Converting Motor

bassbooger · 08-22-07, 08:34 AM

I have found a 40HP Seahorse that I am very interested in buying for my boat. The only problem is the motor is made for a boat with a steering wheel and my boat isn't. How hard is it to convert this motor to a tiller handle? By what I can tell by the pictures, it is all a matter of bolting on the tiller handle and removing all the cables. Am I right on this?

Also, my boat didn't come with a weight plate on it due to it's age. I have done the measurements and the calculations only to find out that the coast gaurd would rate it at 35 HP, would it actually hurt this boat if I put a 40 on it since there is no plate for the game warden to look at and give him an excuse to write me a ticket?

WTL · 08-22-07, 09:39 AM

Dont know about converting it to a tiller. 40 hp is awfully big for a tiller motor though.

Regarding the plate, my 13.5 foot boat would be rated for a 15 and it has a 25 on it. We used to have a 15 but it was too slow, the 25 is more like it - and nobody knows to call us up on it cause again it has no plate.

bassbooger · 08-22-07, 01:43 PM

Thanks WTL. Not sure about a 40HP being too big for a tiller handle though. My uncle has a 90 HP that is tiller handle, that thing is huge. I have also found pictures of a 40 HP having a tiller handle on it, so I know it can be done. Just have to find out if converting from one to the other is an easy task.

WTL · 08-22-07, 02:54 PM

I think I may have seen them before too, but I think a 40 tiller is the largest I've seen. 90? No way. Gotta be a big dude to have a 90 with a tiller. Thats like the william wallace sword I saw over in scotland, the thing is supposedly really william wallace's sword - its a 2 handed sword over 6 feet in length. Extrapolating from that scientists and historians think Wallace must have been at least 6 ft 6 to heft it, which for those times would put him in yao ming or zooker territory relative to his fellow countrymen.

zooker · 08-22-07, 05:33 PM

boogy
look at the front of the moter. most older johnny's have a steel loop in this loop is a funny looking key hole. you put the steering control thru this key hole. also if you have johnson throttle controls you can take the tiller handle off and use them -they will fit right up..

zooker

lizardsrule · 08-22-07, 07:42 PM

Why not just install a stick steer for it. Easy and less toruble than continuosly changing places for fishing and driving.

Lizards

1FASTLASER · 08-23-07, 06:17 AM

Yes its just a matter of adding or bolting up the tiller handle and rigging the correct throttle linkage. I run a 40hp tiller on my old 14ft Duracraft and it would perform VERY well. It was a 2 cylinder that just SCREAMED. The Drawback wasn't the fear of a ticket the issue was the fact that when up and running full tilt boogie you had to remeber to throttle back to make a sharp turn or you just slid across the water. What length boat you planning on putting this on. I know the Seahorse wont runlike mine but performance issues will still be about the same as far as handling. You also have to remeber the weight issue. Bigger motor,needs more fuel. Get the picture. Ifn your boat is a WIDE bottom and/or longer than 14ft it wont be that big of an issue but still one to deal with. Lemme know what length and bottom you have and I can be more specific. The idea of a stick steer is a GREAT one ifn ya have a boat that can be setup for it and it will resolve some of the above issues.

bassbooger · 08-23-07, 09:34 AM

My boat from transom to front point is 14.5 ft exactly; it is a trihull bottom that is about 5 feet wide. Below is a pic of what it looks like from the side. Don't know for sure about how to put a stick steer in, but that is a possibility I suppose. Is there somewhee I can look to get an idea of how to do it?

These may not be the best, but they will give you an idea of what it looks like.

leroy · 08-23-07, 12:53 PM

May not answer your question but that is a nice looking boat! How stable is it standing on the casting deck n the front?

bassbooger · 08-23-07, 02:07 PM

Thanks Leroy!!

With that wide bottom, the boat is very stable, no matter where you are standing at.

leroy · 08-23-07, 04:00 PM

I have a Jon boat I am converting by adding a deck and live well and Sockets for Lights etc. And it's about as wide as that. Right now I have an old V-hull Boat and its like an oversized Canoe. Scary at times.

