Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

[nwcove]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

ok back on topic.

lmsmith, i would stick to the rated horsepower of boat............... now where is that motor? I'll go pick it up, my boat is rated for 60 hp, and I only have a 30 hp on it, LOL.

what part of Oklahoma are you in?

there ya go......perfect trade! everyone is happy, no one gets sued.

 

[zopperman]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

I'm going to stay out of the argument on whether or not you should break the law, but 100 bucks for a motor and controls is a steal!! even if it was just for parts.

 

[JB]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

As a matter of policy we do not allow recommendations or even acceptance of actions that are contrary to recommendations (including ratings assigned) of manufacturers.

If the boat maker says 50HP, MAX, So be it. You might as well argue speed limits with LEOs.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Just a little side bar.Some 55s are 3 cylinders a 2 cylinder is about 185 a 3 cylinder is around 223. a sizeable chunk on what is probably a relatively small boat that may have a 15" transom.By the way My 18ft 57 Crestliner utility is rated for 70hp.with a 15" and could be tiller.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Way too easy

Ahem. Excuse me. I'm cheap, but I'm not easy.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Well, I always wondered about horsepower ratings on outboard hulls, but there must be some rhime or reason.

Take, for example a fiberglass 16 foot outboard closed bow or bowrider and it will be rated for somewhere around 90-115 horsepower. Take the same hull and put an IO in it and there is no horsepower restriction--and a V8 or even a V6 will weigh more than the outboard. And, as stated above, while a tiller model will be rated for one horsepower, side console models of the exact same hull will be rated higher.

Now take a 13 foot jetski and put in a supercharged 250 horsepower engine. Perfectly legal and capable of 65-70 MPH.

Now, remember that horsepower ratings of outboard engines are determined by a test sample and the sample must fall withing plus or minus 5% of stated. SO, you can have a 50 HP engine delivering 47 1/2 or 52 1/2 ponies

 

[coolguy147]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

it is weird.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

My boat plate says "Recommended" max motor is 95hp. I'd have no prob slapping a 100-110 on it. IMO there's no way that a boat manufacturer would 'recommend' a motor that was at the upper limits of what they thought might make the boat dangerous.

I'm not recommending that anyone grossly overpower, I'm just stating my opinion on manufacturers "Max HP recomendation".

 

[pootnic]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

I was going to mention what Frank A said in his post,about the O/B;I/O reference.
It makes you wonder and doesn't make any sense either;in regards to the over hp question.
Seems like a defense lawyer could use this but I don't think it would ever be an issue.

Like I said earlier,you may get ticketed,check with your state,it may be in their laws.
Theres far to many varibles,for us to talk about a court appearance and lawyers.

People "argue" speeds limits everyday and they are laws.
Nobody here has been 10% over the speed limit and not been pulled over before...yeah,sure.

 

[dwco5051]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

I'm certainly no lawyer. But a lawyer would have to PROVE the the extra hp was the cause and/or a contributing factor to the accident.

A lawyer doesn't have to prove anything. He just has to make the jury think you were in the wrong

 

[lmsmith]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Well I didn't mean to get it all stirred up, but I think it's some good conversation. Some of it inline with what I was asking. I think the thread will be beneficial for someone in the future asking the same question. My initial thought was that 50 isn't much different then 55 so why not go for it. Well, there's some good reason to do it and some good reason not to do it. I'll just have to think on it and do some research.

Thanks.

 

[JimS123]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

I think the thread will be beneficial for someone in the future asking the same question. Thanks.

Nah. What you talkin bout Willis.

The search function must not work here. This question has been asked at least a 100 times in the last 6 months and it keeps getting asked.

(well at least 50 times...)

 

[BonairII]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Just buy the motor already! For $100 you can't got wrong. If you decide NOT to use it...you can always flip it for a profit toward a smaller motor.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Just buy the motor already! For $100 you can't got wrong. If you decide NOT to use it...you can always flip it for a profit toward a smaller motor.

Roger that.

 

[lmsmith]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Well Jim, I'm not sure how to take that. Was it a dumb question? I am a newbie, so it is expected. Maybe we could convince the moderators to add this to the Frequently Asked Question section of the Engine Repair and Maintenance area. 100 times over 6 months, or even 50 times, is a bunch. It shouldn't be hard to convince them.

If you could direct me to several of those 50 posts you mention I'd appreciate it, I think it would be beneficial. I searched and didn't find a good answer to my three questions.

One thing that I did learn is that iboats and the mods have a standard answer for this type of question and it kind of goes back to that whole lawyer thing that got started earlier.

 

[BonairII]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

One thing that I did learn is that iboats and the mods have a standard answer for this type of question and it kind of goes back to that whole lawyer thing that got started earlier.

Those 'standard answers' happen in all forums. The forum owner's don't want to get sued(and rightly so). Some idiot will get hurt sometime and will sue saying, "The forum owner/mods allowed members to encourage me to overpower, bypass a safety switch etc etc" and I got hurt.

God forbid that they admit, "I'm a big boy and I knew that I was taking a risk...and getting hurt was my own darn fault"

 

[JimS123]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Well Jim, I'm not sure how to take that. Was it a dumb question? I am a newbie, so it is expected. Maybe we could convince the moderators to add this to the Frequently Asked Question section of the Engine Repair and Maintenance area. 100 times over 6 months, or even 50 times, is a bunch. It shouldn't be hard to convince them.

If you could direct me to several of those 50 posts you mention I'd appreciate it, I think it would be beneficial. I searched and didn't find a good answer to my three questions.

One thing that I did learn is that iboats and the mods have a standard answer for this type of question and it kind of goes back to that whole lawyer thing that got started earlier.

The search phrase I just used was "overpower an outboard boat". The results were:

http://forums.iboats.com/search.php?searchid=1551692

Saying 50 was an exaggeration on my part. I don't keep a list. Sorry if I was sarcastic.

No questions are dumb ones if the person doesn't know the answer.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

In OP's defense, this question typically comes up in reference to significant (read stupid) overpowering, not 55 hp vs. 50 hp. I don't personally see this one as a big deal. It just disturbs me (and many other boaters) that some posters don't understand, or in some cases simply refuse to acknowledge, the potential ramifications of irresponsible behavior.

 

[lmsmith]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Those 'standard answers' happen in all forums. The forum owner's don't want to get sued(and rightly so). Some idiot will get hurt sometime and will sue saying, "The forum owner/mods allowed members to encourage me to overpower, bypass a safety switch etc etc" and I got hurt.

God forbid that they admit, "I'm a big boy and I knew that I was taking a risk...and getting hurt was my own darn fault"

I wouldn't really expect anything different from the busniness owners of iboats and iboats forum, they have to protect themselves. Ain't that the truth on admmitting fault now a days.

The search phrase I just used was "overpower an outboard boat". The results were:

http://forums.iboats.com/search.php?searchid=1551692

Saying 50 was an exaggeration on my part. I don't keep a list. Sorry if I was sarcastic.

No questions are dumb ones if the person doesn't know the answer.

I believe your search may have yielded good answers. I guess when I searched I wasn't thinking along the lines of overpowering.

In OP's defense, this question typically comes up in reference to significant (read stupid) overpowering, not 55 hp vs. 50 hp. I don't personally see this one as a big deal. It just disturbs me (and many other boaters) that some posters don't understand, or in some cases simply refuse to acknowledge, the potential ramifications of irresponsible behavior.

Coop, that's exactly where my mind was concerning 50 or 55. Thanks for your reply.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Boats stated max hp is 50, can I use a 55 hp.

Looking forward to seeing how she turns out. Do you have a thread going over in resto?