Mercury 135 or 150?

M

mako19cc

Cadet
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
20
Hi,

I'm planning on repowering my boat, I am deciding between a 135 and 150. Is there a huge difference between the two?
Its a 19 ft mako cc, I have a 90 Yamaha on it now and its underpowered, I believe its rated for a 135 but I think I can fit a 150 on it. Will I be disappointed if I go with the 135? Only reason I plan to go over is because its a 20" transom rated and I cant find any 20" 135 hp only 25" I really don't want to build the transom up 5" to make the 25" fit. Its a 1972 will the boat handle the 150? Any help will be greatly appreciated thanks!
 
W

wired247

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
1,557
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

19 foot. The boat will handle a 150 as long as the transom wood is in good shape. The 135 will just leave you wanting more power.

If you check out the transom and its in bad shape ( it probably is ) then spend the time and replace the transom wood before you hang anything on here. Thats a lot of boat. With a good transom personally I'd throw a 225 3.0 liter on the back.
 
O

oldman570

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
1,615
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

All boat motor ratings for the boat are manufacture speck and should be headed. The 150 will work, as long as the transom is in real good shape, and of the right height for it. You might want to check with the conservation dept. as to what the law is before hand . Around here if the boat is rated for a 135 and you put a 150 on it, and the law pulls up and dose a safety check while out on the water. you will get a ticket for over the HP limit of the boat and be escorted back to the ramp. Here the ticket usually is 150.00$ or more just for that violation.
If this should happen then you will be back to looking for earthier a bigger boat or a smaller motor. JMO
Oldman570
 
W

wired247

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
1,557
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

33 years of boating and no one has EVER asked to see my motor rating or to see my tag or anything like that. They want to see my fire extinguisher and fishing license, flotation devices etc. No one cares about the HP on the back. Give me a $150 ticket and I wouldnt be shopping for a new motor, I'd be shopping for a new cowl sticker.
 
Bob_VT

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,026
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

Welcome to iboats.

A 1972 hull could have flooded flotation foam and you could be pushing ALLOT more weight.

iboats policy is not to allow or recommend that the USCG ratings be exceeded regardless of how member's voice their opinions. Your hull is rated for a 135 and the 90 is a bit below 70% of the recommended power.......... HOWEVER..... you need to inspect the hull regardless of power changes. The wood in the hull, in the transom and see if you have water absorbed into the foam.

I have personally seen well over 750 lbs of foam removed from a boat.
 
M

mr 88

Commander
Joined
Nov 3, 2010
Messages
2,122
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

What year is the boat ? You say your looking at a 1972 or the hull is 1972. The reason I ask is they changed the way the measured the HP in the mid 80's. So your hull is rated for a 135 which by today's ratings would be about 120 hp if it is a 72 hull.Now if it was a newer boat and you were looking at a older 150 you would be technically okay.I do agree with wired247 take on the whole matter.
 
M

mako19cc

Cadet
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
20
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

mr 88 said:
What year is the boat ? You say your looking at a 1972 or the hull is 1972. The reason I ask is they changed the way the measured the HP in the mid 80's. So your hull is rated for a 135 which by today's ratings would be about 120 hp if it is a 72 hull.Now if it was a newer boat and you were looking at a older 150 you would be technically okay.I do agree with wired247 take on the whole matter.
Click to expand...

The boat is a 1972, thanks for all the help everyone, I am going to take the boat to my local shop and have him check it out. Now lets say the transom is bad, some foam needs to be replaced, is it worth it? Its in pretty good shape from the normal eye. Granted its old, but it is a mako. What do you guys think? Im not in a great financial position to be restoring it right now, would the solution be to buy a bigger boat? mako 2.jpgmak0 4.jpg
 
W

wired247

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
1,557
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

Sure its worth it if you are doing the work yourself. You'll spend a few hundred bucks on material to redo the transom and the floors if they need it plus a couple of days/weeks/months/years of your time depending on how driven you are.

If it were my boat I'd drill a transom core sample and check the wood out. If its rotten as you'd expect 40 year old wood to be then that wood would be out by the end of the day, a new transom would be built by tuesday and it would be glassed in by next weekend. Then I'd be looking for a cheap 3.0 and some 125 stickers to put on it.
 
Last edited:
M

mako19cc

Cadet
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
20
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

wired247 said:
Sure its worth it if you are doing the work yourself. You'll spend a few hundred bucks on material to redo the transom and the floors if they need it plus a couple of days/weeks/months/years of your time depending on how driven you are.

If it were my boat I'd drill a transom core sample and check the wood out. If its rotten as you'd expect 40 year old wood to be then that wood would be out by the end of the day, a new transom would be built by tuesday and it would be glassed in by next weekend. Then I'd be looking for a cheap 3.0 and some 125 stickers to put on it.
Click to expand...

I will take your advice thanks for the input. I'm really hoping I won't have too but I know it's a old boat. I will be finding out soon if I have to do it. Good thing I'm starting early!
 
W

wired247

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
1,557
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

If you are good at sticking to a project through completion stuff like this doesnt take very long. That boat in my profile picture I started one year on Nov 3rd. Pulled the rub rail off, sectioned the boat in two top to bottom and gutted all the wood from the transon to the front of the boat. Had a new reinforced transom, floor, stringers , foam , carpet , interior , steering and rebuilt the motor and had it back on the water Dec 31st of the same year.
 
M

mako19cc

Cadet
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
20
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

We will see if i really am! I will probably stick with it in my mind if im going to rip something apart mind as well do the whole thing right?
 
Bob_VT

Bob_VT

Moderator & Unofficial iBoats Historian
Staff member
Joined
May 19, 2001
Messages
26,026
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

mr 88 said:
What year is the boat ? You say your looking at a 1972 or the hull is 1972. The reason I ask is they changed the way the measured the HP in the mid 80's. So your hull is rated for a 135 which by today's ratings would be about 120 hp if it is a 72 hull.Now if it was a newer boat and you were looking at a older 150 you would be technically okay.I do agree with wired247 take on the whole matter.
Click to expand...

Elaborate on that. The only changes were were the HP was measured. HP is HP
 
W

wired247

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Oct 8, 2011
Messages
1,557
Re: Mercury 135 or 150?

Bob_VT said:
Elaborate on that. The only changes were were the HP was measured. HP is HP
Click to expand...


You know what he meant. Sure, HP is HP but 135 HP at the crank IS different than 135 HP at the prop.

I'd still refurb the thing , beef up the transom and update the steering and stick a 225 on back.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top