Tips to Consider If You're Repowering Your Marine Engine

If you want your boat to have more power, you may want to talk with a specialist about marine engine repowering. Repowering can allow you to haul skiers more easily, cut through rough waters with less strain, and just go faster and have more power in general. As you look into repowering, keep these tips in mind.

1. Consider the Benefits of a Whole New Motor

Rather than repowering, you may just want to invest in a whole new motor. Before making your final decision, crunch the numbers to ensure you are making the right choice. In particular, if your current motor is old or if you want to switch from an inboard to an outboard or vice versa, you may want to skip repowering and replace the whole motor.

2. Upgrade the Drive If Needed

When repowering, you typically want to go for as much horsepower as possible. However, you need to make sure your existing drive can handle that. In particular, the drive on many sterndrives struggles with the torque associated with high horsepower so you may want to upgrade the drive.  

3. Increase Ventilation as Needed

In some cases, when you repower your marine engine, the engine needs more air to work properly. In these situations, you may want to add more ventilation. Talk with a specialist to see what they recommend.

4. Install New Controls

When repowering marine engines, you can stick with the current controls on your boat, but if you want better control and handling of your boat, you may want to upgrade your controls as well. In fact, you may want to look for repowering components that come with controls. Digital controls are the best for accuracy.

5. Replace Complementary Components as Needed

In addition to installing new controls, you may want to look at the boat's other components that engage with the engine. In particular, if you are adding more power to your engine, your battery may not have all the electricity you need, and you may want to put in a new battery.

In that same vein, if you are investing a lot of money repowering your marine engine, your steering system may need an upgrade. Make sure everything is working correctly and top up with hydraulic steering fluid. If you notice issues, consider repairing and replacing as needed.

To get more tips on repowering marine engines, contact a repair professional.