120 rude vs 135 merc

[N Wolf]

My bass boat is rated for a 135hp motor. I curently have a 120 evenrude on it. I get 49 mph gps out of it now. I can get 51-52 with a bigger prop but it labors with a tournement load, so we'll stick with 49. What would I gain, realisticlly by going with the 135 mercury. I hear storys of people running low 60s in 17ft boats like mine, sounds like a 150 to me.

 

[Whoopbass]

Re: 120 rude vs 135 merc

Back in 95 my buddy bought a new 17' Ranger with a 115 Merc and it would do 52 mph. I'm guessing with a "perfectly" set up rig you might see 60 mph with a 135 Merc unless the motor is tired.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: 120 rude vs 135 merc

Back in 95 my buddy bought a new 17' Ranger with a 115 Merc and it would do 52 mph. I'm guessing with a "perfectly" set up rig you might see 60 mph with a 135 Merc unless the motor is tired.

I had a Ranger Fisherman (a walleye boat with a bass boat hull) with a tower of power 115 Merc. 55 was the best I ever did and that was with a 24P Laser I prop the dealer stuck on there when I bought it new...guess that's all he had....for his big bassers with the big engines. It was too much prop and I traded it back for a 21P which ran the high 40's but I could water ski behind it.

On the OMC 120 vs the 135 Merc, the Merc is looped charged if it is a V6. Is the OMC? If not, not only are you gaining 15 hp, you are upping your fuel economy big time. My engine was an inline 6 and was Direct Charged, not as good as Loop, but better than cross flow and my boat had a 10 gallon built in tank which I never drained on an outing. Something to think about with today's fuel prices.

HTH,
Mark