petrowski53
Seaman Apprentice
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2009
- Messages
- 40
Hi all,
It has been a great boating season here in Michigan and as fall quickly approaches, it is time for me to start thinking about winter projects on the boat. Last year I purchased my 1987 Thompson 165, with the 2.5L Mercruiser 120 and so far it has been absolutely trouble free. This past spring I completely redid the floors (thanks to priceless advice learned here on iboats) and took care of most cosmetic issues on my boat. My boat is in fine working order, but as most of you on this forum know, working on our boats is just as much fun as taking them out on the water
My main gripe is that the 2.5L mercruiser just does not have enough power for my boat. My 16 and 1/2 foot Thompsan has a very wide beam for its size (slightly over 100") and is pretty heavy, so when i have more then 2 or 3 people in the boat, the 120 just does not have enough power to get out of the hole. I have tried everything from different props to hydrofoils and trim tabs, and although i did see minor improvement, it still is not really what I am looking for.
I was wondering what the possibilities are for engine upgrades that would bolt onto my Alpha One. I personally like the idea of upgrading to the 3.0L 140 but it has to fit in my rather tight budget. As my 2.5L 120 is in perfect operating condition I can obviously recuperate some of the costs by selling it.
Is it possible to upgrade the 2 barrel carb to a 4 barrel, and what would be the performance advantages/disadvantages to that? My engine bay has room for a V8 but I like the fuel economy and weight savings of a 4 cylinder.
Any input or suggestions would be appreciated. Obviously I could simply sell what I have, but I like the fact that my hull is in good shape, rather unique in size, and fits nicely in my garage!
Regards,
Dan
It has been a great boating season here in Michigan and as fall quickly approaches, it is time for me to start thinking about winter projects on the boat. Last year I purchased my 1987 Thompson 165, with the 2.5L Mercruiser 120 and so far it has been absolutely trouble free. This past spring I completely redid the floors (thanks to priceless advice learned here on iboats) and took care of most cosmetic issues on my boat. My boat is in fine working order, but as most of you on this forum know, working on our boats is just as much fun as taking them out on the water
My main gripe is that the 2.5L mercruiser just does not have enough power for my boat. My 16 and 1/2 foot Thompsan has a very wide beam for its size (slightly over 100") and is pretty heavy, so when i have more then 2 or 3 people in the boat, the 120 just does not have enough power to get out of the hole. I have tried everything from different props to hydrofoils and trim tabs, and although i did see minor improvement, it still is not really what I am looking for.
I was wondering what the possibilities are for engine upgrades that would bolt onto my Alpha One. I personally like the idea of upgrading to the 3.0L 140 but it has to fit in my rather tight budget. As my 2.5L 120 is in perfect operating condition I can obviously recuperate some of the costs by selling it.
Is it possible to upgrade the 2 barrel carb to a 4 barrel, and what would be the performance advantages/disadvantages to that? My engine bay has room for a V8 but I like the fuel economy and weight savings of a 4 cylinder.
Any input or suggestions would be appreciated. Obviously I could simply sell what I have, but I like the fact that my hull is in good shape, rather unique in size, and fits nicely in my garage!
Regards,
Dan
