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Mercury 40hp vs 90hp

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brian7309

New member
I have a couple questions for

I have a couple questions for anyone who might be able to answer them...

1. Can someone tell me the dry weight of a 1996 Mariner Magnum 40hp w/electic trim and a 1984 Mariner 90hp w/electric trim? Or where I can go to find the weights of both?

2. I currently have the 40hp on my 20' pontoon and am considering putting the 90hp on it. Is this a stupid idea considering the age difference in the motors?

Thank you for your input!
 
"Jb thanks for the reply, the

"Jb thanks for the reply, the problem is my pontoon is reated for a 45 hp, and I have 22 inch pontoons on a 20 foot boat, with me sitting on the top of my 40 hp and im 230lb the boat drops 3 inches, the other issue is the 90 hp which I have is I now believe a 1985 mariner, do or anyone know if this is a reliable engine, and if it is a dumb move getting rid of the 1995 mariner magnum for the bigger motor, which the serial number is A904211. Thanks very much for the help."
 
"at max the larger engine woul

"at max the larger engine would be 100lbs heavier. The transom is not rated for the stress of a 90hp pushing a 20ft boat, one day that 90hp will go swimming. I advise staying with the 40hp, check the rpm for max and pack a couple more beers."
 
The 40 horse will run about 17

The 40 horse will run about 175 and the 90 just a hair over 300 pounds (give or take 5 pounds).

And the A904 serial is an 85 model...
 
"thanks again, I actually foun

"thanks again, I actually found a transom that is rated for the 90, is it a good engine,I just dont want to get into a reliability issue, and I also found a third pontoon kit for it to help with the extra weight"
 
"Merc's 90 is probably the

"Merc's 90 is probably their most prolific engine of all time - and is 1 of only 2, 2-stroke outboards still produced in North America today.

Having said that, an 85 models is still "old" and they have made some very positive modifications to the model over the years, including increasing the displacement to make them more durable.

If it was a 95 I would say go right for it. Personally I would have no issue with the older motor, but I personally, would also be prepared to tear it down and rebuild it if it chewed up a piston - so a matter of perspective.

If I was in the market for a 90 and could pick it up real cheap I would factor the cost of a rebuild (500-700 bucks) and then compare that to the cost of a new engine (7K retail) and make a decision from there."
 
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