280SD Twin 4.3L MPI with Bravo III drives

[SMC]

Ive been looking at several used late model 280DA's lately hoping to buy one before the coming boating season. My previous boating experience has been with much smaller ski or fishing boats and this would be my first cruiser sized boat.

Ive found one that which I am very interested in, however it seems to have an unusual combination which I havent found much information on when searching the board. Im curious if anyone has seen or has an opinion on a 280DA with twin 4.3L MPI engines and Bravo III drives?

Any information or experience with this combination would be appreciated. My uneducated concern is that these engines may be too small for the larger Bravo outdrives and potentially cause problems down the road. Most combinations I see with the larger Bravo IIIs seem to be with much 5.0s or higher.

Thanks for any help, and go easy on me it is my first post.

 

[NorCal Boater]

That's a lot of boat and not much horsepower. Those little 4.3's will be working their little butts of getting you on plane and keeping you there. I would liik for at least 300 HP or more. There is no substitute for HP. In every boat magazine advise column, there is at least one letter each month from someone that wants to add HP. No one ever says they have too much.

I would keep looking.

 

[keokie]

I just sent you a private message about another 280 that is available.

 

[Presentation]

I would liik for at least 300 HP or more.

umm, twin 4.3's would give you a total of 440 HP. Or do you mean each engine?


Just FYI….the current model 280 Sundancer was never offered with twin engines that produced 300 HP each.


The smallest ever offered was a single 6.2L V8 w/Bravo III. That boat was underpowered. This would be 320 HP total.

The next smallest was a single 7.4L V8 w/Bravo III. 310 HP total however the large block has more low end tork then the above 6.2L so it was not bad getting on plane.

Next was a 8.1L big block V8. Not a bad engine. 375 HP I think (from memory - I did not go look) From my reading this engine actually offered the highest WOT speed.

Next up was twin 4.3’s. Depending on the year and option that was selected by the purchaser, it came with either the Alpha 1 gen II’s or the Bravo III’s. Offered between 190 HP and 220 HP.

The largest engine ever offered was twin 260 HP small block V8’s and BIII’s.

The twin 4.3’s will be fine for all except the performance junkie. The performance junkie will not be satisfied with the 5.0’s either. If you are a ‘do-it-yourself’ type of person the 4.3’s also give you about an additional ½ foot of room in the engine compartment making maintenance easier.

The BIII’s are the only question here. Although the Alphas also corrode the BIII’s require more aggressive maintenance. Skip aluminum anodes, use Zinc in salt water and magnesium in fresh water, if its pre-2004 get the added prop anode, inspect and touch up the paint at least annually (less time if you have experienced problems) and if you see signs of corrosion have your merc cathode checked by a merc certified mechanic. Hit bottom with a BIII and your repair bill is far more. Propellers are more expensive too. The lager area of the BIII will also mean a slight increase in drag resulting in a slight increase of fuel consumption. Top end speed should be very close to the same. With a heavy load of passengers and such the BIII will give you a better whole shoot. Also you should be able to bank harder at speed if you are into that stuff.

We water ski. Thats right, our 280 Sundancer is used as a ski boat! We have the twin 5.0's and BIII's. I wanted to be able to pop out of the water. I pull my wife up on 1 ski all the time.

It’s a buyers market. Use this rare combination to your advantage. Tell them you want something else, either the Alpha’s due to lower maintenance costs and more economical repair expenses or that you wanted the 5.0’s for the increased power. Make this your leverage to getting a great deal. If they will not deal then walk but I would have said that no matter what the engine / drive combination was.

Note: About other options, anything can be added however it costs more to add options then to find a used boat that already has them. If you can possibly imagine wanting a generator and A/C + reverse heat make sure it has it. If not, keep looking.

 

[luvmysearay]

Doug...question about the 280 vs. the 260. The "tenderness" in the ride, i.e. the need to use the trim tabs to keep the boat level, is substantial (to me anyway) on the 260 with the single engine. Have you driven a 260 to compare that situation to your 280?

 

[Presentation]

Doug...question about the 280 vs. the 260. The "tenderness" in the ride, i.e. the need to use the trim tabs to keep the boat level, is substantial (to me anyway) on the 260 with the single engine. Have you driven a 260 to compare that situation to your 280?

