Mercruiser 888

[Ryan50]

Hello,
My name is Ryan and am in the market for a used boat. Going to look at a 1980 22' cuddy with a 302 Ford and Merc 888 outdrive this weekend. I can't find much info on the 888. Are parts hard to come by? Are they typically good units? I was not looking at boats this old, but this one is supposed to have been very well taken care of. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[crazyinkc]

Re: Mercruiser 888

Nothing wrong in general about the 888. It is a Pre-Alpha drive but you can still get plenty of parts right here on iboats. The Ford 302 is a good engine but Ford parts are usually a little higher priced than thier Chevy counterparts as far as exhaust manifolds and other engine spcific parts. My son has a 73 Colbalt 18ft tri-hull with an 888 and it and it is a fun boat.

 

[Blk-n-Blu]

Re: Mercruiser 888

Ryan, Welcome to Iboats. The 888 describes the drive package, engine and outdrive. I have the 898 which is the chevy version with the MR type outdrive, The 888 is the ford version. You can look at the Adults Only thread at the top of this forum page and get manuals for that drive package. Happy boating.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Mercruiser 888

It's not a bad combo, just have to search a bit more for parts since Ford wasn't in the game for very long. Parts are plentiful though for the most part. You can use the pre-alpha drive, or if it breaks, the alpha I's are a direct bolt on. I think the 888 was a 1.50 gear drive wasn't it? The 233 was the 351W version of that setup which used a 1.50 gear ratio, so most parts should work if you need them.

 

[Ryan50]

Re: Mercruiser 888

Great. Thanks for the info. The owner states that the engine has just been rebuilt and the interior is great. I am going to take a look Sunday afternoon.

 

[starsnstripers]

Re: Mercruiser 888

I owned one in the 80s It's a good setup MC-1 or MR drive 1.50:1 ratio 302 ford 188hp. Do a routine checkover change oil / water pump impeller check bellows for cracks or hardness/dryness. Maintained it should be ok,