Need some info please

Blackbart5

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Ok, I have a 1995 boat with the mercruiser 5.0l. Yes I know, it's a turd but I gotta make due with what I got....anyway, I was assuming it was a 1995 engine, soooo I was wanting to know the HP rating. I was finding anywhere from 190 to 240????? So I decided to get the block id (VRU249ZA) well, according to this block number, it's a 1998 to 2000 with roller lifters and I can't find anything for HP rating......so NOW, does anybody out there in boating land have any idea what the HP rating would be? It's a 2bbl.
 
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Fun Times

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Do you have the Mercruiser engine serial number handy by chance?
Serialnumber_Location.jpg


block-casting-no.jpg


Found your/more info,
5.0L ZA 1998?2001, start Gen+, start MerCruiser 2?bbl intake, 0ZA, start Toluca production 14 (356)
= 220 HP.http://www.boatinfo.no/lib/mercruiser/manuals/mercruiser24.html#/34
 
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thumpar

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Does it have the Vortec heads/intake? The Vortec has 8 bolts for the intake the non-Vortec is 12. It could be someone just swapped the block only.
 

Blackbart5

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So in lieu of all these numbers...it's a 1998-2001 5.0 with vortec heads with roller lifters. Did the vortec heads come factory in this year range? If not, obviously better heads but how much better, how much increase if any does it make over non vortec?? Just trying to figure out how many ponies I have is all. I will say she runs very smooth and sounds nice, very quiet..BUT she has to push a 5000lbs 26.5ft boat. It struggles to get on plane when it's fully loaded with people(13). That's why I've been lookin into the smart tabs AND trying to figure out what I actually have pushin it. If it's a 220hp, would dropping a 240/250/260hp 5.7 get me what I want??? Idk, ....will the smart tabs get that big hog on plane??? Kinda don't know what to do here, lol.
 

thumpar

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With the Vortec motor I think 220hp is right. A 5.7l might get you a little bit but no huge. It takes a lot of HP in a boat to make a big difference.
 

Fun Times

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The tag says L637638
This engine serial corresponds with the VRU249ZA number and is a Mercruiser Gen+ (= GM vortec) from new as it's coming up as an MERCRUISER 5.0L ALPHA model number 4M11025LS which puts it right around a 1999 to 2000 year model with 220 HP. A boat of that size & weight with just about any engine Alpha drive combo can be a challenge to get up as is but with that many people onboard, almost surprising it planes out.:eagerness:

Adding trim tabs should help though.
 

Blackbart5

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This engine serial corresponds with the VRU249ZA number and is a Mercruiser Gen+ (= GM vortec) from new as it's coming up as an MERCRUISER 5.0L ALPHA model number 4M11025LS which puts it right around a 1999 to 2000 year model with 220 HP. A boat of that size & weight with just about any engine Alpha drive combo can be a challenge to get up as is but with that many people onboard, almost surprising it planes out.:eagerness:

Adding trim tabs should help though.

It doesn't plane out with a whole football team of people. But 4/5 it does enough for me to throw people off the tube. I've really been looking into smart tabs and I think I'm gonna purchase a set. I was gonna drop a 5.7 in but for an un-noticeable 30-40 horse more, I don't think it will be worth it. The boat is only loaded with that many people once a year for only 2/3 days, other than that, it's just our family of 5. So yea, I'm satisfied with the engine I have and an addition to smart tabs I think will help a lot
 

Rick Stephens

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Another factor might be propping it for better lift and hole shot. And it is not all that hard to get 30 or 40 more HP out of 5.0L V8 from the base 220, mostly intake and more carberation or even EFI.
 

Bondo

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I was gonna drop a 5.7 in but for an un-noticeable 30-40 horse more,

Ayuh,.... 30/ 40 hp Will be Felt,.... 20 hp is noticeable in most hulls,...

Yer motor is 'bout 220 hp, tops,...
The older non-vortec 5.0l, 2bbl. carb motors put out 200 hp,...
The vortecs give ya 'bout 20 hp,...
A 4bbl. carb will give ya another 20 hp,....

