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[rockonfishing]

 
well season is coming and I am still looking for a used Mercury 3/4 cylinder, I managed to find a 50 in great condition but my boat tag says max 40, do I or not, I can put a governor on the throttle since most I have spoken to say that power is the issue not so much as the weight difference which is minimal.  comments/suggestions
HELP

[Fish or cut bait.]

Well to start,  read your thread title.
You know what you're asking but slow down or lay off the caffeine or....

[rockonfishing]

yep need to cut out sbucks for sure,
So my boat tag states a 40 horse max, however the only motor I could find thus far is a refurbed 50 horse my question is am I an idiot to put a 50 on considering the weight difference is negligible however obviously I will have more power which according to some buddies I know suggest putting on a governor on the throttle.

[Damien]

This is a loaded question.  There are lots of stories of people who run a larger motor than on the sticker rating.  Sometimes there is no issue, as some boats seem underrated for one reason or another.  Other times, the listed rating is most appropriate. 

Either way, if you are checked by coast guard or police while on the water, could that be an issue?  What if something happens on the water, could liability or insurance be an issue?

This being said, my friend's boat is rated for 20hp, he has a 40hp 2 stroke and a 8hp 4 stroke kicker hanging on the back.  The boat is absolutely safe, stable, doesnt ride low in the back and the transom is completely solid after years and years of use.  His boat is 'overbuilt' for the rating.

Also 40hp or 50hp 2 strokes weight a lot less than a 4 stroke of equivalent power.  You won't really know what works for you boat until you try.

If that 50 is a good runner, and you can buy it.  Go ahead and do it, see how it does.  Take it easy, and if it works well, great.  If not, list it for sale or trade and move down.

In some years and motors, the 40hp and 50hp weight difference is minimal, same block, just the carb, timing and some other small things making the extra 10hp.

[doja]

Google your boat with the over rated motor of similar specs and see what you find...

I'm thinking the torque is the main concern,  not the weight of the motor...  Can always reinforce to make up the difference and/or avoid hammering the gas as that will definitely stress it out! And make sure the boat is structurally sound where the extra torque is going to be applied... After all it is an extra 20-25% more torque than it MAY HAVE been engineered for... I'd think unless it's a cheap or crappie design you'd probably be fine... Minus heavy throttling (ex,  fast starts....)  as that's when I'd expect things to start to fail or wear prematurely....

The fact that there is no motor weight listing means it's probably has little to no bearing on things and falls under the payload rating when playing by the rules... A really heavy motor plus more torque is more of a problem than a light one.  Hp is for torque(distributed amongst the transom/ boat)   that it can safely handle before things "give"

[fish fishburn]

If im not mistaken the 40 and 50 hp are almost identical in weight. Its only 10 hp more then the rating plate. I say go for it you should be fine.

[mikeyman]

If you plan on putting insurance on the boat u may have problems. Or just switch the hp decals to 40. Like some do with 15 hp switch to 9.9 so no register required.

[doja]

If you plan on putting insurance on the boat u may have problems. Or just switch the hp decals to 40. Like some do with 15 hp switch to 9.9 so no register required.

Pretty sure you won't have any problems with insurance till something bad happens...  In which case switching decals and making a claim for personal injury = potentially big legal problems.... Lol

If skirting the rules just don't let bad things happen... Make sure all safety gear is available (mandatory PFD is worn while in transit)  and working and you're ready for action when it happens... Also hypothermia is no joke... If you can travel close to shore do it! A PDF won't save your life in cold water with slow or no emergency response....

[rockonfishing]

thanks all for some great comments, I confirmed with my insurance that if boat is used primarily for fishing not towing all is good and no changes to policy,
trusting company, so now looking for a 50 merc if anyone has a lead on one, would appreciate the info.
thanks again,
Fish on