# 40hp motor on a 25hp boat



## gillespiej03 (Mar 18, 2011)

I have a 15 ft john boat with remote steering. The boat is rated for 25hp but I ran across a deal on a 40hp force. Would it be ok to run the 40hp on this boat. Here is a link to the boat.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=15312


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## PartsMan (Mar 18, 2011)

It will get you a ticket in Oklahoma. Better check locally.

I would be real careful about opening it up with that much power. 
You don't want to turn the boat over at 40mph.


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## BassBlaster (Mar 18, 2011)

I wouldnt do it. Those limits are on the boats for a reason. Some guys here have beefed up thier transom so they could go with more power but IMO your just asking for trouble.

It would get you fined here in OH as well.


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## jasper60103 (Mar 18, 2011)

I heard flat bottom jons plane easy with lower hp motors? If I were near you, I would offer you my 25.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Mar 18, 2011)

Is the remote steering original?


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## dyeguy1212 (Mar 18, 2011)

That's an awful shallow boat to put a 40 horse on... Keep looking.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 19, 2011)

The remote steering is original.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Mar 19, 2011)

gillespiej03 said:


> The remote steering is original.


In that case 40 is way too much.


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## redbug (Mar 19, 2011)

wow This is the first thread that someone wants to over power a boat and is being told NO WAY..
It is nice to see that some care about safety and boating regs.
A boat that size would be a death trap with a 40
only a matter of time before something happens


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## LonLB (Mar 19, 2011)

It's all about personal judgement. You know whether it will work more than any of us.


Overpowering boats isn't like some of you make it out to be. Guys on scream and fly have boats over powered by as much as 100hp. And I'm not talking about huge boats.


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## redbug (Mar 19, 2011)

Like it has been stated.. the hp rating is there for a reason...
I am a safety rep at work and we get these national reports about injuries every week and the one thing that all these injuries have in common is the guys all say i never thought it would happen to me I have been doing it this way for years..

just a matter of time before something bad happens.


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## LonLB (Mar 19, 2011)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjW8HOxegec

19ft glass runabout, 632ci big block. :lol: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0sqKIjoUcw

Scream and Fly compilation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cwSEo8d-Hw
07'Jasper river run


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGyPp0hHLIw&feature=related
109mph on the GPS, Stroker Bass Boat


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 19, 2011)

I agree that the boat is pretty narrow. [-X 

If it was wider I wouldn't think twice about the 40hp. :wink:


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## LonLB (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm going to post more info on this.

It is my opinion that overpowering a boat is perfectly fine. That is, when done sensibly, and carefully.

Belief: Recreational Boats must be Coast Guard Approved (or certified).

Not True: The Coast Guard does not certify or approve recreational boats. The terms US Coast Guard Certified and US Coast Guard Approved have specific meanings defined by law. Recreational boats are certified, but it is the builder or manufacturer who must certify that their boats meet the requirements of the Federal Regulations. See https://newboatbuilders.com/pages/certified.html for more information.

The manufacturers do NOT write laws. Therefore for a recreational boat, YOU CAN exceed the rated HP. At least as far as the coast guard is concerned. Again, the manufacturer may not be OK with it, but the coast guard is....Because they are not coast guard certified.

Belief: It is illegal to exceed the horsepower rating on my boat:

Maybe; Why maybe? This is a gray area. The Federal regulation requires boat manufacturers to post a label with the recommended maximum safe horsepower for outboard powered boats. It only applies to mono-hull boats under 20 feet in length. Horsepower is determined using a formula contained in the regulation. *Under Federal law a boat owner can put any size engine they want on their boat. * However, the catch is, some states have passed laws making it a violation to exceed the values on the capacity label. Insurance companies also may cancel your insurance if they discover the boat has an engine that exceeds the horsepower rating. If you have an accident and an investigation shows it was related to overpowering then the owner could be held liable in a law suit by the injured parties.


If your local laws are OK with it, and your insurance company it is perfectly legal.

I am going to double check progressive. They DID want to know how fast the boat would go, and if it was used for racing. But NOT HP rating. I'll call and double check if they do care about the HP rating, and the installed HP.


As for local laws. Here in Michigan, there is NO law against overpowering. There is a speed limit on the water though. It is 55mph. It is apparently widely ignored as almost all larger glass bass boats are able to exceed that. I've never talked with anyone receiving a ticket for it.

