Hey, i'm new here and recently picked up a new to me 85 evinrude 20hp. The motor will currently not start by itself but will fire up if i put a bit of fuel in the carb. I will be doing a carb kit on it and am going to replace all the fuel lines because they seem to leak if touched. I would like a bit of extra power out of this motor and better top speed but actually want my boat to be safe. I have been researching a little and have read that the only difference between the 20 and 25 horse motors is the carb. Is this true? am i safe putting on a 25hp carb or will i run too lean or rich? The prop on this motor looks to be original so i will be replacing it because i'm nervous about spinning a hub. What kind of pitch would give me better top speed and not damage the motor?
One other question has to do with the handling of my boat. My boat is a 14' starcraft and for most of its life it has had a 7.5hp on it with the exception of when my 20hp mercury was running. With the 20 the boat flew but if i were alone the thing was downright scary to drive. It almost seemed like the extra power was pushing the nose of the boat into the water too much. The first time i was out with it i got thrown onto the floor of the boat when doing a turn and at anywhere near top speed the boat just felt out of control. With 2 people in the boat however it drove perfectly. What would cause the boat to handle like that and is there a way to set the motor up so it does not do that. The boat is rated for a 25hp maximum so it is within it`s limits.
sorry for the long winded post but i just want to have a good year on the water this year after the horrible luck i had this past one.
One other question has to do with the handling of my boat. My boat is a 14' starcraft and for most of its life it has had a 7.5hp on it with the exception of when my 20hp mercury was running. With the 20 the boat flew but if i were alone the thing was downright scary to drive. It almost seemed like the extra power was pushing the nose of the boat into the water too much. The first time i was out with it i got thrown onto the floor of the boat when doing a turn and at anywhere near top speed the boat just felt out of control. With 2 people in the boat however it drove perfectly. What would cause the boat to handle like that and is there a way to set the motor up so it does not do that. The boat is rated for a 25hp maximum so it is within it`s limits.
sorry for the long winded post but i just want to have a good year on the water this year after the horrible luck i had this past one.
