25 on a tdb 14 classic?

Phil Nowack

Phil Nowack

Well-known member
What do you think? Putting a 25 on a 14' TDB classic? I know... It is rated at a 15.....


Just wondering... if the boat would handle a 105# Yammie...... not the legal side of it....
 
My neighbor has a 20 merc on his and its just fine. With a 15 it wont get out of its own way. I would think a 25 would be fine. the motor is right around the same weight. i hope this helps.
 
Are all 14' Classic TDBs the same with respect to the way the motor mounts? If you have the large motor board that is only bolted over a 3 inch bearing surface at the bottom, I would be warry of adding more torque. Hunted out of Gene Jr's Classic this past weekend, and watching how that motor flexed the mount interface was scarry. I tend to over engineer anyway, but I would be looking at adding some lateral support higer on the mount back to the hull. I think the problem is access there with the foam flotation installed.

Just my 2 cents....

Dave
 
Ive had a 18 tohatsu and a 25 tohatsu on a 14ft tdb classic and never had a problem,they were both on for about 2 years apeice and the performance difference was very noticeable with the 25 being the leader
 
i've got a 20hp honda on mine. it's 110-lbs. i used to be worried until i beat it against the bottom of a rocky stream on summer evening trying to outrun a thunderstorm. the motor board held up nicely, as did the engine, except the prop.

if you're shopping for motors, I strongly recommend getting one with power tilt, especially if you run in areas with lots of shallow vegetation. you'll be glad you got it.
 
Ran my old tdb classic with a 15hp for 1 yr then a 25hp merc for the next 10yrs.My 2 other buddies both run 25hps....Do youself a favor and get a 25 .Good Luck Jpaw
 
Phil,

I have a 15 Yamaha on mine and it's plenty. The motor came with a 9.25/11 prop and I put a tach on it and it would only do 5000 rpms. SO, I put a 9.25/9 on it thinking it would run about 5500, but without a heavy load she'll do 6500 plus. I have to be careful not to red line her, but she really runs smoothly through rough water 9.25/9.
I can still cruise on plane with a load at about 14 or 15 mph land speed.
With a 9.25/11 I did 23 mph one day, but she's rides really rough with that pitch and it's a little hard on the motor (recovery etc).

Now, let me voice my opinion on the safety factor. That boat is rated by the USCG at 15hp for a reason. Need I say more? It's also rated at 965 lbs weight capacity. Would you put 1600 lbs in her and leave the dock?

I'd put a 15 on her with a 9.25/10 prop and see how she does.
Feel free to pm me if you want more performance info.

Dave
 
I run a Mariner 15 on my TDB. That came with the boat when I bought it. I'm happy with it. Get similar mph as Dave. With 2 guys and fully loaded the hole shot is a bit slow but I get on plane and top out about 19 mph.

To my eye the motor board just doesn't look that sturdy. Mine appears to have been repositioned some time before I bought it since there are an extra set of bolt holes. Maybe I'm wrong but I'd be more concerned about trailering with a bigger motor than running with one. Admittedly, I don't know the torque from a 25 hp as compared to the forces associated with hitting bumps at 60 mph while trailering. I never trailer with my motor on to minimize stress on the motor board and I like to store it inside. Its a bit of a hassle to throw it in my SUV and then put on/take off at the ramp every time but the weight of my 15 is manageable. Going to a bigger hp or to 4-stroke would be too much of a struggle for me. I think my motor is about 75 lbs, 2-stroke 25 hp ~110 lbs, 4-stroke 15 hp ~115 lbs, 4-stroke 25 hp ~155 lbs.

I've had 25's on other small boats and for me the extra speed of a 25 is not enough to offset the extra weight. As far as trailering goes, you guys have me rethinking it. I assume you guys with the bigger motors leave the motor on all the time (or are weight lifters). Use transom savers? Never any problems trailering? Am I being too careful?
 
Shayne,

I dropped the ball on my trailer hitch until the boat rides level while trailering and also added a stern saver. I feel like this setup is quite sufficient. It creates a shear only situation on the transom bolts and no rotational force on the stern.

Dave
 
Dave, arfe you seeing any ducks to speak of? I finally saw a small flock of blacks today over in Kilmarnock. Hell the buffleheads are not here in the numbers we usually get.
 
I run a honda 20 on mine too, before that i ran a yamaha 25 until i blew it up! The weight is the least of your worries in that boat! The boat was not made to plane.... so when you add the horse power she gets a little slappy in rough water.I didnt like the extra weight of a battery/tilt combo so I put a long shaft motor on mine and made a new transom board. I added alot of glass to the 1 1/2 inche piece of marine ply that i made it out off. This way i dont need to lean so far over to lift the motor, the birds dont mind the 5" extra inches and my back is thankfull! You dont need any extra support, trailer with the motor in the down position, I have logged 15k miles on mine like this with zero problems. If your trailer springs are matched to the weight of the boat you'll be fine.
 
My boat was mentioned earlier in the post and that's fine with me. It has been discussed several times for a couple of reasons. First off, I run remote steering and controls on my TDB14 classic. As far as I know there is only one other around like it. I'm sure there are more but Larry J's is the only one I know of. If you look at how HP ratings are calculated by the Coast Guard you will see that changing from a tiller to remote adds greatly to the allowed HP. Yes, my boat is still rated for 15hp as all are but in reality it should be rated for more. No, that won't change anything if I ever get called on it but it makes it just fine by me.

As a side note. I purchased my boat used but the original owner said it came with 2 transom boards, a short and a long. I have the long board and a long shaft motor. Having the remote controls I would rather have a short shaft but I don't. Running it as a tiller I would only want a long shaft. It is a real reach out the back of the boat.

Dave D. folowed me trailering my boat last week and commented on the amount of movement in my transom board with the 25hp hanging off of it. I know it bounces and I don't doubt it's on the low end of acceptable limits but I've trailered it several thousand miles and have never had an issue. I do run a transom saver on long trips but not short ones. I check the boat over very well at least once a year and have seen so signs of stress anywhere.

I have not run a TDB with a 15hp on it but can say a 25hp works very well but will still not always plane a fully loaded boat. I do have power tilt and trim but am working on a few other minor things to help it plane. Weight placement is a big issue for getting on plane.

Motor size is very dependent on how the boat is going to be used. If you are happy with going at hull speed then a 9.9hp would be fine. If you want to get it on plane then you will be much happier with a 20-25hp.

Gene
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top