Bayliner Trophy model 2002 WA - 1997

[Tillerman]

Hi, to everyone,

I am in the process of re powering my Trophy,

I bought it with a Mercury 175 2_stroke,Nothing worng with my motor except its old anf fuel consumtion very high(living in Europe - €1.65 per litre),

I have the possibilty to buy a Suzuki 4 stroke,250hp,

Question,

Is the weight of the Suzuki to heavy for my boat,

replies on the effect of speed ,weight ,plaining,keeping the nose down,is much appreciated

Regards

Tillerman

[ultrafast]

I have same exact boat. I rebullt and mounted a Merc 225 on mine (450lbs), Been that way for 3 years and love the big engine! A couple important things I did though, I shifted some weight forward. Behind the side panels in the cock pit is ALOT of unused area. I put my starting battery on one side and the house battery on the other. That brought about 150 lbs forward. While I was in there I mounted the remote oil tank in the drivers side area and a fresh water (spray down) holding tank in the passenger side.
Another important thing I did and is necessary...probably on all Trophy's is Trim tabs. By far the best mod I have done to this boat, I will never look back at doing it. For sure keeps the aft higher in the water and now I don't get beat up any more in choppy water.
I'll try and find some pics

[Tillerman]

wow thanks,this is what i wanted to hear,i can shift the batt as well, i am converting to LPG gas,thus 2 tanks of a 100 litres will be installed at the Helm,one each side,under the step up to the bow,cantt wait to see some pics,cheers

[Tillerman]

can you elaborate on the trim tab,thanks

[Alaskanmutt]

Now for the rest of the news. That boat is rated for a max of 175. That does not mean the weight of an engine but the hp. If you go over the rated amount the transom will suffer and will eventually fail. When it does you will not be covered by any insurance.

And if you boat where there is any law enforcement they can ticket you for going over the rated amount, Coast Guard can make you return to shore until it is rectified. If you are in any type of accident even bumping a boat in the harbor your insurance company can deny the claim.

[Tillerman]

here is a shortcut question,can i swop the engine cowling to a 175 or replace the decal?

[Tillerman]

I reside in Portugal

[Alaskanmutt]

Hmmm, I have no idea on how strict your laws are or how tough the enforcement is. As for swapping the cowling or decals, that will not fool anyone. The cowling most likely will not fit and just looking at it should show it is not a 175 (a 250 is physically larger than the 175.) If you really need that much hp you need to look for a boat built for it. Another problem you will run into is terminal hull velocity. Hulls have a limit as to the speed they will go depending on design, the 2002 is a semi displacement hull, you go above the designed speeds and it becomes unstable.

Your best bet would be sticking with a 175 like a E-Tec Evinrude. I had a coworker that put the 175 E-Tec on his 93 2002 and it ran spectacular. My 93 had a Suzuki DF 140 and was underpowered for the weight of the engine. Besides the fact it squatted the stern too much and allowed water to back feed through the scuppers in any type of weather.

[ultrafast]

Alaskan guy is wrong. Anything over 20' can be "over powered" and can go over the passenger/weight limit. That's a federal rule. The plate on boats over 20' is what is recommended. Our boat in this case is classified 20'1".

[Alaskanmutt]

Sorry Ultrafast, anything over 20 is not required UNLESS it is a member of and built to ABYC standard then do have the plate. Part of the certification, Onh yea, Brunswick boats are built to ABYC standards...... And since it does have the plate the CG and LE will pay attention to it. And your insurance company will deny any claims if they find you over hp'd the boat. But since the OP is in Portugal I have no idea on their rules. But the fact the transom is only rated for 175 should tell you something.

[Tillerman]

Hey Guys,

thank for the input,my quest is not to go faster,i run a fellowship game fishing concern,love the Trophy´s,i only had interest in this outboard as i can get is cheap,i would not attemp to do more then 30 knots anyway(lives on board),

My insurance is not particular to what i use,My flag is Dutch registered mainly because the beaurocracy in Portugal,

My question is,
If i had to install this outboard,keep to standard accelarations,would it be ok,
I dont think changing my label on the boat could be a problem as long as it matches my boat registration,

Thanks a stax

[Alaskanmutt]

NP Tillerman, be careful out there. Here in the US registrations do not list the engines. At least not in any of the states I have lived in.

[ultrafast]

Now to the nuts and bolts of your project. Engine height is very important. It took me a lot of trials to get it right with a heavier motor. You can search Internet. But, I can tell you this.. My motor ended up bolted to the very highest it could. The anti cavitation plate is 2" above keel. This will make sense to you after some research.
The other thing is proper propeller. On my motor I went back and forth with a Mirage 17" and a 19". The 17 over revved my motor to 6,000 rpm. The 19 under revved to 5,200 rpm. I had the 19 worked down to 18" and now my rpm are a perfect 5,600 @49mph. Get the biggest diameter you can. Mine is 15 1/4". I even had the trailing edge cupped to help with acceleration. Here are pics of my trim tabs I mentioned.

[Tillerman]

Thanks man,im in the middle of selling my merc 175,here its very rare to find big outboards due to taxes and fuel consump
Im converting this merc to LPG,will update as i go,before selling it

[Tillerman]

Ultrafast,

what is the make of your trim tabs?

[ultrafast]

My tabs are Bennett Performance Sport Tab ST9. I got a killer deal on them on Ebay. I really wanted 12" tabs but, couldn't pass up deal so, I extended them about 3" myself. That's why they look funky.