Our previous boat was a 240 Suncancer. I kept one hand on the wheel and one hovering over the trim tabs. My adjustments to trim were multiple per minute. Anyone move from on position to another and I had to readjust. Change directions? Need to adjust. It did become second nature in time.

As a tip, only adjust one tab. By this I mean start with the tabs 100% up. Umm, this means you press the button down. Imagine your boat is the tabs. If you want the front right corner lower you press the right button on the top. Don’t think about what the tabs are doing. If you did not know it, the right button operates the left tab and vice versa. Press up makes the tab go down and vise versa.

I would keep one tab all the way up (again, press button down) and make all adjustments with the other button. Once this tab was 100% up if I needed more I would switch. This seemed to work best for me.


With the 280 Sundancer at first I felt like I was doing something wrong. I rarely touch the tabs. I rarely trim the drives unless I am going over 35 MPH I will trim up slightly or coming into a shallow area so I trim up to prevent from hitting bottom.

When it comes to keeping the boat level if the 240 Sundancer is like operating a unicycle the 280 Suncancer is a 4 wheeler.

With the 280 on our chain of lakes I’m still getting use to the feeling that I am leading a parade. When we cross the lakes on windy days it’s not unusual to pick up another parade member behind us every mile or so. By the time we get to the far shore where the river enters or leaves the lake we have had a dozen boats following us, all lined up. Guess I should get a baton. LOL

 

[Bridog]

I would think the Bravo 3's would help get the boat to plane faster and would be an advantage in slow moving handling such as docking? I remember seeing quite a few 280DA with twin 4.3's and Bravo 3 drives at our boat dealership in 2004-2005. In fact in 2006 SR stopped offering the twin 5.0's as a option on the 280DA but then went back to it.

 

[tdappleman]

I'm not sure what the weight difference is between a 96 270DA and your 280DA - but I have the 4.3s (carbs) with A1's and have absolutely no problem getting up to speed quickly. I've had 6 people on with full gas, water and a semi full cooler and had no problems. I was loaded with full gas and water and 5 people in the sound here and hit 41mph. I have no problems cruising at 31-33mph and getting on plane quickly.

 

[Presentation]

I'm not sure what the weight difference is between a 96 270DA and your 280DA - but I have the 4.3s (carbs) with A1's and have absolutely no problem getting up to speed quickly. I've had 6 people on with full gas, water and a semi full cooler and had no problems. I was loaded with full gas and water and 5 people in the sound here and hit 41mph. I have no problems cruising at 31-33mph and getting on plane quickly.

I agree. Twin 4.3's is not underpowered. Its a good choice.

If you are a performance junkie even the 5.0's will not satisfy. This is not a high performance boat. It’s a good all round express cruiser. I would compare it to a mid size SUV in the vehicle world.

Great at nothing. Good at many things. Highly versatile. Reasonably economical.

 

[Luckydogs]

We have an 02' 280DA with 4.3's carb and A-1's and have no problems getting out of the hole. Rarely will I use the tabs to get out of the hole but will use them if I have a heavy load or on a windy day to level things out. I am pleased with my current set up.

 

[douglee25]

Just as it has been mentioned already, Twin 4.3's will not be underpowered with that boat. Are you sure the 4.3's have bravo III's behind it? Did you see it in person or is this just based on an ad description? If it does have bravo III's behind it, I would think it would definitely have to be propped correctly in order for the engine combo to work. The reason being that the 4.3's lack the torque of a bigger small block or big block for that matter. It might be hard for them to turn the bravo III's since they were specifically designed to provide better hookup. The added hookup might actually bog the engine down until the revs were able to climb. If I had 4.3's, I believe I would prefer them to have alpha 1's behind it. Just my opinion.

Doug

 

[comsnark]

I agree. Twin 4.3's is not underpowered. Its a good choice.

If you are a performance junkie even the 5.0's will not satisfy. This is not a high performance boat. It’s a good all round express cruiser. I would compare it to a mid size SUV in the vehicle world.

With T5.0's as the largest engines. . . .I would agree this would not be a high performance boat. My 280SS, which lacks about 1/2 the cabin and is therefore is much lighter (6400 lbs nominal in single engine configuration) seems to have had T5.7's as a common option. Older boats have Alpha drives, while the newer boats seem to crop up with B-III's.

