Hello all,

Haven't been on the forum in a while so I forgot my username...anyways, I'm back.

I have a 1748 Uncle J with a 27hp GDSD.

I want to upgrade to the 35 Briggs. I've searched and searched on here and haven't gotten answers I'm satisfied with. I'll say that I'm pretty handy, but not completely savvy with motors and mechanic work.

How difficult would the powerhead swap be?
What mods need to be done to convert from the 27 to 35? New tilt platform?
I've read that there's only a 20lb. difference in the Kohler and Briggs. Shouldn't be any issues with my boat, right?

Thanks for any and all advice. I just wanna go FAST!

Been there, done that, but not so much for speed as to carry a load. I suggest you call Coco at GD. He will be straight up on how and what, but don't get upset if you don't like what he says. I wouldn't do it again because the difference in cost between doing the engine swap and selling the 27 SD and buying a new 37 EFI SD was too small to make a difference. If you are a little weird (like me) and just want to see if you can do it, have at it. There is always something to be said for the experience. If you decide to make the swap I may be interested in the 27 engine for an old longtail frame I have . Good luck on whichever route you take.

I'm MAYBE running 15-17 mph with 2 ~215 lb guys in the boat with normal gear. I would think anything would be an improvement from that. I ran the boat in the hard sand-bottoms on the coast of Texas for about a year and a half, so I'm sure my prop is torn to s**t. But I feel like that's still pretty slow.

What kind of numbers did you see before and after your swap?

I'm trying to decide if it's worth dishing out $7000-8000 on a new 35/37 GTR, or if buying a $2000 35 Briggs will be a good enough improvement to my current situation.

What would hooks look like? Are we talking small dents in between longitudinal braces? Also, could someone help me understand why these hooks matter so much for a SD?