# Does a 90/65 on a 1648 lowe make me an idiot?



## Lumispawn (Apr 14, 2015)

I've been setting on a 2011 1648 lowe riveted flatbottom for the last 3 years. Boat was used twice in a lake when I bought it from PO. Bought it and trailer for $600. Found an old 25 hp jet for it. Slapped together a homemade transom riser and took it to the river. Discovered 16.7 hp at the jet doesn't plane with two people and some gear. Didn't use the boat after that due to other factors. Took it to the shop this year to see about getting the motor turned up some and have a proper transom built. Came back a couple days later to talk about some hull changes and the shop had just taken in an 06 mercury 2s 90/65 in trade that had very low hours and knew of someone wanting a 25 jet badly. He was willing to give me a very good deal on the motor so I figured I would just go for it. Boat should be done tomorrow. I had the console placed fairly far forward to help with weight distribution but I worry about how well a light weight hull like that will hold up. Figure i'll get 32-33mph out of it.


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## dhoganjr (Apr 14, 2015)

With it being that light and narrow, I would think mid to upper 30's. 

Is the riser being built across the entire top of the transom? If not be careful coming off plane, the extra weight will squat the rear and if you stop too fast a wave will come across the top. 

Should be a great set-up, let us know how it does and post pics!


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## lowe1648 (Apr 14, 2015)

My first jet was a Lowe 1648. The transom fell apart with a 40/28 2 stroke on it with a bolt on riser. How did they raise transom? If it is just some sort of bolt on riser I would plan on adding extra knee braces and corner gussets before it starts flexing.


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## BigTerp (Apr 14, 2015)

I have a completely rebuilt '94 Johnson 50/35 on my Tracker 1648MV (riveted). My best was 29-30mph with two guys and fishing gear. Typically get mid to upper 20's. I'd guess you would be in the mid to upper 30's range with that size motor. Maybe some pods off the transom would be beneficial for your setup?

Here is my homemade transom riser. 1/8" sheet and 1" tube and angle make it up. Have about 40 hours on it in not quite 2 years and it is holding up great. I've also had some pretty hard hits on my motor at WOT and didn't seem to hurt my riser one bit. My corner braces, however, are getting some cracks at the welds on the fore portion of the braces. Going to reinforce my riser with 1" tube by welding it to the top of the riser and running it to the top of the gunwale just in front of the current corner braces. Should resolve my problem, I hope.


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## Lumispawn (Apr 14, 2015)

The transom is full width across the back and angling down with bigger gussest plates tying in the corners. Also added two full size knee braces. I run black river in missouri which is full of logs etc and told the shop I didn't want to worry about the motor falling off when I smacked something. Which is going to happen. Thinking about having the bottom sprayed with one of those super slick polymer paints to help with future rivet leaks. Thought about the beavertail pods but haven't been able to find a consensus either way as to if they are the best thing ever or not. I have barely $5k in the entire setup motor and all. So I wouldn't mind the cost of float pods if they would help with planing and the extra motor weight.


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## dearl (Apr 14, 2015)

That boat is gonna fly! I have a 1755 with the same motor and I have seen 35.7 recently, that is running empty with just me in it. I have custom Boyd float pods, it was money well spent.


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## dimecovers3 (Apr 14, 2015)

dearl said:


> That boat is gonna fly! I have a 1755 with the same motor and I have seen 35.7 recently, that is running empty with just me in it. I have custom Boyd float pods, it was money well spent.




Let a fella know if you are going to be unleashing that beast up by Angler's in the next month as I might be in a canoe around the bend and don't wanna go swimmin'
:mrgreen:


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## AllOutdoors (Apr 15, 2015)

You should hit mid to upper 30's. I ran pods on a 1756 Alumacraft with a 90/65 yamaha 4 stroke and ran 33-34 with 2 people and fully loaded. The guys from Alumacraft said my 1756 RR floated in 2 inches less of water and turned much better(less sliding in the rear) with the pods. A friend of mine running a 135 merc with a jet on the same boat ordered pods after driving mine. He ran 38-40 with the 135.

Sent from this smart thingamajig using tapatalk.


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## JL8Jeff (Apr 15, 2015)

I have a 60/45 on my 1652 and with just me in the boat I can run at 2/3 throttle somewhat quietly. When i have 2 more people it takes more throttle to go upstream at the same speed and gets quite a bit louder. You'll like having the extra power when you have extra weight in the boat. But if you keep taking extra people, you'l probably want to go up to a 1756 or bigger and the 90/65 will be just right.


