Is this engine too big? No boat info ANYWHERE.

L

leftofcentre2007

New Member
Joined
13 Mar 2007
Messages
3
Visit site
Hi all,
Last year i purchased a 15ft Simms Super V. It is fitted with a 1983 Johnson 140 V4.

There was no info supplied with the boat nor any Transom Plate fitted.

Can anybody advise what the optimal engine size for this type/model of craft is?

i have since spent the winter restoring and fixing various problems with her. I was considering whether to down size to maybe a 115 or possibly even a 90 as i did have in mind the fitting of an auxilary engine aswell.

The 140 is particluary heavy on juice and has been modified for a 'pre-mix' setup and i must say runs remarkeably well for a motor of this age. We cruise in the Cromarty area on the Scottish NE coast which is sheltered mostly.

When i first purchased the boat it had a strange conditioning of the GRP molding along the top sides (just under the stainless bars). The GRP was rippled if you like although there were no cracks in the gelcoat whatsoever. I have never seen this before and am wondering if it was due to the weight of the oversize engine? If so, how come no cracks? It looked like either the mouldings werent upto scratch or perhaps the grp resin had softened somehow. The phenomena was identical to both sides.

Finally, does anyone know where i can get any info on the manufacturer and model of this vessel? I have trawled the internet to no avail.

Cheers /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Andy
 
My second boat was a Simms like yours. It had a 90hp Mariner on the back which in my opinion was too heavy. I dread to think what damage it was doing to the transom. With a 140 on the back I wouldn't slow down to quick or you might get wet feet
 
Yes its far too big. These old V4 are very heavy and it will be overpowered. Standard boat was sold with a 85. We had a 14ft one with a 55 and it was quite happy pulling mono skiers and I think I may of even bare footed behind it .

I think the max horsepower for the boat was 85hp. However I do remember that quite a few were fitted with 90hp yamaha's (Yam did'nt do a 85 at the time).

Its an old boat so I would be tempted to go for 80hp as a max. It should do about 40kts with this and be pretty fun to drive. Make sure you get a power trim engine, the hull tends to bounce quite a lot and the power trim is essential for a smoother ride.


Mark
 
I have had a Simms 16ft super V from new. Maximum engine size was 90hp and was the same for the 15ft. The 1983 johnson/evinrude V4 engines used the same block for 85 to 140 hp so the weight is more or less the same. Power is the problem - you may have problems with insurance. Good ski boat, light to steer and small wake.
 
It's too much power but don't worry about it. You don't have to use all the throttle, just back off a bit. The engine only develops 140hp when at full throttle (and in tune, and correct rpm, etc). Back off on the throttle and it's a 85hp motor

Weight isnt an issue. The Johnson Evinrude V4s weighed about 380lbs which is a bit more than other 80-90hp 2strokes but not much more. And George63 is correct that the same block and engine were used in the Johnson V4 90-140hp series of engines over several years, so a V4 90 would also have weighed 380lbs

The weight wont be the cause of the gelcoat imperfection you describe

Simms were a respected sportsboat manufacturer and well known in the 70s and 80s. But went out of business ages ago, long before the www so you might not find that much info on the web

So, imho, dont change the engine
 
oh ok, thanks guys. Some interesting feedback.

So the question remains now:

1) Do i spend £4k on a new boat package from Ebay :-)
2) Do i spend £4k on a Used 115+ engine
3) Do i save a bit more and buy a brand new smaller engine?
 
If you put a new engine on your boat you will achieve peace of mind from knowing that you have the correct engine and that it wont let you down.

Only problem with this is that you wont get your money back. I think this is a decision only you can make, we dont know how much time, effort and money you have put in the restoration so far.

If it was me I would probably keep an eye out for a decent 70-90hp engine in the usual places and swop it when you find one. Or sell your whole rig and buy something else off Ebay.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top