Alternate outboard mount

"I have 2001 35/50 Honda mount

"I have 2001 35/50 Honda mounted on 20' aluminum river sled. I fish the Kenia heavily in June - August and there is a motor restriction of 50 hp. I am wanting to purchase an alternate outboard that I can swap out for hunting in the fall and saltwater fishing in the spring. I would like to get something between a 90 & 150. My question is are the controls the same? (steering, throttle etc) Does anyone know the largest size motor in which the holes in the transom would be the same? Is there an alternative direction I should take? Any help would be appreciated..."

"According to the Clymer manua

"According to the Clymer manual I got just today, the controls could be the same, but you'll have to adjust them. Steering is another matter. The mounting holes are standardized."

"Initial thought is to mount a

"Initial thought is to mount a rather short (1 to 1.5 foot) motor extension bracket on your boat. That will make it a lot easier to change out the engines and give you the ability to adjust mounting heights for optimum performance. Also gives you room to adjust controls, if needed.

BUT - seems like an engine between 90 to 150 HP may be a little too much for your boat. What is its maximum rated HP? That will be on the manufacturer's plate on the boat."

"I am with W D Neal on checkin

"I am with W D Neal on checking if your boat is rated for a larger motor.

If you go with a 90 to 150 Honda with fuel injection, you will need an extra warning light set (check engine and charge), which can be easily wired separately with a separate three wire cable. The newer controls have heavier wiring to handle the increased output of the alternators. Your existing may work but start having some electrical issues after a while.

The control cable ends may have to be changed but they just unscrew. You will need to adjust them anyway at the engine end.

The tach setting will have to be changed or the tach may have to be changed if you have the original tach that came with the 50 hp in 2001.

The biggest issue could be steering when you get above a 90 HP. If you do not have hydraulic steering, you may want to consider it, especially if you go to a 150. The steering torque increases significantly when you get to that size."

Thanks for all the information

Thanks for all the information. The boat is rated to 175 Hp (welded heavy guage aluminum). I don't think I want anything bigger than 150 as I could start busting welds... I thought about looking into the the transom extender and wondered if there is one that can adjust up and down hydraulically? The hydraulic steering I didnt even think about. I think I need to research this a bit to find out where the hydraulic unit would sit for the steering.