1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

[arctan]

Hi guys,
sort of new to this forum and need some help with some basic questions. I have a '96 bayliner 1700 with '87 Mercury 90, long shaft. My boat is rated for 120hp and I am looking for upgrade options. I'd like to stay away from Force 120. I am now looking at late 80's, early 90's Mercury 115 engines. My questions are:

-would this be an easy fit for my bayliner? is anyone running Mercury 115 on a similar boat?
-If I do go with a Merc 115, it needs to be with a long shaft, correct? (prob 25") I am new to boating, and hasn't quite figured out 20" vs 25" shaft concept yet...:facepalm:

thanks in advance!

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

Welcome to iboats!:welcome:

Yes, a Merc 115 should work just fine. The holes in the transom will probably match up (depending on the year of the 115), as should the controls. I believe a 25" shaft is correct also.

That being said, don't expect a tremendous increase in performance from the upgrade.

 

[arctan]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

thanks!

not looking for speed, but I couldn't get my boat planing when it was loaded with stuff on a way to a remote campsite on a lake in Adirondacks, NY. With 115hp I should be able to get it to plane when it's heavy. Should also probably pick up additional 5-10mph when empty...

has anyone installed a Merc 115 on a similar bayliner?

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

You may have problems other than the motor HP. Is the current motor reaching the proper RPM at WOT? Is the floatation foam in the boat waterlogged?

 

[arctan]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

Thanks for your replies NYBo. I do need some education being new to boating and your input is much appreciated.

RPMs are fine at WOT. The boat seems to plane fine with just me, my wife and my kid. It was a bit slow to get on a plane with 4 people in it. However, when it was overloaded with camping gear (and I was probably approaching it's max load capacity), it didn't plane. I blame the weight in this case.

The flotation foam is something that didn't occur to me. The deck feels pretty solid, but if you could educate me how to spot waterlogged foam on a '96 bayliner, that would be great!

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

Chances are if the cockpit sole (a.k.a. deck) is original and solid, the foam is probably okay. However, if the boat has ever been filled with water for any length of time, there could be a problem. The best way determine if the boat is overweight is to take it to a scale and compare the weight to what it's supposed to weigh.

I may have been wrong about shaft length, BTW. I see that mine is 20".

 

[Mr. PapaGeorgio]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

Just wondering, if my '87 Capri 1400 is overweight, how do I change the foam? So far, the accessible space under the aft and mid decks has no foam in there, but the decking was rotten in both places. It looks like there may be foam in front of the cross-piece under the deck between the consoles. That deck was solid when I bought the craft, so I haven't opened it up. Our Force 50 cruises at WOT at 33-34 mph, with two of us aboard, I have no idea if that is normal or not. I'll attach a pic of the mid deck opening if I can figure out how to load it here!

 

[NYBo]

Re: 1996 Bayliner 1700, can I put mercury 115 on it?

Just wondering, if my '87 Capri 1400 is overweight, how do I change the foam? So far, the accessible space under the aft and mid decks has no foam in there, but the decking was rotten in both places. It looks like there may be foam in front of the cross-piece under the deck between the consoles. That deck was solid when I bought the craft, so I haven't opened it up. Our Force 50 cruises at WOT at 33-34 mph, with two of us aboard, I have no idea if that is normal or not. I'll attach a pic of the mid deck opening if I can figure out how to load it here!

You will have to get under the cockpit sole ("deck") to get at the foam. However, start with small test holes.

And start your own thread in the restoration forum area if you need more help.