40hp Evinrude to 50hp Merc conversion

Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
6
I am about to replace my 1992 Evinrude 40hp with. a 1988 Mercury 50hp (not by choice). My boat is a 1992 Playboy 20' pontoon. It has the original OMC side mount control, the high idle is a lever on the control box. I can provide other info and pictures as needed.

My questions are,

Can I use the OMC control?
The shifter and throttle cables look the same, are they?

I'm looking for detailed information on how to make this work. The wiring is not an issue.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
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May 19, 2001
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Re: 40hp Evinrude to 50hp Merc conversion

I am about to replace my 1992 Evinrude 40hp with. a 1988 Mercury 50hp (not by choice). My boat is a 1992 Playboy 20' pontoon. It has the original OMC side mount control, the high idle is a lever on the control box. I can provide other info and pictures as needed.

My questions are,

Can I use the OMC control? Nope! You need the Merc controls and wiring.
The shifter and throttle cables look the same, are they?

I'm looking for detailed information on how to make this work. The wiring is not an issue.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Welcome to iboats.

The only way to accomplish this is to obtain a new Mercury control unit , wiring and gas line fitting. There might need to be some new holes drilled into the transom and be certain to fill the old holes with some marine epoxy (I have used the marine epoxy sticks that you cut off a chunk and knead the parts together and filled the transom holes) or marine tex.

The bolt pattern is probably different. Is the Mercury the proper shaft length for your boat?
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
6
Re: 40hp Evinrude to 50hp Merc conversion

The motor is the correct shaft length. And the transom boards are new and never drilled, the only holes are in the aluminum plates.

What exactly is the difference between the OMC controls and Merc controls?
Will controls from a 2006 Merc work?
 
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