I would not take either the 280SS or 280DA with a single engine. If you were looking at single engine boats, I would more strongly consider the 260DA.

 

[gerryb]

Frankly, I think this is the ideal combination. Check out mercruiser site for info on Alpha vs Bravo drives and you will quickly see the Bravo is much better built, better clutch, bigger hardware, more pushing force, etc. and worth the extra cost. Alphas are fine too, but I view them as a bit more gingerly in their design. German vs. Japanese cars comes to mind.
The BIIIs will also give you a better water pumping system.

I have the 5.0s and I would be Ok without the additional 60 Hp they give me as I am not a speed junkie. I do *prefer* the 5.0's but the 4.3 would not have been a deal-breaker for me (ie. no A/C would have been).

A rule of thumb for engine power is to remember the number "25"... as in you really don't want to have a boat where each HP equivalent has to push much more than 25 lbs of fiberglass. 10,000 lbs (approx # for a 280) divided by 440 gives you around 22.7. No problem there.

 

[Bridog]

umm, twin 4.3's would give you a total of 440 HP. Or do you mean each engine?


Just FYI….the current model 280 Sundancer was never offered with twin engines that produced 300 HP each.

The largest engine ever offered was twin 260 HP small block V8’s and BIII’s.

In 2006 twin Volvo diesel's rated at 297hp were available. Talk about a rare model. I wonder what type of performance you would get out of that set-up.

 

[SMC]

Thanks everyone for all the additional information. Seems like a mixed review rergarding this combination which still has me wondering.

This particular model has all the other options Im looking for and then some, which includes gen, ac/heat, etc. So the strange engine combo is the only thing so far making me a little nervous. There does seem to be some question regarding the drives now from the broker. All the marine max service paperwork indicates Bravo IIIs, but the owner told the broker he thinks they might be Alpha drives. The boat is in a slip at the moment, and with the extended platform you cant really see them. The broker is going out to the boat again today for another check.

I bought an '06 convertible vette when the first came out with the new C6 model. Had it for about 2 years before selling it, got it up to 163MPH once and satisfied my need for speed. The speedo was still climbing at an alarming rate before I chickened out and backed off.

Im certainly not expecting performance from a boat like this, I am just looking for something that wont have trouble getting on plane carrying 4-5 people with plenty of drinks and food. Im really not much of the cruise around kind of person, but more of a drive to a spot (10-15 mins drive at most) drop anchor and hang out type of boater. I want the option to stay overnight with myself and maybe one other person hence the generator / ac needs.

Looks like my best bet here is to make an offer contingent on a sea trial, and just take the boat out to see how it rides. Thanks again for all the info, Ill make sure and keep everyone posted on how it goes.

 

[douglee25]

You can always bring the whole family plus the saleman for a sea trial and you will have a good idea how well it planes out then.

Doug

 

[SMC]

Well, strangely enough after a physical check by the broker the drives are Alphas not Bravo IIIs. Sounds like a much more common config and most are pleased as well.

Ill still be making my offer later this afternoon contingent on the sea trail, but with any luck Ill be in a 280 soon

 

[douglee25]

Well, strangely enough after a physical check by the broker the drives are Alphas not Bravo IIIs. Sounds like a much more common config and most are pleased as well.

Ill still be making my offer later this afternoon contingent on the sea trail, but with any luck Ill be in a 280 soon

:grin:

 

[Presentation]

....the owner told the broker he thinks they might be Alpha drives.....

What kind of a person does not know what kind of drive they have? Must be the guy portrayed by Kevin Bacon in “She’s having a baby” that did not know he’s lawnmower was a yard king 410.

 

[SMC]

What kind of a person does not know what kind of drive they have? Must be the guy portrayed by Kevin Bacon in “She’s having a baby” that did not know he’s lawnmower was a yard king 410.

Apparently the current owner rarely takes the boat out. He bought it and never got comfortable with driving or docking the boat, which is why he is selling it (or so Ive been told).

What I find odd is Marine Max service department putting Bravo III on all the service paperwork. That is why the broker thought they were Bravo III drives. But it does have Alpha drives after all and the owner was correct.

Makes me wonder if Marine Max over charged for any of the service they performed...