Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

The boat came with a Mercury 45hp that I do not want. Rather I will be putting on a Mercury 200hp oil injected Black Max. The current setup has the transom inset on the rear.

Question 1. Is there a benefit to extending the motor back so it sets beyond the pontoons VS. being flush with them?

Question 2. How do I know, or how can I figure out if the current transom is able to support the 4X larger HP and 3X heavier weight of the 200hp.

The transom is NOT fully aluminum. It has a 1 1/2 think piece of wood that mounts up to the engine.

Thank you guys for your help

Having the motor set further back improves overall performance, particularily when turning.

WIthout more details, it's impossible to definitively say if your boat/transom can support the new motor. BUT, it's a very safe bet that your boat isn't rated for anything near that much HP. Also keep in mind fuel. You'd probably burn around 15-20 gallons per hour at WOT with the new engine. Most boats what that size motor have 40-50 gallon tanks and I"m guessing your boat doesn't have anywhere near that.

Im not sure what it’s rated for. I have watched several videos in motor sizes and they all say a 24’ pontoon will perform nicely with a 150hp+ engine. What other details can I provided to help you guys with assisting me? How do I post pics? I would love to get your opinions on the whole project and feedback as I go along.

I would look at the boat ID tag and see what the boat is rated for as a maximum horse power. You can put what ever you want on, but if the connections from the transom to the boat are not able to handle it you may be in a world of hurt. I would think that reinforcing those connections would be needed for that size motor swap.

Gustopho wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 29, 2022 8:21 am

Im not sure what it’s rated for. I have watched several videos in motor sizes and they all say a 24’ pontoon will perform nicely with a 150hp+ engine. What other details can I provided to help you guys with assisting me? How do I post pics? I would love to get your opinions on the whole project and feedback as I go along.

24' boats with a 150+ HP engine that are DESIGNED to perform nicely, will peform nicely. How old is your boat? What size are the toons? Brand and model? etc. etc. As New at This said, it's likely you'd need to do significant upgrading of the transom, etc..

That's a huge upgrade and my guess is the amount of work required and the likelihood of a successful outcome would make it a project I'd shy away from.

steve1313 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 29, 2022 3:18 am

Having the motor set further back improves overall performance, particularily when turning.

WIthout more details, it's impossible to definitively say if your boat/transom can support the new motor. BUT, it's a very safe bet that your boat isn't rated for anything near that much HP. Also keep in mind fuel. You'd probably burn around 15-20 gallons per hour at WOT with the new engine. Most boats what that size motor have 40-50 gallon tanks and I"m guessing your boat doesn't have anywhere near that.

So o found this tank and I am asking if you think these would be suitable to mount under the floor. I would think putting them about 8’ forward from the end of the pontoon tube, one one each side of the center line would help in weight distribution. Also, because of the design, wouldn’t it be perfect for cutting through any waves of mounted under the deck?

https://www.greatlakesskipper.com/moell ... Q4QAvD_BwE

Gustopho wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 08, 2022 11:24 pm

So o found this tank and I am asking if you think these would be suitable to mount under the floor. I would think putting them about 8’ forward from the end of the pontoon tube, one one each side of the center line would help in weight distribution. Also, because of the design, wouldn’t it be perfect for cutting through any waves of mounted under the deck?

https://www.greatlakesskipper.com/moell ... Q4QAvD_BwE

Not sure how you'd mount that securely below the floor. And if it caught a wave or wake while underway, I'm thinking it would get ripped right off from the force. Then you've got a fuel spill and environmental issue to deal with.