Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

[ElwoodUT]

Just hoping to get some feedback on these engines. Want to know if there are any specific problems I should be looking for or if it is worth buying that old of 4cyl mercuisers. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[dubs283]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

the engines are fine, a great industrial design for an inline 4 cyl engine - as long as the they have been properly maintained they should continue to provide good use

don't let anybody tell you that they are "iron dukes" - they are not

the downside is the transom assy from that era has some NLA parts and antiquated technology, but still servicable to the point you'll stay boating

if you are serious about buying a boat and want some "trouble free" lake time - consider a newer vintage boat, look for one with a small block chevy and alpha drive system

 

[IES99]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

Just hoping to get some feedback on these engines. Want to know if there are any specific problems I should be looking for or if it is worth buying that old of 4cyl mercuisers. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If the compressions in the cylinders are good, the engines should be fine. These 3.0s were never car engines (Industrial only), although they have things in common with the 2.5s which GM did use in some cars.

I agree with the other poster that the drives are what are antiquated.

 

[ElwoodUT]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

Thank you guys for your help. I am heading out to take a look at it this morning. Hopefully all goes well. The guy is only asking $1800 for it so as long as the engines check out good and outdrives work fine then I may be coming home with her today.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

Thank you guys for your help. I am heading out to take a look at it this morning. Hopefully all goes well. The guy is only asking $1800 for it so as long as the engines check out good and outdrives work fine then I may be coming home with her today.

I love my 120...she's a lot older than yours and runs great.
I would pay attention to any water damage or soft spots in the deck and transom.
parts are readily available for both motor and drive.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

Thank you guys for your help. I am heading out to take a look at it this morning. Hopefully all goes well. The guy is only asking $1800 for it so as long as the engines check out good and outdrives work fine then I may be coming home with her today.

Sounds like a cool project and there's probably close to that value there just in parts. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[ElwoodUT]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

The right engine was blowing blue smoke out of the oil cap, and wasnt getting enough fuel. Guess I will just keep looking.

 

[ElwoodUT]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

I found a 1987 21' Century with a 350 Merc in it new 6 years ago. Any thoughts on this? Would this thing kill me on gas?

 

[Joshua Nichols]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

I found a 1987 21' Century with a 350 Merc in it new 6 years ago. Any thoughts on this? Would this thing kill me on gas?

Using gas and boating go together..... If you are hammered down on it.. Yeah it's going to drink some fuel..
You want good economy? Sailboats use no gas at all..

I would look at the condition of the boat.. Worry a bit less about how much fuel it uses..

I have a friend with a 300hp 2 stroke on the back of his bay boat... You can almost watch the fuel gauge move when he has been running it hard.. He never complains about it.. I couldn't afford to fill the tank on that thing..

 

[45Auto]

Re: Thinking of buying a 1973 19' w/ twin mercruiser 3.0 4cyl.

I found a 1987 21' Century with a 350 Merc in it new 6 years ago. Any thoughts on this? Would this thing kill me on gas?

It takes a certain amount of power to push a boat at a particular speed. Gasoline engines require 1 gallon per hour for every 10 HP produced. If it takes 200 HP to push your boat at the speed you want to go, you'll be burning 20 gallons per hour whether you're using two little engines or one big engine to deliver the power. The big engine would actually probably get better economy since it would only have the drag of a single drive system in the water (water drag on a boat is HUGE compared to air drag on a car). However, you wouldn't have the safety factor of twin engines in case one crapped out 50 miles offshore. Everything is a trade off!

Go to Boattest.com and look at the fuel usage at best cruise for boats of a particular size. You'll find that 18' deliver about 5-6 MPG, 20' deliver about 4-5 MPG, & 22' deliver about 3-4 MPG regardless of engine size.

As Joshua Nichols said:

Using gas and boating go together