25 vs 40 HP ??

Gr8waves · 05-31-2005, 01:49 PM

I have a 16' Smokercraft Lodge with a 25 HP 2 stroke on it and want to upgrade to a 40 HP 2 stroke with power trim. Has anyone out there gone from 25 to 40 on a similar boat? What kind of improvements did you see (hole shot, top end, altitude performance etc)?

Thanks,

John

Salmon Stryker · 05-31-2005, 01:52 PM

You could try and PM Sublime. He has or had a smaller smoker with a 40hp on it.

rola76 · 05-31-2005, 01:52 PM

I think on that size of a boat 15 horse would be a significant difference, in virtually all aspects you mentioned. In terms of weight difference, I don't know, but you're talking about an 80% increase in power.

Ever since I was a kid, my dad taught me to always max out HP...you'll never regret it! :grin:

uhmw · 05-31-2005, 02:20 PM

My brother switched from 25 hrs merc to a 40 hrs honda and it made a huge differance. He has a smoker craft lodge series 16 ft I think. It feels like you could pull a skier behind it now- completly gutless befor. With the 25 horse we couldnt get on plane with more then two in the boat. Now it jumps to plane with 4 on board. Huge differance running against current too.

Chrome Bumper · 05-31-2005, 03:08 PM

Scotty we need more power!!

FallRiverGuy · 05-31-2005, 03:41 PM

I have 16 foot Smokercraft Stiletto with a 50 hp motor. Even with the 50 hp motor, I had trouble at times getting on plane at higher elevations. A hydrofoil has solved this problem completely. The trouble with my boat is it is stern heavy. With downriggers, a kicker and main motor, and the fuel cell all located on the stern, it can require all the 50 can give to get her up. 40 hp is not too much motor for your boat. Once on plane I can cruse at 23 mph and push it to 28 (via gps).

Snakebite · 05-31-2005, 03:47 PM

I hate to say it but I will anyway. More horsepower means more dangerous! But there is a fine line between adequate HP and just plane (pun intended) wimpy. My 8 hp Merc. on my Smoker Alaskan just barely gets me on a plane. Anything less would be silly, but much more might be unmanageable. On the other hand, I boated into a camp site last year with everything but the kitchen sink, and was very dissapointed with the power, or lack therof...however, I was very overloaded and going fast could have easily been disasterous. Moral of the story is: situations are not constant, and disgression is the better part of valor...and safety! Just remember, the faster you can go in a boat, the longer it takes to slow down or stop. I don't care who you are, that's the truth right there! After jet sledding on the Upper Deschutes doing carcass surveys, I've developed a healthy respect for speed! I got lucky, but it could have gone the other way in a hurry!

sandman · 05-31-2005, 04:57 PM

I changed from a 45 jet,To a 25 merc prop.The 45 put me too deep in the water.The 25 is not as heavy.Yea,maybe with more people in the boat it takes a while to plane,but i feel alot safer

smokerchick · 05-31-2005, 06:03 PM

I have a 16' lodge series. Original motor was 25hp Merc. Did OK but wanted more. After a year upgraded to a 50hp Honda with trim and tiller. I installed a rocker switch in the front of the driver's seat housing to control trim on the fly. Empty,with me only, I have seen 36mph on my gps. I have taken 3 200lb+ in the boat crabbing with all gear and have no problem gettin on plane using the trim tab. Can also cruise easily with full load at about 26mph with power in reserve. I added a trolling plate for springers and can slow troll with it. Also use electric 55lb to troll. Of course the trolling plate reduces my top end performance. The four stroke is MUCH quieter than the 25 Merc. If you want a ride, PM me. Fuel consumption is really good with the 4-stroke, also, not to mention a huge reduction in exhaust smell.

Chrome Bumper · 05-31-2005, 06:48 PM

With a new engine consider a remote steering, engine control station so you can move your petite aft section forward for better trim.

Gr8waves · 06-01-2005, 06:02 AM

Tahnks for the replys. ChromeBumper, it is already a remote steer so my petite aft section is forward. I have also moved the fuel tank forward and may move the battery forward, it will depend on the attitude of the boat after the extra 110 lbs is added to the stern.

Mr. BrownTrout · 06-01-2005, 07:24 AM

I wished I had a 40hp instead of my 25hp mercury.

Cast Away · 06-01-2005, 08:29 AM

Gr8waves,

You will not be dissapointed with a 40hp on your 16' lodge.
With just myself the gps reads 34-36 mph. With a full load (myself,wife , son, and 65# Lab) we still hit 30 mph with no problem. The boat preforms well and is also very stable/safe. The 40hp puts it up on a plane easily. Electric tilt/start are a must in my opinion. I had a 25hp on my 15' lodge and it was fine, but the 16' is just enough bigger that you need a 40hp.

I should have mentioned my 40hp is a four stroke, you are looking at a two stroke so I suppose there performance will be a little different.

MacFish · 06-01-2005, 02:17 PM

I had a 40 hp merc stolen off of a 16' bass tracker which was temporarily replaced by an 18hp merc. The 40 needed a tune, but didn't run all that bad, the difference in performance was surprisingly small, if any and the difference in fuel economy was substantial. I ended up keeping the 18. I don't believe these results are are truly representative of the differences in performance between the two motors but I don't think performance goes up proportionately with hp. I probably wouldn't rely on this info to make a decision, but maybe taken together with other info you recieve, it may be worthwhile.

N7754H · 06-01-2005, 05:51 PM

As we say in aviation, theres no replacment for displacment.

CantGetAction · 06-01-2005, 06:10 PM

My last boat was a 15 foot smokercraft tracer. I had a 25hp on it and had trouble getting on plane. I put a 40 hp with a hydrofoil and the performance was great. Not sure what pitch prop I was using but It would top out about 32 mph. Not great speed but fast enough for me. The hydrofoil seemed to make a big difference in ride and performance. I now have a 20 foot hewescraft with a 90 hp honda. I am still using a hydrofoil with this boat too.

Good luck
Del

ICHTHYDEMON · 06-01-2005, 07:59 PM

My Brother has a 16' Lodge series and was talked into a 25hp when he bought it. It was fine when he was fishing alone,but struggled to get on plane when he had more than one guy in the boat. He tried a Doel-fin and it helped,but still wasn't enough. About two months ago he traded up to a 40hp oil injected Merc and the boat now performs very well.

Hes a big guy (6'6" and about 325lbs), when I (230lbs) was with him he hit 31mph on the GPS with the 40. With the 25 he was lucky to get 20mph with two guys.

IMO anything less than a 40 is a waste of time.

Kalamanator · 06-01-2005, 09:16 PM

I have a Lodge ss with a 40 4-stroke, if you want a ride, let me know

Gr8waves · 06-02-2005, 07:01 AM

Kalamanator - PM sent