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2000 Mercury 30 hp, possible to convert to 40 hp?

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Swarlos

Regular Contributor
Hey folks, I've got a 2000 Mercury 30hp motor on a pontoon boat. It pushes the boat just fine with a couple people on it (about 16 mph), but it sure slows down when the boat is full (didn't measure speed while full).

The service manual that I got for the motor seems to be the same for 30 and 40hp models. Is it possible for me to convert the 30hp to 40hp? What would it take if that is the case?

Thanks for the advise in advance.
 
It would be a waste of your time and money. Seriously.

Both motors have the dame displacement, so "hop up" techniques are used to raise the hp at high rpm---just what you do not need for your application.

Jeff
 
Swarlos said:
So an engine going higher rpm is a waste? So when they sell the 40 hp from the factory it's junk?
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If the engine was mounted on light 14' skiff you would notice the performance increase. Sadly, all you're going to get out of a pontoon is higher fuel consumption and no noticeable increase in performance.
 
Do yourself a favor and look up rated HP vs torque and what RPM each peaks at. Maybe that'll give you a better idea of what these guys are trying to tell you.
 
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The capacity plate for the boat says max 50 hp. I was thinking it would be nice to get to 40 without buying a new motor, but I guess 50 wouldn't be any better than 30.
 
Swarlos said:
I guess I'll look for a 20 hp motor then since I'm just wasting gas on the 30 hp.
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The point I was trying to make was that there is a line between investment and diminishing return. When you ask for advice you have to prepare yourself for not hearing what you want to hear. With a pontoon boat, performance gains aren't as easily obtained because of the nature of the hull design, so it often times takes much larger boosts in horsepower in order to see any signifigant gains. So I offer you an honest opinion that you asked for. By all means invest in the parts that you need, convert it and happy times ahead :)
 
It's a matter of degree. I understand that there are diminishing returns, but to suggest that there will be no difference is what I bristle at.
 
No idea, you'll need your engine serial number to start surveying the different and similar parts between the two. Lot's of research to do. Good luck!
 
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