whats the max hp?

[sully73]

i bought a 85 14 foot capri this spring with a 50 force. the motor runs great and itll pull about 30 with two adults in it and 35 with just me. on a recent trip with four adults and numerous coolers in the boat, it really dropped its speed to about 22 mph. the boat says its rated for a 50 hp max, but really what is the biggest i could look at replacing it with? i was thinking about a 85 or so.

 

[gcboat]

Re: whats the max hp?

50 H.P. That is what it is rated for, that's all she'll take.
Any more puts you in jeopardy with the insurance company, the Coasties and common sense.
You want a faster boat - buy one!!!!!!!

 

[sully73]

Re: whats the max hp?

im not buying that answer. you know as well as i do that the coast guard under rates and so does the manufacturer. i know that it is rated for 50 hp. thats not what i asked. i asked if anyone had put a larger engine on the boat and if so how big and what were any issues that they had. if your not going to answer my original question and just tell me what i already know, dont bother typing.anyone else have any answers? thanks.

 

[gcboat]

Re: whats the max hp?

The issue here is you wanting to almost double the factory H.P. rating.
The folks who build these know a lot more about how they are made and what H.P. they will handle better than either one of us.
Read your original post again - you only asked what we thought the biggest motor you could put on it. Nothing regarding issues, etc. You obviously got an answer you didn't want to hear.
Personally, I don't care if you slap a 300 four stroke on the transom - your butt, not mine.
Repost this in the outboard section - you might get the answer you're looking for there.

 

[383cross]

Re: whats the max hp?

I too have an 85 Capri that the previous owner replaced the Force with a 76 Mrec 65hp, It seems to run fine with good power. I have to say I dont notice anything wrong with this combination so I wouldnt be too concerned with a little more hp because I believe that engineers generally design a % of safety into them but I will admit I would be a little concerned with almost doubling the hp, that may be pushing the envelope a little but thats just my opinion.