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## riverbud55 (Apr 15, 2015)

''Does a 90/65 on a 1648 lowe make me an idiot?'' you asked and the simple answer is YES,,, the boat is rated at 35hp, no more needs to be said about that,, get a boat that is designed for the engine and don't cut up a good boat and turn it into something that's a worthless piece of poo ,,, if you insist on doing it make sure you have a 2 good insurance policy's liability for your passenger and life for you!! You asked


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## JoshKeller (Apr 15, 2015)

id be very wary of putting a 300+ lb motor on a hull thats likely only .073 aluminum and riveted, with a home made transom riser. Im all about going fast and having power, but that just seems a little dangerous to me.


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## riverbud55 (Apr 15, 2015)

Thing I dont understand that a reputable shop would do it, just one more person to sue!,,,when I got my new etec last year tried put a 30 hp on my g3-vbw that is rated for 25 hp,, same engine except 5 more hp,, answer was a flat NO wont do it,,,,their is no way that the transom will carry the weight or the near double the hp rating,,,they are rated for a reason


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## Lumispawn (Apr 16, 2015)

As for asking if I i'm an idiot I suppose I should have said Am I an idiot for hoping a lowe riveted hull will hold up for a couple years. Its the hull I have and I paid about $400 for it brand new from a guy that never used it. I had a professional build up the transom. It's not homemade out of wood and roofing tin. For my area "over motored" outboard jet boats are common. I would have preferred a heavier hull or smaller motor but the price for both was dirt cheap. The "just buy a bigger hull" guy....sorry not rich.


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## Lil' Blue Rude (Apr 16, 2015)

Go for it, People freak out about this kind of thing but they don't take the time to consider this, most boats are rate by HP but I honestly think it has to do more with the weight so most motors in ?hp range weigh so much and that's what there basing the rating off of. So your boats rated for 35hp and at best it's a long shafts boat it had a 20" transom so now that your having the transom built up to the correct height for your 90/65 it's at 27" give or take a little. That's has to offset the hp rating some what doesn't it? There's no over powering laws around here and honestly your not going to over power that boat with that motor. It sounds like a lot but I'd guess the boat will run mid to high 30's around here that's going good but it's not considered a fast boat.
As far as riverbud55 comment goes I think that was a little uncalled for. Not trying to start a you know what match either.


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## Lumispawn (Apr 16, 2015)

Rude my biggest concern is honestly the hull holding up. I'm thinking about having the bottom painted in wearlon wetlander. Its supposed to be a very strong very slick polymer paint. And adding the UHMW strips on top of that in the hope of making my admittedly somewhat flimsy hull more durable. Still trying to decide if the polymer paints/strips are worth the money. I've had fast boats before though. Had a 90hp prop with a tunnel on a light weight exterminator racing flatbottom. I GPSed that boat at 53 mph. And it was dangerous as can be. (Was set up like that when I bought it.) This boat won't be anything like that fast. I also head perforated flooring laid down with aluminum bracing welded in a grid pattern between the riveted ribs. I'm hoping it will help it hold up longer.


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## JoshKeller (Apr 16, 2015)

my biggest concern would be the weight of the motor being more than the boat itself. a riveted boat is made with thinner aluminum typically, and I personally just cant see it holding up to a rock strike with that much weight hanging off the back of it. Try it, I could be wrong. I would think you would need pods on the back to keep from sitting very low into the water at the back.


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## Lil' Blue Rude (Apr 16, 2015)

I wouldn't do uhmw on the bottom because I think the screws would tear out of the bottom pretty easy. Wetlander might help it skid over the rocks more so then grab the rocks like aluminum likes to do. Honestly don't know how well any hulls gonna hold up on Black River. :lol:


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## duckfish (Apr 17, 2015)

Do some of you guys live in states with no waterway patrols? I'm certain here that if you ran a boat that far over the capacity plate you would get a ticket. Every time. I wouldn't be surprised at all that if you came across the wrong LEO he would make sure the registration got revoked. No way I'd risk it for a multitude of reasons.

Certainly could be fun while it lasted tho. If it floats and handles decently at all, it certainly should scoot right along.


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## Ranchero50 (Apr 17, 2015)

duckfish said:


> Do some of you guys live in states with no waterway patrols? I'm certain here that if you ran a boat that far over the capacity plate you would get a ticket. Every time. I wouldn't be surprised at all that if you came across the wrong LEO he would make sure the registration got revoked. No way I'd risk it for a multitude of reasons.
> 
> Certainly could be fun while it lasted tho. If it floats and handles decently at all, it certainly should scoot right along.



Once you move to a remote steering setup your original limit tag for a tiller control engine is no longer valid. It's all about balancing the hull to minimize the chance of water coming over the transom on rapid deceleration. Download the US Coast Guard's boat builders handbook and read it. It'll help you safely explore the limits of your hull and understand the concerns that result in the tiller steer tag being so low power.


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## Jeeper (Apr 18, 2015)

Pods pods pods? your answer to that is... that's the best thing I've done to my set up since I got it and it definitely helps with the motor weight


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