mercruiser engine life

[handball]

I am presently thinking about buying a 28 foot sea ray. I have had diesel engines for the last 15 years all in sail boats.One of my engines a 58 h.p. westerbeke had 3500 hours and was still going strong with no problems. one of my questions is why do mercruisers seem to have to be replaced at such low hours? Is it the manifolds allowing water into the cylinders or the risers.what is the most important things to look for in the used boat engines? I am also wondering if Im better off with one single or twins, as they may be twice the headache, how is docking a single I.O. in say a 15 knot beam wind? As you can tell most of my experience is in sail , and my power boats were mostly twin inboards. Does any one know of straight inboards in a modern 28 foot boat?

 

[DJ]

Re: mercruiser engine life

handball,<br /><br />Your Westerbeke was a completely different animal than a gasoline (automotive based) I/O or inboard.<br /><br />These engines are relatively highly stressed and can give good life with dliegent maintenance. 2000 hours is not unusual.<br /><br />If you want to go with a single I/O, I would suggest a dual prop set up. That would be a Volvo Duo Prop or a MerCruiser Bravo 3.<br /><br />If you are used to twin inboards, an I/O handles a lot different. The reason being is that you can swing the prop.<br /><br />There are twin inboards out there in that size range. A very nice single inboard is a Shamrock. It is a dream to handle because of its large keel. Something a sailboater could appreciate! It would handle very similar to a sailboat in docking manuevers.

 

[coupedeville]

Re: mercruiser engine life

Remember the one big advantage of an inboard over a sterndrive: It has a rudder. Just like a sailboat.

 

[handball]

Re: mercruiser engine life

Thanks for the info guys, the duo props are they opposite rotation? and are they to equalize torque? to make steering easier? Can anyone tell me is there a dip stick on mercruisers inside the boat to check for water in the lower unit?if so has this been on all units? also the boat that I Am looking for is a 1989 or newer sea ray 28 foot.Is this one of the better boats and is there any problems in the boat, engines or drives I should look out for?A broker told me the windows some times leak. And he has sold two recently that both had leaky windows, wonder what the seal construction looks like and why they leak? The boats I have seen for sale have about 300 to 650 hours on the engines ,thats why I ask about engine hours and why engines are having to be replaced at low hours.which engines would be the most reliable and trouble free?

 

[geriksen]

Re: mercruiser engine life

Most of those will have twin 4.3's with Alpha Drives<br />They run well but are a little raspy sounding. We work on lots of 280 sea rays. They are very popular around here. <br />If you like inboards (as I do), we have a really nice 330 sundancer for sale with twin V-drives. The Austin (high tech) economy is really hurting right now and boats are selling cheap. It is on our website www.eriksenmarine.com <br />If you like it make us an offer.<br />

 

[geriksen]

Re: mercruiser engine life

To better answer your question. A single engine I/O in a narrrow boeam boat (like a 270 Sea Ray) is not the most desirable set up (I.M.H.O.)They are simply terrible to back into slip if there is wind and going accross the water you are constantly working the trim tabs to keep it straight. For steering and maneuverability around the dock my favorite, (after an inboard of course) is the Bravo II. It has one large prop and a huge cross section that acts as a great rudder. If it is a sub-50mph boat that would be my choice. One thing to think about also, any boat with I/O's especially twin I/O's will require you to be very dillegent about maintaining the drive units. Haul outs and drive services every year are a must. Aslo, my fighre for the lifespan of an gasoline boat engine is 1000hrs expected healthy life. After that they start to get pretty tired. You can still get good service out of them but be ready to replace one.

 

[handball]

Re: mercruiser engine life

geriksen<br />Thanks for the reply. when you say that the bravo 2 is a good drive are they ok for docking in a breeze or are they good only if twins? what engine does the bravo 2 come with? can you tell me in twin setups does one engine turn in the opposite direction like in the old inboards? If you were going to buy a sea ray about 27 foot and had $30k to spend what would you recommend an older twin or a newer single screw? there are some fairly new 25 foot rays with very low hours in like new condition ,some even come with trailers.For the same money in a twin I see mostly boats around 1989 0r so.My only experience with io's was I once owned a trojan houseboat with a single mercruiser and It was the pits to try and dock. You would have to head for a slip to slips upwind and hope for the best.Im hoping sea rays handle better than that.Any help in sending me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.