# 9.9 hp decals on 15hp motor?



## ugabowhunter

i asked a guy at stone mtn last saturday how his boat ran with the 9.9 hp on the back off it (he wasn't in the tx) because it was the same style boat as mine. he said that it wasn't a 9.9 but a 15hp with the decals swapped. i know this is done, but what are the drawbacks other than bending the laws and cheating. is there a way dnr or anyone else knows that the motor is a 15hp? outside of extensively investigating the S/N of the motor, i would think that one would never get caught doing this. any input?


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## creeksidelc

I would think that anyone who really knows outboards would be able to tell, but that's just my oppinion.


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## ugabowhunter

creeksidelc said:


> I would think that anyone who really knows outboards would be able to tell, but that's just my oppinion.



that may be true, but i have heard that honda uses the same block for the 9.9 and 15hp motors. i would think that other manufacturers would do the same thing. the engines would be the same size if this is the case.


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## Farm

9.9 to 15 is typically a carb difference I believe.  Up home alot of guys do this because there are so many 9.9 lakes.


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## Baby Bear

ugabowhunter said:


> that may be true, but i have heard that honda uses the same block for the 9.9 and 15hp motors. i would think that other manufacturers would do the same thing. the engines would be the same size if this is the case.



I have a 2003 Mercury 9.9 and the bore and stroke is identical to the 15 so I would tend to agree with you about the identification.


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## Emmersom Biggens

The only difference in 9.9 and 15 is the carburetor, unless you are dealing with a 4 stroke.


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## Doghouse

i think the HP is stamped on the id tag on the motor


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## Cameron197

Don't know about the carb but the covers mount identical on the newer Mercury.

Just get you a 9.9 for your 15 and swap covers.

Cameron


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## chambers270

I have heard from the guys that work on boats around here that the only difference is the carb. So without opening up the case no one should be able to tell.

I have a 40 hp on my 14ft alumnacraft but the guy put 30 hp stickers on it? I dont understand it but he said someone told him he could get a ticket for a motor exceeding the size stated on the boat.

Chris


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## muddy_feet

dad's 40 is the same as a 60 in size

I know tons of folks at do it on motor restriction lakes.
Seen it done on go-devils

Old south Georgia Jedi trick.......


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## fishnut

I have a 15hp Merc and thought about putting 9.9 stickers on it so I could fish Highfalls.  However, I was talking to a guy at the baitshop right by the boat ramp there about it and he said that the DNR rangers were onto all this.  He said first thing they do is to compare the cowling to the serial number (15 is stamped right below the serial number).  He said several people have gotten caught and the DNR went pretty tough on them so I just decided to leave it alone and just run the trolling motor.


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## mickbear

most of your newer moters have a small tag on the shaft just below the housing that has the HP on it,that was pointed out to me at Highfalls by the dnr,after i asked how they knew what the HP was for all the different motors,


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## Sultan of Slime

Trust me here at high falls its not worth the money it costs for the ticket to get around a little faster.i have seen a few guys get hammered by the ranger for trying to pass off bigger motors as a 9.9.I know its a 650 acre lake but i just take an extra battery with me and troll around.i just leave the 15 on the saw horse until i go to juliette or jackson.just use the buck creek boat ramp it is in the center of all the best fishing areas anyway.

now if i can just find out how to get my boat to be invisible so that i can fish at night for those huge flatties.

Btw off topic the hybrids are bitining well right now.


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## Hogtown

Don't do it. They will whack you good if they catch you switching cowlings in order to fish a restricted HP lake.


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## Twenty five ought six

> is there a way dnr or anyone else knows that the motor is a 15hp?



The HP is part of the serial number.  If its a 9.9, there's a 9.9 in the serial number, if its a 15 there's a 15 in the serial number---it doesn't take a lot of work.

I know for sure the federal boys in the Okefenokee Swamp will check a serial no. in a heartbeat, and if you get caught, you get the "smart (aleck) " upgrade on your ticket.  Sort of like first class only different.

The 2 cylinder OMC's the only difference is in the carburation, so if you want to swap carbs, you can can upgrade, if its really worth all that much.

Supposedly on some Tohatsu/Nissan motors it is a matter of only remove a throttle stop of some sort.


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## ugabowhunter

besides lowering speed and noise, i think part of the reason for a hp restriction or electric only regulations might be to prevent bank erosion that larger motors and boat create. but i don't really know. anyways, i wasn't going to change the decals on my next motor, a 9.9 will do everything i want it to. i just wondered how prevalent these mis-i.d.'d motors were. thanks for all the input.

robby


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## centerc

buy a9.9 and put abigger carb on it


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## little rascal

*Mercs.....*

......a 9.9 has the same block as the 15. You put a 15 h.p. carb and tuner on the 9.9 and you have a 15 with 9.9 h.p. stickers, serial numbers, etc. The only way they will know is to tear it down. For future info, the 40 h.p. is the same block as the 60 h.p., same scenario if you want a hopped up 40. Technically after 1998 you are not supposed to hop up production recreational engines as there could be steep fines imposed, however with the gooberment cutting funding in departments and especially with wrd and dnr, when is the last time you saw the outboard restrictions enforcement agency hanging around? Yea, exactly.


