 microns). The expanded surface area exposes a greater volume of the gasoline to oxygen. That makes for a cleaner burn.

Besides its new 40 horsepower model, Nissan and Tohatsu already market TLDI motors rated 50, 70 and 90 horsepower.

Below  30 horsepower all the motors are four-strokes. All of the two company’s current four stroke and TLDI motors meet the stringent EPA 2006 and CARB 2007 emissions regulations. The real eyebrow raiser, the warranty term provides four years of coverage from the date of engine installation.

Nissan and Tohatsu outboards are marketed in the U.S. by Tohatsu America (972) 323-6003; www.nissanmarine.com; www.tohatsu.com.