All Great Lakes waters do not have the 55mph speed limit.


Blanket statements about it being illegal to overpower a boat are *FALSE*


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 19, 2011)

> It is my opinion that overpowering a boat is perfectly fine. That is, when done sensibly, and carefully.
> 
> Belief: Recreational Boats must be Coast Guard Approved (or certified).
> 
> ...




I want to hear more.I agree on above.

Most inland lakes have speed limits but the Great Lakes as long as your off shore aways have none that I'm aware of.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm not really worried about personal safety with it, going more than 25-30 mph on water feels insanely fast to me, so I wouldn't push it over that. My main concern is damage to the boat. As far as I can tell there is no law in NC covering hp. Some waters here have a hp limit but just require you to remove the prop before getting on the water. I did find this information on iboats.


Eldocraft Eldosport V
https://www.iboats.com/Eldocraft__Eldosport_V__1978/bp/64b111659r2

Eldocraft Edlosport VI
https://www.iboats.com/Eldocraft__Eldosport_VI__1978/bp/64b111661r0

I'm not sure if my but is just the V model with a console or if it might be another model. the decals were flaking off when I bought it. I know that it had Eldosport VC on it.


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## LonLB (Mar 19, 2011)

gillespiej03 said:


> I'm not really worried about personal safety with it, going more than 25-30 mph on water feels insanely fast to me, so I wouldn't push it over that. My main concern is damage to the boat. As far as I can tell there is no law in NC covering hp. Some waters here have a hp limit but just require you to remove the prop before getting on the water. I did find this information on iboats.
> 
> 
> Eldocraft Eldosport V
> ...





I would start with the weights of the engine you have on it, and the weight of the engine you are going to put on it.
Post some pictures of the transom area. If you are really concerned you can make modifications to strengthen the transom.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 19, 2011)

Wouldn't the remote steering increase the max hp?


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 19, 2011)

> Wouldn't the remote steering increase the max hp?



Yes


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)

I forgot to mention I am adding front and rear decks and a 17 gallon livewell.


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## Whoopbass (Mar 20, 2011)

I had an 88' Eldocraft 15' bassboat with a 35hp force on it and it was fine. The only thing you have to worry about is the weight. If the weight of the 40hp isn't bad then I say go for it. I see guys with 30-35 hp motors on boats 14' and smaller. Usually when you step up to 40hp and larger motors the weights go way up.


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## Bobg (Mar 20, 2011)

Something overlooked by the added weight, is the damage done to the transom while trailering. The levering against your transom, as you hit each bump in the road needs to be of some concern.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)

I am guessing here but I think the weight difference is around 60lbs between a 25 hp and the 40 hp. What would be the best way to beef up the transom?


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Mar 20, 2011)

gillespiej03 said:


> Wouldn't the remote steering increase the max hp?


It's rated at 25 with the remote steering.


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## screwballl (Mar 20, 2011)

Boat ratings are in place for many reasons.

Weight ratings are in place because that is the maximum weight it can hold in the water and when towing SAFELY.

Motor ratings are in place because the power, transom/boat metal strength, weight and power distribution has to be balanced for these lightweight and somewhat weak boats.

Add in the extra weight on the rear of the boat when towing, you could literally break off the transom or bend/break the rear 30% of the boat, especially seeing how far back your boat sits on the trailer you have. Even with a longer trailer and more support towards the rear during towing, I would still not sacrifice yours or my safety by going to the larger motor.

Just because you can or others have, does NOT mean you should. Stay within the ratings and keep yourself safe and prevent chance of causing injury to others.


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## LonLB (Mar 20, 2011)

screwballl said:


> Boat ratings are in place for many reasons.
> 
> Weight ratings are in place because that is the maximum weight it can hold in the water and when towing SAFELY.
> 
> ...




Alumacraft currently builds deep V boats using the same hulls in tiller, and console configuration.
The tiller models are rated for 1/2 the horsepower as the console versions.
20 years from now that boat (a tiller) might be converted to a console boat. And the rating is still 75hp, VS 150 hp for the EXACT same boat only with a console.

HP ratings are not always rated the max the boat can handle, but usually with a BIG fudge factor built in.


