Quote Originally Posted by Mark Poole ModVP View Post
I know the mentality with Scream and Flyers is always more motor more speed. The problem comes when you put too heavy a motor on a boat that does not have enough bottom. That short little boat with a long shaft 48 is unbalanced and the bouncing problem is because the hull is not long enough. This is a pic of a boat I used to have. It was a copy of a Kennedy Craft. It was 15 ft. long and probably weighed 250lbs. With a jackplate and a stock 30 Johnson with an SST prop it topped out at 38 mph rock solid with level trim. If I would have modded the engine and put a teenager in it I am sure it would have run well over 40. Less engine, a longer hull and the right set up can result in more enjoyable ride.
Well, I got lucky and found a cherry (no nicks and tons of gloss) 1983 Mercury 40hp. It's listed at 145lbs and that's about 45 lbs less than the 48SPL. With a 17P prop that should be considerably better performance than the 35hp, and better balance than the 48. The Bullet is rated for 40hp MAX.