WTL · 08-23-07, 04:16 PM

Leroy, those v hulls arent all bad depending on how small they are. My 13.5 ft boat is an old sears V hull, its cuts the water much better than a jon, and with a 25 horse does a legit 35 mph. Thats all you really need for around here anyway.

lizardsrule · 08-23-07, 08:31 PM

http://www.tritonboats.com/frames2.asp?cat=3&bid=248
This is just a link to the kinda boat that's a stick steer. Unfortunately I couldn't find a closeup, this weekend I'll take a few pics of mine. That boat is begging for a stick steer IMO. Basically a stick steer is connected the same as a steering wheel. However what you steer with is a stick/handle that when going straight is pointing straight up. You push it forward, and pull it back to change directions. It's mounted on the side of the boat, in your case right by the front seat. You add a electric starter, and throttle, which it obviously had when setup earlier, and you start the boat from your seat, take off and steer from your seat, and never have to change location to use the big motor or the trolling motor. I do love my little boat, and it does come in handy many times. The one drawback is your weight is up front, but with the bigger motor, you should be in decent shape getting up on plane, and keeping from plowing water like I do occasionally. That however is more of a smaller motor, and the flat front end issue on my boat.

Lizards

bassbooger · 08-24-07, 10:15 AM

Been doing some searching and I am really starting to like the stick steer idea. I love the space in the middle of my boat, that is why I was looking at converting to a tiller handle, but after looking at the stick steer, I am leaning toward doing that. That is if I get the motor; I am supposed to go look at it this weekend, but the guy hasn't called me back with directions yet. I'll let everybody know what is up if I get to see it.

1FASTLASER · 08-24-07, 06:12 PM

Been meaning to get back to ya. YES this boat is BEGGING for stick steer and will take that 40hp and love it. That kinda hull design in actuality is one of the better stick steer hulls....meaning it that the boat will handle VERY well.

08-22-07, 08:34 AM	#1
bassbooger BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, NC Posts: 316	Converting Motor I have found a 40HP Seahorse that I am very interested in buying for my boat. The only problem is the motor is made for a boat with a steering wheel and my boat isn't. How hard is it to convert this motor to a tiller handle? By what I can tell by the pictures, it is all a matter of bolting on the tiller handle and removing all the cables. Am I right on this? Also, my boat didn't come with a weight plate on it due to it's age. I have done the measurements and the calculations only to find out that the coast gaurd would rate it at 35 HP, would it actually hurt this boat if I put a 40 on it since there is no plate for the game warden to look at and give him an excuse to write me a ticket? __________________ cast, reel, cast!!! Repeat if necessary!! Dallas, NC

08-22-07, 09:39 AM	#2
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	Dont know about converting it to a tiller. 40 hp is awfully big for a tiller motor though. Regarding the plate, my 13.5 foot boat would be rated for a 15 and it has a 25 on it. We used to have a 15 but it was too slow, the 25 is more like it - and nobody knows to call us up on it cause again it has no plate. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

08-22-07, 01:43 PM	#3
bassbooger BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, NC Posts: 316	Thanks WTL. Not sure about a 40HP being too big for a tiller handle though. My uncle has a 90 HP that is tiller handle, that thing is huge. I have also found pictures of a 40 HP having a tiller handle on it, so I know it can be done. Just have to find out if converting from one to the other is an easy task. __________________ cast, reel, cast!!! Repeat if necessary!! Dallas, NC

08-22-07, 02:54 PM	#4
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	I think I may have seen them before too, but I think a 40 tiller is the largest I've seen. 90? No way. Gotta be a big dude to have a 90 with a tiller. Thats like the william wallace sword I saw over in scotland, the thing is supposedly really william wallace's sword - its a 2 handed sword over 6 feet in length. Extrapolating from that scientists and historians think Wallace must have been at least 6 ft 6 to heft it, which for those times would put him in yao ming or zooker territory relative to his fellow countrymen. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

08-22-07, 05:33 PM	#5
zooker BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: denton nc Posts: 13,441	boogy look at the front of the moter. most older johnny's have a steel loop in this loop is a funny looking key hole. you put the steering control thru this key hole. also if you have johnson throttle controls you can take the tiller handle off and use them -they will fit right up.. zooker __________________ the godfather.. aml in remission since 7-20-09

08-22-07, 07:42 PM	#6
lizardsrule BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saint Augustine, FL Posts: 7,374	Why not just install a stick steer for it. Easy and less toruble than continuosly changing places for fishing and driving. Lizards __________________ There are three types of Snakes I hate 1. Live Snakes 2. Dead Snakes 3. Sticks that look like Snakes. And Gators too!