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## redbug (Mar 20, 2011)

screwballl said:


> Boat ratings are in place for many reasons.
> 
> Weight ratings are in place because that is the maximum weight it can hold in the water and when towing SAFELY.
> 
> ...


I agree 100% but as we all can see people are always willing to risk safety of themselves and others.
heck why not put a 150 on it???? just beef up the transom and you'll be fine.. I have seen others do it and nothing happened to them.
Like i said in my first post on this thread I was shocked that the first few poster said not to do it. If you want a 40 hp buy a boat that is rated for it


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## Zum (Mar 20, 2011)

Kinda on a side note...
You may want to google 40hp Force outboards or Force outboards in general.
I'm not going to say anything bad about them but you still may want to see what other people think.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)

Just went and checked out the motor. It is actually a 35 hp Force by US Marine. The ID tag was faded to where I couldn't get any of the info. so if anyone can help with identifying it, I would really appreciate it. I will upload pics in just a few.


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## catfishhunter (Mar 20, 2011)

you will swamp it with that much horsepower .... would go that big to be on the safe side


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)




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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)




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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)

https://i692.photobucket.com/albums/vv285/gillespiej03/IMG_0433.jpg


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 20, 2011)

Seems like that motor has an extension to make it a long shaft,which is also missing a bolt.

That spacer can be taken out to make a short shaft along with changing drive shaft,shift shaft,&water tube.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 20, 2011)

I took the bolt out before I snapped any pictures. Any idea the availability of those parts?


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## crazymanme2 (Mar 20, 2011)

Depends where your at?(should finish your profile so people know where your from.)

By me I could have those parts in a day or direct you where to go in Michigan.


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## Whoopbass (Mar 20, 2011)

You would probably be better off adding a 5" riser to your transom.
Ebay used to be a good place to get parts but now nearly every auction is "buy it now" with prices that are about what they charge at marine salvage yards. Force parts are out there if you want to pay the price.
If you got that motor for a good price then you can always clean it up, sell it and look for a short shaft. In my area it seems most of the motors with remote steering are long shafts so you might be in for a hunt.


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 21, 2011)

lckstckn2smknbrls said:


> gillespiej03 said:
> 
> 
> > Wouldn't the remote steering increase the max hp?
> ...



Where did you get this info?


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## LonLB (Mar 21, 2011)

redbug said:


> Just because you can or others have, does NOT mean you should. Stay within the ratings and keep yourself safe and prevent chance of causing injury to others.


I agree 100% but as we all can see people are always willing to risk safety of themselves and others.
heck why not put a 150 on it???? just beef up the transom and you'll be fine.. I have seen others do it and nothing happened to them.
Like i said in my first post on this thread I was shocked that the first few poster said not to do it. If you want a 40 hp buy a boat that is rated for it[/quote]


*Well there is a thing called personal judgment, and common sense.

So it is UNSAFE to repower the above cited Alumacraft boat that is rated at 75hp? Even though it's console version is rated at 150hp?


This isn't the only boat rated this way either. LOTS of boats are.


Truth is blanket statements that ignore the laws, common sense, and personal judgment are nonsense.


Do you ever speed while driving down the road? Why is that? The law says that you are only safe if you observe the posted speed limits.*


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## LonLB (Mar 21, 2011)

catfishhunter said:


> you will swamp it with that much horsepower .... would go that big to be on the safe side



:LOL2: 

So increasing the HP by *TEN HP* will swamp the boat and make it unsafe?
:LOL2: 


Even 15 hp difference isn't going to _swamp it with that much horsepower_


So ignore the fact that another boat built by the same company with the same deminsions is rated for a 50 HP. Ten HP more than what this guy wants to add?


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Mar 21, 2011)

gillespiej03 said:


> lckstckn2smknbrls said:
> 
> 
> > gillespiej03 said:
> ...


Maybe I got it wrong but I asked you if the remote steering was original, you answered Yes. That information and you state the boat is rated for 25hp. Maybe we are all answering the wrong question?


