Need some motor advice - Merc Mark 55H or Mark58ae

[mfuribondo]

I Hello all, am restoring an old cedar plank racer from the 40's. The boat is pretty small so I am struggling with selecting a motor. I have a few available to choose from and you can see pictures of all of the in the attached link to this post, but i am leaning toward the 55H or the 58AE shown here. I'm really drawn to the electric starter on the 58AE.
Is it possible to fit an electric starter on the 55H?
the 55H is 27 pounds lighter, which is appealing because the boat is pretty small and im a worried about it handling the weight of the 58AE.

I'd appreciate any of your thoughts and comments, thanks!

 

[Faztbullet]

Go with the 55H and no you cannot install starter due to flywheel design, more of a balancer design.....

 

[racerone]

Are you going to race , cruise or just show it off ?

 

[Chinewalker]

Yes, you can add electric starting to a 55H. BUT, you will need to swap out the flywheel with one with a ring gear. Which flywheel you get will be determined by the crankshaft in your motor. Depending on how original your 55H is, and when it was built, it may have either a small taper or large taper crankshaft. The larger flywheel will also help with idling and starting as the small diameter of the racing flywheel is great for acceleration, but not so good for general utility use.

That said, the weight of the 58E will be less of an issue against the greater speed potential of the 55H. Yes, the 58 is 45 and the 55H is 40, but HOW the power is put to the water is a WORLD of difference. A 58 on a light boat like yours might nudge 40-45 mph. The 55H with its 1:1 gear ratio and open exhaust would likely give 10mph more with good set-up. That extra speed can beat up the boat (and driver) as much, or more, than a heavier motor at slower speeds.

Also, keep in mind that the Quicksilver unit of the 55H will require regular maintenance, .ie greasing the unit and cone nut after every day's use.

Yet another thing to consider would be the weight of the battery in the boat and how to keep it stabilized and in place.

Sounds like a fun project - got pics?

 

[steelespike]

Chinewalker knows his stuff,His father and/or himself may have raced one of those motors.