1985 140 looper or 89 XP 150

[lekslk]

HI There,
I am going to repower my 18' stratos bass boat with either a 1985 140 hp. looper or a 1989 XP150 (crossflow?). Is one engine better than the other? Is there a big difference in power?
Thanks
Lance

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: 1985 140 looper or 89 XP 150

I am biased but I love our 140HP looper.
150hp would be heavier being a 6 cylinder
In reality you should go for the one in the best condition overall.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 1985 140 looper or 89 XP 150

Looper vs crossflow? The 140 looper, even though it is a small bore looper, will put almost as much torque in the water as the 150 XP. The only down side of the 1985 looper on a performance hull is that particular one has the 4 3/4" V6 style gearcase with the odd gear ratio. The up side is that performance props for that style gearcase are much more available than the V4 style case.

BTW - the Stratos boats really like the Turbo Lightning props......

 

[Faztbullet]

Re: 1985 140 looper or 89 XP 150

If its the 385 or 389 a 150 Faststrike/Intruder will work great on it!!!

 

[lekslk]

Re: 1985 140 looper or 89 XP 150

Sorry I missed the replies, been busy crushing rock. The 140 looper has a goofy gear ratio? How does i affect it vs. the 150 crossflow? I have an old stratos 181 pro that I rebuilt last winter with some help from you guys. Mine came with an XP 150 when new & just wondered if there was that much benefit to the 150 over a 140. Does a 150 idle smoother?
Thanks

 

[Dhadley]

Re: 1985 140 looper or 89 XP 150

The 1985 140 has a V6 style gearcase but with a 2.25:1 ratio. The case is large too. That has it's upside and it's downside in a performance situation. If we're torn between those 2 motors I'd go with the V4 looper. But I'd be looking for a different gearcase.

Best case scenario - I'd be looking for a 60* V6 like Bullet mentioned. No question.........