Re: 7.4 Mercruiser Engine Life Expectancy
hours mean nothing.
50 or 500, doesnt matter. the engine rots from the inside out when it is sitting, not running. one you expose the cast iron guts to water, fresh or salt, your clock starts ticking weather you drive it or not.
factors that can change the life expectancy
1. a closed freshwater cooling system with antifreeze. as long as the manifolds and risers were changed regularly, or atleast before they started leaking, you could actually get a couple thousand hours as long as the craft was well maintained.
2. fresh or salt water. without a closed cooling system, your looking at 6 to 8 in salt water before all hell breaks loose (ie, your heads start leaking water through pin holes into your engine). in fresh water, if you get to 10, your doing good. every year after that point is a blessing.
BTW, i have a single 502 efi on a 28 foot boat with a 9 foot beam. bravo 3 also. works just fine. the wider the beam, the easier it is to plane, and the slower you can go on a plane.
just guessing, probably 7000 to 8000 lbs? hull speed is probably 40 mph max, if you can cruise at 35, your at the top of the range. and a 454 chevy will pump out the torque all day long without breaking a sweat. the way the engine is built is overkill for the power it puts out. almost indestructable. its why they are so popular.
about the EFI system. it SUCKS WIND. sorry. little peeved at mine at the moment. atleast yours has a water cooled VSC. whats a VSC? dont worry, you will find out eventually. sorry about that too.
but again, its not the hours that will get you. 400 is nothing for a big block. and the chevy 454 is so overbuilt, i doubt you could hurt it even beating the tar out of it every time you go out.
1998? with no closed cooling system?
salt water, better start looking for another motor.
fresh water, you can bet it will be replaced while you own it in the next 2 to 3 years.
consider that when making an offer. also consider there are more boats for sale than people to buy them. what the "book" says it is worth means nothing.
personally, if it didnt have a new motor, or one less than 3 years old, i would immediatly knock off 10k from the book price because that is what it is going to cost to replace the engine.
also, dont get snowed by the "book" dealers show you. it is one written for them. check nada.com, thats the one banks use.
my boat was worth 35k. i made 6 offers at 25k and waited. finally, someone called. i bought my boat for 31k with a new long block replaced 2 years ago. without the new long block, i would still be waiting mabe, or someone would have caved, because ill be damned if im gona hand someone 10k to pay for the use THEY got from the boat. and that is what your doing on a used boat. now im high and dry trying to find a work around for my failing EFI system.
its always something.
BTW, i got 3 e-mails from offers i made after i purchased my boat. there are more boats for sale than buyers. dont get rushed. KNOW you will be replacing an engine if its close to 10 years old without a closed cooling system. and KNOW that the seller is going to tell you otherwise. buyer beware.
that said, the best way to buy a boat and insure you have more crusing time than repair time, is to buy a 10 year old boat that has already depreciated, and put new power in it. do it from the start and you will be cruising more than turning wrenches. make an offer with that in mind, and dont be afraid to hand him a card with your offer and walk away.
if i had followed that advise, instead of being suckered in by a shiny new long block.............but then....that 502 with captains choice exhaust was singing my name. calling me its biotch, but in a singing sort of way like a siren.
bottom line, its gona need a new engine during the time YOU own it. if not now, certainly within a hand full of years. if it is calling your name, buy it, and accept it. if not, make an offer with that in mind and dont be afraid to take a pass.
