Replacing Merc 50 with Merc 9.9

[pas]

I would like to eliminate my old 50 hp Mercury that has electric start and steering wheel and purchase a new 9.9 hp Mercury. Is it possible to use the existing wiring and steering on the new 9.9?

 

[galamb]

When you say "new" 9.9, if you mean a 9.9 four stroke electric start remote model from factory the steering should not be an issue - steering is fairly generic particularly between the two horsepowers that you note.

The wiring MIGHT be a whole different game.

How old is the "old" 50? is it a 2 stroke? etc

You would have to compare the harness on the old and new models. At minimum as long they have the same number of wires and feed the same things you may be able to simply change a connector plug - otherwise you may need to run some new wiring.

What boat are you repowering here?

Going from 50 horses down to 9.9 is a pretty significant step down in power - a 9.9 would often be nothing more than a trolling motor on a craft powered by a 50 - just curious.

 

[pas]

Thanks for the reply. You are correct that I would like to purchase a new 9.9 four stroke electric start.

I have a 1979 15' aluminum BassTracker boat. The 50 hp is also a 1979 two stroke.

I live in the north central Illinois area. Every lake in our area has a 10 hp limit. (Some 15 hp). The only place I can run the 50 is on the Illinois River or go out of state. The stern weight is already heavy with the 50 hp, gas tank, batteries and live well. Adding the 9.9 as a kicker would really add to the stern weight. That's where the idea of replacement came in.

I wish the state of Illinois would go to a "no wake" policy using larger motors instead of a 10 hp limit. I know the 9.9 will plow thru the water, but until the laws change,

 

[guyjg]

I wish the state of Illinois would go to a "no wake" policy

So do I but the problem is half of the bass boaters and ski boaters that I see ignore the "Idle Zones" and run WOT when the wardens are not around. Too bad they can't obey the laws.