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Been keeping an eye out for a replacement motor for my 73 sport 13 that currently has an 83 Mariner and I noticed this Mercury 50 ELPTO on Boattrader:http://www.boattrader.com/listing/200...O-95854813

Looks like a good deal. Anyone know how much that thing weighs or have any opinions on it? I think it's under 200 pounds.

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When overpowering or going up to a larger engine that what is recommended for a certain size Whaler, go to the next chart in our article section for Current Engine Choices.
Here is the Current Engine Choices for a 15' Whaler.
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...icle_id=77

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Someone here once said that Whaler says not to exceed 200 lbs. on the transom of the 13'. The engine you showed seems to weigh 204 lbs. so it's in the ballpark. Maybe try putting a weight in the transom to see how low it sits in the water before you make the purchase.

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You can also look at the personal pages and here and see what others have on their 13's. Then email them to see what they think of the performance. If you go to browse all personal pages and then click on length it will group them all together

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Your current engine is about 150#. Before I dropped anything heavier on the boat, toss a 40# bag of sand in the back and see how she sits. Try to stay as light as possible

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I appreciate all the feedback, but I was really asking for some info on the 50 ELPTO.

The current engine choice articles are nice, but they all list new engines, much more difficult to find weights on older/used engines, and it seems there is no 40hp choice under 200# in a new engine anymore(unless you count the 50 yamaha 2 stroke).

I have been over every post and personal page I can find and there are few pics of 13 whalers with 240# motors in the water and the consensus seems to be go with a 30 and under if buying new. Perhaps a new 30 would be about equivalent to my 83 40hp, not sure, I really would not like to step down in power on this boat.

At this point I might just wait another year and start thinking about getting a bigger boat as I have found I like boating more and more recently, and like Whalers a whole lot after having this 13.

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I would get the 50hp 2 stroke Yamaha. I believe it is 198lbs. Check out my personal page.

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Ahh, I see you took the old Merc off of her and threw on Yamaha. How is it running for ya?

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jharrell,
weights are available for older outboards on the NADA listings, as long as it's not too old
NADA Outboards

You might read this this recent thread on repower a 13 footer.
These boats are very touchy when it comes to weight, which is why I suggested you use a bag of sand.

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kamie,

I did hit nada on that motor, which is why I thought it was under 200# except that it list 199# dry weight for all models tilt/trim or not, which means it's not exactly accurate. 199# is probably for the lightest no tilt/trim version so it prob closer to 215-220#. It must be a rather large displacement for a 50 to weight that much with carbs.

A new yamaha 50 would be nice, but at 198, I could just do 20 pounds more and get a Honda 40/50 4stroke or a 40 Mercury 4s.

I would like to redo the interior too, replacing with a super sport one and move it forward 6" as I have heard that helps some with heavier motors, along with fuel and battery further forward.

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OK, here is my opinion. The 50hp Merc will work fine on your 13 footer, it will go like hell, the 200 hundred pound weight on your transom is about the max. I run a 157 lb. 4 stroke Merc 25, and a 40lb. rear mounted electric trolling motor. I wouldn`t want any more weight back there, has nothing to do with strength of transom, but the boat sits pretty deep when a person is also standing in the stern. The bad points. From what I have read, the 3 cylinder Merc was not one of their better outboards, the price is way to high for a 50hp `83 outboard, especially coming from a salt water area, although the motor looks pretty clean in the picture. Possibly the worst part is the dealer has a bad rep, and is VERY expensive. parts wise and apparently motor wise. He once quoted me a price on an OMC part that he stocks, which was double the price from a Johnson dealer two miles away, I would stay away from a 3 holer Merc, and the dealer also. If you want 50hp look for a 2 cyl. OMC which is a bullet proof motor or a 50hp Yamaha, which I believe is a copy of the OMC.

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Binkie,

The 50 Merc is 2001, my current motor is the 83 :). So for a 2001 I thought it was a good deal, looks like it was used on a pontoon with that prop. Nice to know about that dealer, thanks.

Maybe my perspective is just off, my 83 40hp mariner, which is really a 2cyl yamaha seems very tired and I get 34mph WOT on perfect conditions. Perhaps a new 30 e-tec might perform the same? I would guess an 83 40hp was probably rated at the powerhead not the prop.

I really like the idea of a new honda bf40 or bf50 (same block same wieght) with EFI. They are relatively light and great on gas and now with EFI and BLAST should perform very well, although they are probably expensive compared to a new Merc. Can't find anyone running a Honda on a 13 foot whaler though, doesn't seem to be a popular choice.

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jharrell,

The Merc 50 does sound like a good deal. The reason you don't see many 13s with 240lbs plus engines is cause it's just to much weight. My 40, right at 200lbs and me standing in the stern. I only have around 5 inches of free board left. That means a 1ft wake is coming over my stern so to speak.

I would not buy that Merc if the guy will not let you test the engine on a boat. I know this sounds strange but you never take someones word a engine is ok. If the guy will let you test the engine. I would run it WOT and come off a plane and take it out of gear and see how it idles. If it's a good engine it should idle without hesitation. Don't be afraid to run the engine through the paces. 2 stroke engines like to be run hard if you know what I mean. A lot of folks like the 4 strokes these day's because of less smoke. 4 strokes are nice but to heavy for 13s IMO. My friend growing up had a 1987 SS 13 that came with a Merc 25. It's amazing cause we knee boarded all through Shore Acres in St. Pete. His grand dad bought the boat new. We never had a problem planning with the boat. I guess these classic 13s gained some weight and need bigger engines now.

The only reason I suggested the Yamaha 50 is cause it's the same weight as my 40. I love how my boat runs with a 40hp. It's nice to know you have the power when you need it the most. I guarantee you will love that combination.

Let us know what you end up with though. Good luck!

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One overlooked issue is that the engine comes off a pontoon boat. I have no experience with it, but many folks on several sites say to avoid engines that were used on pontoons. I'm sure some were lugged if not propped correctly, and others might be fine, but I don't know.

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34mph on a classic 13' is pretty good. If I'm lucky, I'll hit 32mph with my 1993 40 Yamaha.

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My 1961 13 footer with a '08 25 Merc/Tohatsu 4 stroke will run at 28-29mph with 2 people. At 157lbs, plus a 40lb stern mounted trolling motor, however it takes a while to get there. I run an 11 pitch prop. When coming off plane too fast it will take water over the stern, so I installed a bilge pump in the rear area.

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Has anyone tried a E-TEC 30HP on a 13 whaler to see how it performs?

Comparing the displacements my 40 mariner is 592cc and the E-TEC 30 is 578cc in fact most 30hp's are similar to my 40, while modern 40's are all around 800cc.

I would bet my 40 is probably a 30 at the prop by today's standards.

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It was 1984 when they changed from crankshaft to prop hp ratings.