Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

[Mr_Super-Hunky]

Here is my situation.

I have a 300 lb little boat, (a Craigcat), that scoots along nicely with its current 112 lb 25 hp Mercury 2 stroke motor. I would LOVE to put on a new(er) Evinrude etec 30 for all kinds of obvious reasons but they are just too spendy for me still because I am cheap.

I'm wondering if swapping the current Merc 25 for the Johnson 35 will make a 'noticeable' difference or would it be so close that it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

I know that the Johnson is really only a 30 hp when rated at the prop [Merc is 25 at prop] so I'm wondering if the 5 hp, or the 2 to 3 cyl will make a difference? My current motor is somewhere around 400 cubic centimeters or so but I don't know what the Johnson 35 3 cyl is.

Anyway, anyone with seat time in either or both,... I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[anzomcik]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

Take this for whats its worth.

I had a pretty heavy alum fishing boat, I wont go into details but there was heavy loaded for 14 footer. I had a 25hp mariner on it, it went 21-23 average mph. After a few years I swapped it out for a 40 mariner. Once I found the correct prop I was doing in the ball park of 31mph. It totally kicked my boat in the butt the acceleration across the board was crazy, instant holeshots, it was almost scary.

If you think that the 35 is rated at the crank and only having 30 at the prop shaft it may not be worth the effort (is it tiller or controls?) Till is easy, if control might not be worth it.

Tough call, whats the boat rated for? if you want to do a motor swap just take it to the limit and be done with it.

 

[JoshKeller84]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

i just did this swap. i have a 1648 jon boat. with my 1995 merc 25 tiller, i was running 27 -28 mph. i swapped out to a 1998 35 hp 3 cylinder johnson and its a night and day difference. if its a 3 cylinder, its prop shaft rated. the acceleration is throw you back fast, and i run 31.5 or so mph. no matter how much weight i put in the boat with the 35, it planes fast and rides well out of the water. the 25 would plow water if i weighed it down. the 35 hp is over 500cc.

these speeds are both with a stainless prop. with the stock aluminum on both motors, the midrange was lacking, and the top speeds were 25 - 26 merc, 29.5 with the 35.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

If the boat is rated for a 35hp or larger I'd make a change. Swapping engines with some one else would all come down to condition of the engine you're swapping for. It would have to be in comparable/equal condition.

 

[boobie]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

That 35 hp is a darn good mtr as long as the oiler is removed from it and you mix the fuel 50:1. Horse power is rated at the prop shaft.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

Welcome aboard, Mr. SH. Seeing that you have a CraigCat and the Merc is trouble-free, I would leave it alone in my opinion. A mini-pontoon/catamaran sort of boat isn't made for speed. I would like to have one for puttering around on the lake, but it wouldn't my choice for a speedster. Again, just my opinion.

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[Mr_Super-Hunky]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

Lots of great replies so far. I appreciate all of them. Just a bit more info. I really like my 112 lb Mercury 25 hp motor and cannot complain on its performance as it is only a 25 hp! Having said that, I find at times I want to 'get up to speed' just a bit quicker. My little boat already goes around 27-28 mph but top speed is not what I am after..(although I'll take it!!)

Like I said, I'm really wanting the extra ponies to get up to speed just a bit quicker.

The brand new craigcat comes with an Evinrude etec 30hp so I'm confident that my boat could handle the power of a 'real' 35, or even a 'lame' 40.

If the new etec 30 was offered at $1,999.00 then I wouldn't be asking this question because I would be on the water with my new motor!, but I'm cheap and my genetic reflexes simply will not allow me to hand over $4,500 for a new motor.

So, does the Johnson 35 sound like my best option?

 

[hidef]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

I would stick with the Mercury unless you really know the history of the 35 triple. They are good engine however they have their problems. Number 1 being the oil injection system and number two being the power pack. The oil injection just needs to be removed and the fuel mixed 50:1. The Power Pack can be expensive to replace they are around $400.00. The other thing to consider is weight the triple weighs around 170 lbs.

 

[Mr_Super-Hunky]

Re: Would swapping a Mercury 25 hp 2 stroke for a Johnson 35 hp 3 cyl be worth it?

Hidef, thanks for the heads up on the power pack. Something to check for sure before purchasing. I don't think the weight will be a problem however since the etec 30 weighs in at about the same (or more) than the Johnson 35.

I have a very good engine but am just really tempted to get the extra power. I probably shouldn't however because my engine has less than 10 hours on it! (I purchase a brand new old stock unit). My best bet may be to just wait a few years until the Craigcats with the etec 30 become more affordable due to depreciation.

Then again, if anyone is looking for a 112 lb Mercury 25hp 2 stroke with less than 10 total hours on it (with remote steering/controls) who wants to swap for a Johnson 35 in very good mechanical condition, I may be interested.