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 21, 2011)

[/quote]
It's rated at 25 with the remote steering.[/quote]

Where did you get this info?[/quote]
Maybe I got it wrong but I asked you if the remote steering was original, you answered Yes. That information and you state the boat is rated for 25hp. Maybe we are all answering the wrong question?[/quote]

I think I got a little mixed up there. The Eldosport V, according to the information on iboats, is rated for 25 hp. Before I painted my boat the decals were Eldocraft Eldosport V C. I tried to find info but it doesn't seem to be out there. I did find a picture of and Eldosport VI that looked very similar to mine before I gutted it. If my boat is in fact rated for 25 hp. Would running a 35 on it be that dangerous including the extra weight from the mods. Like I said I am not into speed,


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## screwballl (Mar 21, 2011)

I myself would not do it unless that 35 fully assembled weighs in within 5-10 lbs of the 25. Otherwise from 25+ they tend to go up in weight quite a bit and can cause the rear to dip too low and get overrun with water.

I myself would not but I prefer to stay within safety limits when it comes to dangerous locations like air or water.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Mar 21, 2011)

Some 25 hp and 35 hp motors are built from the same power head with the carb and exhaust being different. When you get to the 40 hp motors they may share parts with 50 hp motors. 
My best guess is my boat is rated for 15 hp but I have a 25 on it I like the speed when I'm not duck hunting.


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## catfishhunter (Mar 22, 2011)

LonLB said:


> catfishhunter said:
> 
> 
> > you will swamp it with that much horsepower .... would go that big to be on the safe side
> ...



yes it could swamp it , the weight alone could make a difference , let alone the extra 15 hrspwr. if the transom is to low it could be a recipe for a disaster. I have seen it first hand . my best thing to offer is try it and if ya feel safe the go with it . but the safety for yourself and others should be your first concern , not speed .


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## gillespiej03 (Mar 22, 2011)

I was looking at trackers website. Their 1542 riveted jon boat is seems to have very similar measurements to my eldocraft. The tracker is rated for 25 hp without a console. Would adding a console to a boat like the tracker increase the hp rating enough to cover 35hp? Also, I believe the motor is an 88 force 35. The info I found said it weighs around 140 lbs.


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## atuck593 (Mar 22, 2011)

Just adding some thoughts to the topic. I am new to boating and by no means any type of expert but if it were me I would personally follow the HP rating from the boat company. I am sure they put the rating there for good reason and not just to keep you from getting to your favorite fishing spot faster. 
That being said I do wonder as to a point made a few days ago on this thread. Why two identical boats would have different HP ratings? One with a console and the other with the tiller option. I know they make tiller motors way above the 40 HP mark but the greater the HP of the outboard the heavier the outboard weighs. 
I would think it comes down to weight in this matter. On smaller boats 140lbs (weight of the motor) is a lot in the back of the boat. Add a 200lb operator on the rear bench and a 6 gallon full fuel tank and you will have close to 400lbs in the back of that boat. Asking a lot out of a 15 - 20" transom. 
Maybe with the console option the weight will be a little more evenly distributed in the boat. The driver in the middle with the fuel tank balanced somewhere in between allowing for more weight in the back and therefore a larger motor?


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## minicuda (Mar 23, 2011)

You will be fine with the 35. Some folks worry to much. Make sure you get the height right and a little setback would make it more fun.


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## nathanielrthomas (Mar 24, 2011)

Nevermind all this overpowering mambo jambo.....Its a Force motor, notorious for problems. I wouldnt buy it. Theres a reason they dont make Force outboards anymore. If they were good motors, they(chyrsler/bayliner/mercury/whatever) would not have abandoned the name.


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## TinBoatToo (Apr 11, 2011)

Not to mention when you power down the rear of the boat will be flooded, Too much weight= sitting to low in the water= Oh Crap.

Plus for a boat that size the speed difference will be nill due to the extra weight. my two cents.


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## gillespiej03 (Apr 11, 2011)

A new 25hp mercury weighs nearly 20 lbs more than my 87 force.


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## lckstckn2smknbrls (Apr 11, 2011)

4 stroke?


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## gillespiej03 (Apr 11, 2011)

That is a 4 stroke. But I have seen a Tracker riveted 1542 with a 25 hp Yamaha at bass pro. Those weigh a good 170 lbs. my engine weighs 120 lbs dry. I'm not 100% positive but I think it is basically a beefed up 25 hp. I ordered new rings and gaskets for it and they were the same parts that are on 25 hp from that year.


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