Re: Bracket on a 20
 

20' motor is just gonna get you in the water quicker to scratch that itch, but buying the motor you want and raising the transom is going to make you happier in the long run

Re: Bracket on a 20
 

Ditto....

The 25 inch transom will be the better way to go..
Jorge, you are already in re-do mode, What the heck,
go ahead and raise it...

See ya, Ken

Re: Bracket on a 20
 

Jorge, keep in mind most of those motors can be converted to a 25" shaft with a simple 5" extension kit, whenever you decide to raise the transom. If you're firm about getting a bigger motor I'd seriously consider raising the transom now as others suggested.

Here is a link to a well known aftermarket shaft extension manufacturer.

www.baymfg.com

Go to nada.com and check the weights of the motors you're considering. That late 80s merc 150 is about 375 lbs,
every thing else is likely heavier. The lighter, the better.

If your transom has not been refurbished I would wait on the high powered motor idea... 1200 dollar 115 - 130 will be will be much easier on the transom and perform just fine...
Good luck.

Re: Bracket on a 20
 

Yes I agree lighter lower horsepower engine will be better in the short run
And I will probably go that route like a Black Max 150 or 130 +/- engine.

If I can get the Optimax at a great price then I will go with the transom redo

Re: Bracket on a 20
 

Before doing anything I drilled some holes on the transom to assure myself as to the state of the transom. (more glass work, fairing and sanding)

Drilled 8 holes in different areas and thank fully all the wood that came out was dry. I was pretty confident that it was dry because it had almost no holes drilled in it by the prior owner and the top part has no cracks or seams that the water can get into.

Located 2 late 80's early 90's Merc 150's in the 750 to 1000 range that owners say have good compression and are in good shape. One stated that the steering arm has rusted and may need replacement. From what I have heard you need to remove power head to replace that part?

[image]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...es/merc150.jpg[/image]

Can anyone here shed some light on the process?

Re: Bracket on a 20
 

The '93 Merc as well as the '88 are both under 400 lbs.

That being said, raise the transom to 25", and go with an extra-long shaft motor.

(15" = short shaft; 20" = long shaft; 25" = extra-long shaft; 30" = extra, extra-long shaft)

And yes, replacing the steering arm needs powerhead removal.

Re: Bracket on a 20
 

And the steering arm/pivot pin is a $300+ part. If you can't do it yourself, assume it's going to cost $800 or so to have a shop do it. if you can work on it yourself, you can probably find the parts you need on ebay or c-list for around $100.

Dave