The ole 350, 4bbl. carb motors were rated at 260 hp,....
Add vortec heads, 'n roller cam in the newer motors, yer at an easy 280 hp,...
Efi/ Mpi will get ya to 300 hp,...

'n what's yer Rpms at Wot,..??
Like Rick says, ya might find some more Power by tunin' the prop,...
 

Blackbart5

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Ayuh,.... 30/ 40 hp Will be Felt,.... 20 hp is noticeable in most hulls,...

Yer motor is 'bout 220 hp, tops,...
The older non-vortec 5.0l, 2bbl. carb motors put out 200 hp,...
The vortecs give ya 'bout 20 hp,...
A 4bbl. carb will give ya another 20 hp,....

The ole 350, 4bbl. carb motors were rated at 260 hp,....
Add vortec heads, 'n roller cam in the newer motors, yer at an easy 280 hp,...
Efi/ Mpi will get ya to 300 hp,...

'n what's yer Rpms at Wot,..??
Like Rick says, ya might find some more Power by tunin' the prop,...

Running a 4blade 14 3/4 x 20....wot is 4700
 

Blackbart5

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Ayuh,.... 30/ 40 hp Will be Felt,.... 20 hp is noticeable in most hulls,...

Yer motor is 'bout 220 hp, tops,...
The older non-vortec 5.0l, 2bbl. carb motors put out 200 hp,...
The vortecs give ya 'bout 20 hp,...
A 4bbl. carb will give ya another 20 hp,....

The ole 350, 4bbl. carb motors were rated at 260 hp,....
Add vortec heads, 'n roller cam in the newer motors, yer at an easy 280 hp,...
Efi/ Mpi will get ya to 300 hp,...

'n what's yer Rpms at Wot,..??
Like Rick says, ya might find some more Power by tunin' the prop,...

So a 4bbl will give me another 20/30hp?
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,..... A 4bbl. carb will probably get ya 4900 rpms,.... 'n better mid-range,...

A 350 would probably need a bigger prop,...

A 4bbl. will get ya 20 hp,.... 30 hp if ya really Tune it proper,....
 
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Blackbart5

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Ayuh,..... A 4bbl. carb will probably get ya 4900 rpms,.... 'n better mid-range,...

A 350 would probably need a bigger prop,...

A 4bbl. will get ya 20 hp,.... 30 hp if ya really Tune it proper,....

I will try the 4bbl. Gonna get a distributor weight kit. Then bump the timing 2deg. That should get me a better hole shot.
 

Bondo

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Gonna get a distributor weight kit.

Ayuh,..... Ya oughta have the T-Bolt V ignition, All electronic,....

Set the base timin', 'n the module takes care of it,...

It's a Solid ignition, don't mess with it,...
 

Blackbart5

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Ayuh,..... Ya oughta have the T-Bolt V ignition, All electronic,....

Set the base timin', 'n the module takes care of it,...

It's a Solid ignition, don't mess with it,...

Lol. I just checked. It is so forget those ideas. Ill just run with a hotter coil. 8mm wires
 

Bondo

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Ayuh,.... Leave the coil alone too,....

New wires if you wish, but boat wires don't generally go bad,....
 

Rick Stephens

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I will try the 4bbl. Gonna get a distributor weight kit. Then bump the timing 2deg. That should get me a better hole shot.

IMHO, 4 barrel needs intake as well to make it actually breath.

Running a 4blade 14 3/4 x 20....wot is 4700

There is a lot more to props than just where they top out with your boat and engine combo. Different designs give better lift, some have designed ventilation so they move out of the low RPM/low power curve faster into the mid range, higher power realm. You can spend all day in the prop section of the forum just discussing how to prop your boat for better low range performance. And success at that may be more important to your satisfaction than adding more horsies. That said, horsepower is a justification all its own.:bolt:

Rick
 
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