Repower with Mercury 40hp FourStroke gives fisher that extra boost

Dean Silvester's new 40hp FourStroke © Mercury Marine

Fisher and social media manager Dean Silvester had a specific set of feature improvements in mind while considering the best Mercury Marine engine to power his 2006 Quintrex.

Previously owned by his father, Dean's Quintrex had been powered by a faithful Mercury 25hp FourStroke since the mid-2000s. However, after making some upgrades that increased the boat's weight, the outboard no longer met Dean's needs.

With the desire to travel further and faster, he consulted his local dealer - Ship & Sail in Gladstone, Queensland - ultimately deciding to repower with the Mercury 40hp FourStroke. This gave him the coveted fuel efficiency and performance he was seeking for those longer journeys on the water.

"The 40hp was the perfect engine to repower with as it gave me all the extra power, speed and fuel efficiency I needed for longer days out on the water," Dean said.

"The 25hp worked fine for my dad but for my needs it was a little bit small and lacked the power I needed.

"I landed on the 40hp because it gives me enough power and the weight is suitable for my boat while providing the fuel efficiency to get me where I need to go."

Dean Silvester with dealer Ship and Sail - photo © Mercury Marine

Mercury's 40hp FourStroke offers more low-end torque for excellent acceleration, increased fuel economy and outstanding overall performance. The outboard has an enhanced fuel injection resulting in boosted efficiency and a robust electrical system with a high-output alternator to keep batteries charged and fishing electronics humming.

Switching from a 60.1kg 25hp to the much larger 98kg 40hp meant Dean saw an upgrade in the engine's RPM from 5400-5800 to 5500-6000.

"I did not replace this motor because of the hours, I replaced it because of the size and horsepower for what I need it to do," Dean said.

"I looked at the physical size to ensure my boat could handle that weight and I analysed how much horsepower I need and the fuel efficiency I want to achieve. The Mercury 40hp met all my requirements."

Despite doing his own research, Dean stressed the importance of involving a dealer in the repowering process with Ship & Sail assisting to ensure he was getting the right motor to suit this boat without spending unnecessary money.

"Even though I was going from one tiller steer motor to another, involving a dealer in the repower process was important because they can water the test the boat and set up the prop," Dean said.

"The prop needs to easily get the boat on the plane and achieve the top end in fuel efficiency that you want."

Dean suggests that anyone looking for that little bit more power for their boat should carefully weigh up the options.

"If you have an older boat that you really love, think about repowering it rather than buying a whole new boat," Dean said.

"Alternatively, if you have a boat that you think is underpowered or your engine has a few to many hours, think about the repower option.

"I love the fact that I'm still in my dad's boat but now with more acceleration, economy and performance than ever before."

Learn about the Mercury 40hp FourStroke here and hear about Dean's repowering experience here.