Re: 1982 40hp opinons and is it really 40hp????
Obviously you've heard that the 40 is a 35. You are correct.
Here's the scoop...
Mercury made a 35 throughout the 1960's.
In 1970 they started making a 40 HP which was a different motor.
1984 rolls around - this is the critical year.
The Feds say "you have to measure HP at the prop not the flywheel".
Mercury labels the 40 HP as 35 HP. I have a 1978 402 and a 1987 35...same exact motors.
In 1989 and 1990 Merc made a 4 cylinder 40 HP which is obviously a totally different motor.
I have the 35 on the back of a 14' McKee Craft which is close to you boat weight-wise. It does over 25 mph (haven't GPS'ed it yet). I wouldn't expect a world of difference until you jump into a 3 cylinder.
Dunno what you call cheap. The 35 I bought with boat and trailer for $400 and had to put close to another $400 into the motor to get it right (lower motor mounts, 1 upper mount, fuel pump kit, carb kit, charging stator and rectifier). The 40 I bought for $100 recently as a project since it was sitting in someone's garage for awhile. It has a SS prop on it !!! Worst case I figured it's a parts motor for the 35.
