1975 mercruiser 233 drive, 351 ford, any good?

[tango13]

Hi there im new to this site.

Im looking at buying an older ski boat soon, a 1975 apollo starfire.. similiar to an american, jolly roger, etc..

Boat has a mercruiser 351 with a 233 drive. Dumb question but is that "233" the hp rating?? I know my dad used to have a merc 305/228 drive and that motor was actually rated for 228 hp... Im a little skeptical to think that a 2bbl 351 can make 233 hp...

And besides that, how are these motors in whole? I do know that the 351 has had some head work.. and thats all the info I have... Its also got a thru-hull exhaust system.. not that it would make a noticeable difference on a plane jane small block. Are they pretty easy to work on as far as winterizing and servicing? any info would be great

 

[Bondo]

Hi there im new to this site.

Im looking at buying an older ski boat soon, a 1975 apollo starfire.. similiar to an american, jolly roger, etc..

Boat has a mercruiser 351 with a 233 drive. Dumb question but is that "233" the hp rating?? I know my dad used to have a merc 305/228 drive and that motor was actually rated for 228 hp... Im a little skeptical to think that a 2bbl 351 can make 233 hp...

And besides that, how are these motors in whole? I do know that the 351 has had some head work.. and thats all the info I have... Its also got a thru-hull exhaust system.. not that it would make a noticeable difference on a plane jane small block. Are they pretty easy to work on as far as winterizing and servicing? any info would be great

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,.... Ya, the rated horsepower was 233, 'n I believe that drive is one of the very few with the 1.32:1 ratio,....
That said, that motor can also run a 1.50:1 ratio if necessary when replacin' it,....

There's nothin' wrong with the Ford motors, except Merc dropped 'em, back in the late 70s, so parts are kinda scarce, 'n overly expensive,...
OMC, 'n Volvo dropped 'em in the mid-90s as well,...

 

[DaboatnutinWA]

Hope this helps: From the late 1960s through the early to mid-1990s the 351 Windsor had a long history of being marinized by Holman Moody Marine, Redline of Lewiston, ID (now defunct), Pleasure Craft Marine (PCM), and Indmar for use in about every make of recreational boat, including; Correct Craft, Ski Supreme and MasterCraft inboard competition ski boats. The early marinized engines were rated at 220 hp. Most PCM and Indmar marinized 351?s were rated at 240 hp. In the early 1990s, a 260 hp version as well as a "HO" (High Output) version that used GT-40 heads and the Holley 4160 marine carburetor was rated at 285 hp. A few 351 GT-40/HO engines were marinized equipped with Throttle Body fuel Injection (TBI) and were rated at 310 hp.
The marine industry's relationship with the 351W platform ended when Ford was unable or unwilling to compete with GM's mass production of TBI and MPI equipped engines in mass quantity. It was during that time that the recreational marine community's small-block V8 platform of choice shifted to the 350 cu in (5.7L) GM L31 (Vortec 5700 engine series.)
When I was a kid, my Dad had a 1978 22ft Fiberform with a 351W and it did an amazing job of pulling 2 skiers or an inner tube. As with any boat/engine combo, its only as good as how the previous owner maintained it. As for differences with a 302, most parts will interchange but the block is taller on a 351W and it has a longer stroke. (3.50in vs 3.00in) The 233hp figure is about right.....the 351W in my Dads boat was rated at 240hp with a 4bbl carb.