Can it handle 90hp engine?

[psou]

Hi there,

I have the 4.5meters boat tha you see in the pictures below:
(Only the windscreen is different now)

It curruntly has a '88 Mercury 40hp outboard which...died...

I have found a descent 90hp 1994 Mariner outboard but i was told that it can't be installed to my boat.

What do you think? Is it too small for this kind of power?

 

[mark1961]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

Does the hull have a plate affixed by the manufacturer with a maximum hp rating?

 

[psou]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

No...there is no such plate...

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

The beam of this boat is not very wide, and the boat is relatively short. With a big engine, it'd probably be very fast, but speed's not everything. They've got to have the handling capability to handle such a motor.

It'd probably be best served with no more than a 60 hp.

 

[psou]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

My thoughts exactly. In search of a decent engine then...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

It also appears that the transom may have some issues. That aluminum plate, was NOT standard for the boat when it was manufactured. It is usually installed in an attempt to strengthen a Weak and Rotting transom. It WILL fail and could lead to catastrophic failure. I HIGHLY recommend you do some strong investigation into the soundness of your transom.

 

[psou]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

Thank you all...I will look in to it...

 

[Sunsetrider]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

I once had a 70 on a V-hull short boat. Nobody in our family but me was crazy enough to drive it. You had to stand in the centre of the boat to keep it on an even keel as it tended to balance on the point of the bow. Unfortunately - or fortunately? - the local woodsman who was hired to winterize it in our boathouse must have neglected to drain all the water because next spring we arrived to find the block cracked and the motor had to be junked.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

We used to run a 13' Allisoncraft boat with a 110 hp Merc.--no power trim. We'd have to climb on the front deck to get the engine to quit cavitation. When it grabbed water, getting back in the boat was a challenge--as it accelerated like a rocket.

65 mph in a 13' boat was a thrill, but it beat you to death skipping over the water. We prayed not to hit a big wave.

We quickly traded to a tunnel hull boat.

 

[psou]

Re: Can it handle 90hp engine?

I have found a Mercury 40hp quite new model but i am having issues identifying the engine. The price is more than right but i need a leaflet or a datasheet which states it's max horsepower.
I've oppend a thread here:
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=488325

Any ideas?