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## HAWGHUNNA

*Don't try this at a Lil' Water Bassin' event....*

 If you are in a Jonboat tournament,then you will still have to live with yourself knowing that you bent the rules not to mention broke the law while others are playing by the rules. (PLAY FAIR)

Just for the record L.W.B. has been known to D.Q teams under protest for trying this lil' trick.


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## Oldstick

Yes, even my 1975 Johnson has the horsepower stamped right on the serial number plate.


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## patchestc

At Laura Walker park, the lake is restricted to 9.9 or less
until 10 or 11 AM, then the big boats and jet skis can have at it.  Fishing is not very good there anyway.  Probably
because of the fast boats stirring it up.


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## jbyrd_1976

The only real difference is that it is breaking the law.


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## fishingfool

Why don't you make it real easy and go out and fish with a big stick of dynamite? The law is there for a reason, instead of trying to get around it, why don't you learn why the law exists? And you all wonder why you can't catch a big fish or shoot a big buck - it's because you have too many people taking advantage of the resources. You all  should be in the GON Hall Of Shame!!!!!


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## fishnjay

ugabowhunter said:


> besides lowering speed and noise, i think part of the reason for a hp restriction or electric only regulations might be to prevent bank erosion that larger motors and boat create. but i don't really know. anyways, i wasn't going to change the decals on my next motor, a 9.9 will do everything i want it to. i just wondered how prevalent these mis-i.d.'d motors were. thanks for all the input.
> 
> robby



Robby, 
I can definitly relate to this.  I just bought a jon boat advertised w/ an 25 hp johnson on it.  Not knowing much about them I had to have the recoil spring replaced.  When i brought it to the marine store to get it fixed they looked up the parts based on the id number.  It turned out that my so called 25hp was actually an 18hp johnson.  The boat cover that displayed the 25hp johnson must of came from another boat.  

I believe they told me that on the Id number for evinrude/johnson motors that the first two numbers are the hp.  

I don't know if the guy selling me the boat knew, but I guess since he came from woody's forum i'll give him the benefit of doubt.

jason


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## Twenty five ought six

> Why don't you make it real easy and go out and fish with a big stick of dynamite?



Makes too much noise.  You can't use it in state parks and watershed lakes without drawing attention.

Old telephone works just as well and is much quieter.  These days most people don't know what it is, and so if they ask, you just tell them that it is an environmentally friendly hand powered fish finder, and you won't be telling them a lie..


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## ugabowhunter

fishingfool said:


> Why don't you make it real easy and go out and fish with a big stick of dynamite? The law is there for a reason, instead of trying to get around it, why don't you learn why the law exists? And you all wonder why you can't catch a big fish or shoot a big buck - it's because you have too many people taking advantage of the resources. You all  should be in the GON Hall Of Shame!!!!!




who is this supposed to be directed to? i don't see where anyone has said they they are guilty of swapping the numbers. i am against doing this and i was just wondering how prevalent a mislabeled motor was. i am assuming that "You all"in the above quote includes me, but i never said i was going to do it. just want to clear the air and make sure my opinion has been expressed appropriately. i dont understand the animousity.

robby


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## chambers270

Can anybody tell me about changing carbs on my Tohatsu 40 to speed it up? I have heard about it putting 15hp carbs on a 9.9 but never a 60hp carb on a 40hp?

Thanks
Chris


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## little rascal

*Ditto..what he said*

#27    Yesterday, 08:22 PM  
 ugabowhunter     Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: jefferson ga 



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Quote:
Originally Posted by fishingfool  
Why don't you make it real easy and go out and fish with a big stick of dynamite? The law is there for a reason, instead of trying to get around it, why don't you learn why the law exists? And you all wonder why you can't catch a big fish or shoot a big buck - it's because you have too many people taking advantage of the resources. You all should be in the GON Hall Of Shame!!!!! 




> who is this supposed to be directed to? i don't see where anyone has said they they are guilty of swapping the numbers. i am against doing this and i was just wondering how prevalent a mislabeled motor was. i am assuming that "You all"in the above quote includes me, but i never said i was going to do it. just want to clear the air and make sure my opinion has been expressed appropriately. i dont understand the animousity.



I never said I have done it, just answered a question about how or what can be done. I fished large Tourney's on large lakes, for over 25 years and won my share and never broke one rule, not one! Hunted my whole life and do it legal, and do it well. The opening post stated the guy with the 15/9.9 h.p. motor "wasn't in the tourney"!!
By the way, what do you think a 9.9 h.p. is?? It is a 10 h.p. with a "Factory 9.9. H.P. STICKER on the cowl, because the motor industry needed to sell motors after several lake restrictions were imposed to under 10 h.p. motors. So, basically, stickers don't mean doodly. The law and the tourney officials need to impose rules for actual displacement, cu. inches etc., and not stickers if they want to get that technical. Besides I never caught a fish (in freshwater) going over 5 m.p.h anyway. Take your hall of shame opinion and lump it!!! I play the game, man against fish, man against game, and won't do it unless it is purely legal. Have nice day!!!


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