08-23-07, 06:17 AM	#7
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Yes its just a matter of adding or bolting up the tiller handle and rigging the correct throttle linkage. I run a 40hp tiller on my old 14ft Duracraft and it would perform VERY well. It was a 2 cylinder that just SCREAMED. The Drawback wasn't the fear of a ticket the issue was the fact that when up and running full tilt boogie you had to remeber to throttle back to make a sharp turn or you just slid across the water. What length boat you planning on putting this on. I know the Seahorse wont runlike mine but performance issues will still be about the same as far as handling. You also have to remeber the weight issue. Bigger motor,needs more fuel. Get the picture. Ifn your boat is a WIDE bottom and/or longer than 14ft it wont be that big of an issue but still one to deal with. Lemme know what length and bottom you have and I can be more specific. The idea of a stick steer is a GREAT one ifn ya have a boat that can be setup for it and it will resolve some of the above issues. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

08-23-07, 09:34 AM	#8
bassbooger BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, NC Posts: 316	My boat from transom to front point is 14.5 ft exactly; it is a trihull bottom that is about 5 feet wide. Below is a pic of what it looks like from the side. Don't know for sure about how to put a stick steer in, but that is a possibility I suppose. Is there somewhee I can look to get an idea of how to do it? These may not be the best, but they will give you an idea of what it looks like. __________________ cast, reel, cast!!! Repeat if necessary!! Dallas, NC

08-23-07, 12:53 PM	#9
leroy BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 212	May not answer your question but that is a nice looking boat! How stable is it standing on the casting deck n the front?

08-23-07, 02:07 PM	#10
bassbooger BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, NC Posts: 316	Thanks Leroy!! With that wide bottom, the boat is very stable, no matter where you are standing at. __________________ cast, reel, cast!!! Repeat if necessary!! Dallas, NC

08-23-07, 04:00 PM	#11
leroy BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Birmingham, AL Posts: 212	I have a Jon boat I am converting by adding a deck and live well and Sockets for Lights etc. And it's about as wide as that. Right now I have an old V-hull Boat and its like an oversized Canoe. Scary at times.

08-23-07, 04:16 PM	#12
WTL BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Huntsville, Al Posts: 7,466	Leroy, those v hulls arent all bad depending on how small they are. My 13.5 ft boat is an old sears V hull, its cuts the water much better than a jon, and with a 25 horse does a legit 35 mph. Thats all you really need for around here anyway. __________________ Selling live waterdogs for less since 2005.

08-23-07, 08:31 PM	#13
lizardsrule BassFishin.Com Premier Elite Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Saint Augustine, FL Posts: 7,374	http://www.tritonboats.com/frames2.asp?cat=3&bid=248 This is just a link to the kinda boat that's a stick steer. Unfortunately I couldn't find a closeup, this weekend I'll take a few pics of mine. That boat is begging for a stick steer IMO. Basically a stick steer is connected the same as a steering wheel. However what you steer with is a stick/handle that when going straight is pointing straight up. You push it forward, and pull it back to change directions. It's mounted on the side of the boat, in your case right by the front seat. You add a electric starter, and throttle, which it obviously had when setup earlier, and you start the boat from your seat, take off and steer from your seat, and never have to change location to use the big motor or the trolling motor. I do love my little boat, and it does come in handy many times. The one drawback is your weight is up front, but with the bigger motor, you should be in decent shape getting up on plane, and keeping from plowing water like I do occasionally. That however is more of a smaller motor, and the flat front end issue on my boat. Lizards __________________ There are three types of Snakes I hate 1. Live Snakes 2. Dead Snakes 3. Sticks that look like Snakes. And Gators too!

08-24-07, 10:15 AM	#14
bassbooger BassFishin.Com Active Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Dallas, NC Posts: 316	Been doing some searching and I am really starting to like the stick steer idea. I love the space in the middle of my boat, that is why I was looking at converting to a tiller handle, but after looking at the stick steer, I am leaning toward doing that. That is if I get the motor; I am supposed to go look at it this weekend, but the guy hasn't called me back with directions yet. I'll let everybody know what is up if I get to see it. __________________ cast, reel, cast!!! Repeat if necessary!! Dallas, NC

08-24-07, 06:12 PM	#15
1FASTLASER BassFishin.Com Super Veteran Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: crossett,arkansas Posts: 2,777	Been meaning to get back to ya. YES this boat is BEGGING for stick steer and will take that 40hp and love it. That kinda hull design in actuality is one of the better stick steer hulls....meaning it that the boat will handle VERY well. __________________ Laser's rule with Merc's doing the pushing..........KEEP THE WETSIDE DOWN AND THE DRY SIDE UP!!!!!!

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