3.0 to 4.3?
- Thread starter Crosis
- Start date
blaster
Well-Known Member
- May 23, 2011
- 3,471
- Boat Info
- 2010 sea ray 205 sport
F-250 CCLB 6.2 4x4 3.73 rear.
- Engines
- Mercruiser 4.3 mpi alpha 1.62
I have seen this question discussed many times on several boating forums. The most popular reply is to buy a different boat. The reasoning is that it would be difficult and costly to swap a 3.0 for a 4.3 due to the different mounts. The drive gear ratio would also likely require changing.
A new or rebuilt 3.0 is inexpensive compared to a 4.3 so maybe just get it running and sell it, then put the money into a bigger more powerful boat. I saw a 3.0 on craigslist for $900 that supposedly ran, it looked clean in the pics.
A new or rebuilt 3.0 is inexpensive compared to a 4.3 so maybe just get it running and sell it, then put the money into a bigger more powerful boat. I saw a 3.0 on craigslist for $900 that supposedly ran, it looked clean in the pics.
nah, you will have a hard time to find additional horses
on the engine .
that said i loved my 3.0 in a volvo penta package - worked all the time well and had a good midrange to put the boat on plane.
a friend has a rinker 185 with a 3.0 merc /alpha and it goes 39-40 mph gps - do you reach similar speeds ?
on the engine .
that said i loved my 3.0 in a volvo penta package - worked all the time well and had a good midrange to put the boat on plane.
a friend has a rinker 185 with a 3.0 merc /alpha and it goes 39-40 mph gps - do you reach similar speeds ?
Crosis
Member
Yeah pretty close. I was also thinking about smart tabs for a bit more speed. Moving to a larger sea ray right now wont work for me because I plan on moving up to a 35' sailboat or trawler in 2 years.
You should see low to mid 40's with that boat. I'm not trying to be blunt, but forget about more speed. Anything you do is going to be negligible. Nope - don't even say "what if...". Stop. Stop right there. Stop before you go any further. :smt001 Tabs will make a huge impact on hole shot, but very little (if any) on top end. Same with props - very little impact on top end.
Why the 'possibility' of a rebuild? If that's where you end up a reman, as mentioned above, is the way to go for that boat.
Why the 'possibility' of a rebuild? If that's where you end up a reman, as mentioned above, is the way to go for that boat.
They are interchangeable terms.
Chris Nowell
Active Member
- Nov 28, 2011
- 1,520
- Boat Info
- '05 622 Hardtop w Alaska Bulkhead, 270 Mercury Marine sport inflatable, pulled by a 6.0L Silverado
- Engines
- 4.3 MPI Merc w Alpha I drive, 5 hp 4 stroke Merc aux.
I remember back to the days when the Admiral and I were speed demons; we spent thousands on our ski boat in an effort to break the 55 mph mark. When we finally did, all we had to show for all those thousands of dollars was an older boat that would go faster than stock and drank a ton of fuel. I'd say "fix yours and sell it to buy a bigger, faster boat". I think there's only so much speed you can get out of that hull before it starts to chine walk and becomes unstable. We regularly ski behind an 18ft ("B" word) with a 3.0 in it. It works just fine for us except the bigger boys tend to pull the stern around quite a bit when they're carving.
Last edited:
