Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

[TimberwolfFXDL]

Assuming they both run good, is there much involved in the swap?

I found a local guy with a trophy fishing boat with a 125hp Force (with stainless prop) for $1600. The boat itself is in good condition and includes the trailer. I'm thinking of picking it up, swapping the motors between mine and his, then reselling the fishing boat.

Think it would be worthwhile? I'm thinking if I sat on it until spring I should be able to get close to the purchase price of the fishing boat back.

Is there much involved in the swap? Will the fuel line, throttle cable, shift cables, steering linkage, etc all mate up ok?

I've heard I can reinforce the transom if needed with aluminum plate. Anyone point me toward tips on doing that?

Will I see a decent performance increase? In what respect? My boat is a 1987 Bayliner Cobra, as seen here:

 

[TimberwolfFXDL]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

Oooh, found another for $1200. Bet I could pull it home for a grand. Not bad for 125hp if it's a good performance increase?

 

[jerryjerry05]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

What's your boat rated for? 90hp?A bigger motor could get you a ticket.
Some cops don't care others do.Coasties get ugly about over power.
On the other hand the transom is probably strong enough.Just make sure the length on both motor is the same.They made a 20" and a 25".J

 

[Fish-a-Palooza]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

I did this swap about 2 years ago for no other reason than to go faster. I didn't notice that much of a performance increase, about 5 MPH on the GPS. I was hoping for 10 or more. I am assuming the increased weight of the 125 engine was the reason it didn't happen

The only difference on mine was the 85 was clamped on and the 125 had a transom bracket which made me drill some holes in the transom to mount it. No problem. Everything else was the same.

I used to worry about what the coasties and local law enforcement thought until I realized they don't have clue and they only focus on that if they are investigating a mishap. That being said, if you mount a 200hp outboard on a 12ft anything it would probably look out of place and raise some questions.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

Since it takes four times the horsepower to double speed (rule of thumb) yes, swapping in the 125 will only give you about 5 MPH more. However, the acceleration--hole shot will be noticeably faster due to the increased torque of the 4 cylinder engine. Assuming both engines are prior to 94 and both are the same length, the swap will take about 1/2 to 1 hour. Everything is the same.

As mentioned above, you need to be careful about your hull's rating.

Here you can see a .080 plate on the rear of the transom and the top of a 2 X 6 aluminum angle that extends down into the splashwell. The .080 plate cushions the clamps and prevents them from cutting into the fiberglass while the angle reinforces the transom to prevent flexing. I do it prophylacticly on all my boats.

Again, for your pleasure, here is a photo of a 15 footer with a 105/120. She does 45

 

[kfouryou]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

nice pic s frank thats a good idea on the brace, I think I might borrow your idea if you don't mind

 

[TimberwolfFXDL]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

Picked up a capri today with a great running 125hp Force, a stainless prop, and power trim. It's 18'+ and while the jeep tows it ok, not sure about getting it out of the water. It's open bow, and has a better seating arrangement and obviously will accommodate more people. It also needs a floor, as it's spongy throughout.

Now the decision comes... swap motors, keep the cobra with a 125 on it, and sell the capri with the 85, or keep the capri and sell the cobra as it is.

Decisions, decisions.

The cobra is 16'+ and I've already had it in and out of the water. It tows great. There's a soft spot on the floor, but not near as bad as the capri. Only seats 4 people, 2 forward, 2 back. It's light, tows great, and might be pretty fun with the 125 on the back. I think I could sell the capri with the 85 on it and recover most if not all the money spent, essentially making the upgrade to the 125 free.

So far I have just over a grand into each boat. I don't think I'd have much problem getting my money back for either one if I sit on them until spring.

Hmmm.....

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

Before you decide, try running the Cobra first. Then swap out the engine onto the Capri and run it.

Since both hulls need some repair, I think after running, the decision will make itself: Speed will probably not be too much different and I suspect you will decide to keep the bigger boat.

As far as ramps, you can always get a couple of people to sit in the jeep or slap a couple of sandbags in the back if pulling out becomes a problem. AND---I don't think the bigger boat is heavier than your towing capacity. I doubt if the whole thing is more than 3000 pounds.

Oh yeah, congrats on buying a GOOD looking Force. White ones had much better styling!

 

[TimberwolfFXDL]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

I've run the cobra. Other then being a little over-propped it did fine. Nothing exciting, but it ran out good and drove fine.

My intent when looking at the capri was to find an inexpensive boat with the 125 on it to swap to the cobra. The capri just turned out to be a little nicer than I expected (other than the floor).

I like the lines of the cobra. the lowrider I call it With some more power it could be fun.
I like the roominess of the capri with it's open bow and increased seating and floor space.

For some reason it's unseasonably warm today. I think I'm going to dip the capri so I can get a comparison to the cobra.

 

[sidenberg]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

Timberwolf,
I may be interested in a Trophy. I do not suppose you are in California?

 

[TimberwolfFXDL]

Re: Swapping out the 85hp Force for a 125hp Force. Worth it?

Timberwolf,
I may be interested in a Trophy. I do not suppose you are in California?

Sorry. not even close. I'm in Michigan. I passed on the trophy anyway and picked up the Capri.

Thread update:

Took the capri out today. No point in swapping motors. The Capri, even though it's a much bigger boat, does a full 6-7mph more than the cobra. With the additional space inside, my lady was much more happy with it. I think we're going to give it a good cleaning, replace the floor and keep it. Not sure if we'll keep or sell the cobra too.

Did I mention I picked up a four winns project too? Good grief... it's becoming a marina around here!

October in Michigan is a good place/time to pick up deals