Is there a way to switch motors?

[BlacK_Blade]

I have just picked up a 16' aluminum boat that has a 35 Johnson on it. I also have a 14.5' fiberglass Steury tri-hull that has a 60 HP on it. I was hoping to be able to swap the engines around on the two boats, since I like the aluminum's ease of trailering (can do it by myself) where the Steury is heavy and not fun to get on trailer properly. Problem I see is that the transom on the aluminum is not as deep as the Steury and I would have to enlarge the wood section on to basically cover the entire transom to the bottom edge of the boat to be able to bolt on the bigger motor.

I guess there is no way to make this motor switch? Or would you have to do major transom make-over first?

Also notice the steering cable on the 35 goes through the tube in the motor mounts that is not utilized on the 60. I'm guessing you could either bring the existing steering mechanism over with the 60, or just route the cable from the aluminum boat through that tube and connect it ?

There is no plate to be found on the old aluminum, so not sure what size motor its rated for..

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Is there a way to switch motors?

the motor in the first picture is too long for that transom anyway. But i can't say that boat looks like it's worth the effort to rebuild with a higher transom.

 

[pckeen]

Re: Is there a way to switch motors?

Welcome to iboats!

I assume that you want to put the motor that does not have a cover on it, on the other boat. When I look at the first boat (with the motor with the cover on it), I'm a little nervous about that long thick slab of wood that someone has stuck on there. I also note that the transom on the aluminum boat doesn't seem complete - there should be a curved aluminum cap. Lastly - am I seeing correctly that the aluminum edge around the transom looks ragged? If so, it may be that a previous owner has taken a hacksaw or something similar to this, to try and get a motor to fit. My suspicion is that the transom in that boat was going, and someone tried a cheap and dirty repair....so the transom in that boat probably needs replacing. If someone has done bad work here, they may have done bad work elsewhere - check under the splashwell to make sure the splashwell has been properly fit to the transom.

Check for rot in your transom before you do anything (lots of advice on the restoration threads on how to do that).

The short answer is if you have transom problems at all, don't put the heavier and more powerful motor on that boat until the transom has been properly rebuilt, and is strong enough to take the heavier motor. If you rebuild the transom, I would think you would be fine with a 60 hp motor on it. However, I'm just making an educated guess. Your best bet is to find out the manufacturer of the boat, and find out what the boat was originally rated for.

If you rebuild the transom, you can build the wood higher than the original aluminum shape of the transom, so that your transom height is right for the motor. Then you can cut a piece of aluminum to match the shape of the transom that isn't covered. Then fabricate an aluminum cap to fit your new custom shape (take a look on the restoration threads - some other users have done that). Then put a new sealed plywood plate on the back. There are lots of transom rebuilds here on iboats, in the restorations section.

Couple of other notes - it isn't just a case of switching out the motor. You may have to switch the controls and steering cables as well - and the existing controls on the Steury may have cables and a harness that are too short, in which case you will need to find a new controls and harness. All of this will involve a fair bit of work. The aluminum splashwell drain holes are also missing on the transom of the aluminum boat.

 

[BlacK_Blade]

Re: Is there a way to switch motors?

Thanks for the replies fellas, I am obviously new to owning a powerboat and appreciate any and all suggestions. I will be researching as suggested, all posts in restoration. I am a sheetmetal worker, so fabricating aluminum shouldnt be a problem. I also dabble in woodworking and have many tools for that stuff as well. Just a matter of knowing more about boats, transoms etc.
The old 16' aluminum is perfect for my fishing needs and picked it up at good price, so will be doing whatever is necessary to bring her back into decent shape. I may have to bring it to a marine shop to find out what make it is etc. as well as get some opinions on things from them. Will be an ongoing project as money is available, and will be taking pics and will create a restoration thread.

 

[82rude]

Re: Is there a way to switch motors?

pckeen ive seen other boats with transoms like that of the left pic.to the op, could you post other pics of the transom and also other angles of the boat?