[macojoe]

I am not sold on the 4 strokes!! Give me a good old Carb and I am a happy guy!!

My 175hp 1989 Yamaha only ways 390# ?? They have added 76 pounds of what in the last 15 years??

Go no less then a 150!! You won't regret it!!
And I don't no about todays motors but the 175 is the same weight as the 150, something else to think about if the price is not that much different? You will like the extra power when you can use it.

Now I am sure you no the next thing I am going to say!!

I am totally against cutting the transom!!

I am not sure about what kind of fishing you do or the water you fish?
But here it is flat or 3 + footers!! I like to fish rips and things like that. There is nothing like a full transom in this kind of water!! I never never never get water over the back!

I am sure what you want to do can be done!! And its going to cost!! And you are going to lose space in the cockpit for the splash well that will need to be installed. It will need to be big anough so that you can tilt the motor all the way up.

If it was me I would look for a new slip and trailer in between or something?? But I would never cut the transom!!

Good luck!!