hello again sorry to be a constant want help boater but new to these great boats. I have to replace the transom as the fiberglass outer skin is cracked on both sides of the motor. The is a 1/4 " aluminum pale that the motor bolts through about 14\" by 12" in size i have a 115 1994 Johnson and the fiberglass person who i may get to do the work has asked what hp the boat was rated for, i am hoping to eventually go to a 200 hp can any one help with what i need to do to build a strong solid transom ty
Go to the forum on the site. There are many threads to read up on about restoring your boat in the restoration section.
Experience has shown that the transom as designed will handle 200 hp and more. I think 150 is plenty for private use. The 150's are lighter too. Many of the boats had no hp rating plate. Which 200 are you considering? jim
The Dyne I grew up with was an early '70's 18 and for the ski show we put twin 115 Johnsons on it for a total weight of somewhere around 700 pounds. The ski show now has a new boat (I don't know how new) but it is identical to the '70's era boats and has twin 150 Mercs on it - probably about the same weight. Weight does not seem to be a problem especially with a single IMO. The problem again IMO is with the structural integrity of the transom to handle high HP motors. The way they integrated the rear deck and transom spread thrust loads throughout the structure. My project is an early 70's that I am setting up for twin 150 Merc 4 strokes. Heavy in the stern but my gas and batteries are under the bow. I have also extensively beefed up the entire rear of the boat's structure in order to handle the weight and HP. My project can be seen in the restoration thread "1972 Keel Up Restoration". Good luck with your project as you will have a true head turner when done.