V-King/Merc 175 Potential

Hi Randy, 

I really appreciate your advice in prior emails! 

While trying to get everything organized and together for my V-King, I thought it would be a good idea to check out whether or not my insurance company will insure this boat after I get it all put together.  Good thing I checked because while they have no concern about the boat's eventual top speed, they won't insure this boat if the motors rated HP exceeds the nameplate max HP rating on the hull.  I wanted to put a 200 on it, but it looks like I will have to lower my sights to a 175 or 150 unless I want the difficult task of finding coverage through another insurance company (and paying much higher premiums).  So if I get an early to mid 90's Merc 175, is there a model year or something I should be looking for in particular?  Are there certain years in which the 175 had more displacement than others?  My insurance company has no written restrictions on mechanical modifications to the motor, so I figure there is a chance I can get a 150 or 175 and quietly modify it to deliver 200+ HP without spending a bomb on it as long as I buy the right motor now.  Am I dreaming?? 

Thanks for the help,

Forbes. 

Forbes,

    I used to own a V-King with a 175. It would run 82 to 84 mph. I had a jackplate nosecone, and ran a 26 pitch Hoss Hyperdrive propeller. These props tend to act big, but the performance was really good. Any good 2.5 litre, 150 or 175, can easily be made into a 200. The carb motors are cheaper to modify as you do not need to mess with the ECU. The Merc XR6 is my favorite candidate. Slight porting cylinder heads and exhaust tuner, and you have a motor that will outrun most 200's. These mods are very easily done and we do about 10 a year at our shop. Make sure you run solid mounts, and even without a nosecone and all, it will run in the mid to high 70's. Hope this helps in your quest. 

Please submit whatever questions you have to IHRTechTalk@yahoo.com.  All questions and answers selected will be displayed on this page as they come in.  Note: though all boaters are welcome, priority may be given to I.H.R. members.  Randy can not be held responsible for any advice given.  Though his information and expertise is second to none, he has no control over what you do with your boat.  It is up to you to boat safely and act responsibly, and his advice is only to be used as a guidance for your high performance boat/motor of which you are the one responsible for the risks involved.

Thanks,
Mark C.

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