5.0L Bravo3 vrs 350MAG Bravo 3

[Blueone]

In a 240SD...I know there is 40hp between the 2 engines. I have had the 350MAG before....looking at a boat with the 5.0L and was wondering how it performed compared to the 350MAG. I am not so concerned about top end as I am about getting up on plane quickly for skiing and wakeboarding...we would typically have 4 kids and two adults on board...

Any information is appreciated

Dan

 

[Alex F]

Dan,

I have 5.0EFI with BIII, which was an upgrade from standard package. The setup is fine. I have no problems getting on plane, pull a skier or a tube. The only time you'll notice a lck of power is when you go over suggested load restrictions. If you plan to have a heavy load 6+ adults on board only then I would say get the biggest engine.

Alex.

 

[Red Stripe]

Dan - while my 210 Sundeck is shorter and inevitably lighter, it planes almost instantly with the 5.0 BIII. What year is the 240 you're looking at?

 

[chuck1]

Dan,

I was told that 5.0 was fine on the 240 by MM with a real light load, but when you got it loaded(Full water, Gas, people, ice box, etc, etc was slow to plane. I've got the 350 and seem to work fine for us.

 

[keokie]

On the Merc small blocks it used to be that the Mags had forged cranks and connecting rods and the others did not. Not sure if that is still the case, but it may be worth looking into.

 

[Dave S]

I owned a 240SD for four years. It had the 5.0 with a Bravo III and we regularly would have eight or more people on the boat. Several times we even had 12 people on the boat. The boat always jumped on plane quickly regardless of the load (I think the B3 really has more to do with that than the motor) and with a lightly loaded boat (2 people) I was able to get around 48 mph (GPS) for a top speed. We never used the boat for skiing but we regularly would pull two tubes at a time. So as far as I am concerned the 5.0 is plenty adequate for the boat. The bigger motors would definitely be more desireable but the 5.0 is just fine.

One more thing (since you have a 260DA like mine), the 240SD will seem like a rocket with a 5.0 compared to our DAs with the 350MAG. :grin:

 

[Alex F]

I think that 240SD is a lighter boat, so it'll have better performance. It sounds very impressive if the boat jumps on the plane with over 8 adults. One time we had 13 people and a large dog, this is when I felt underpowered. It took a little while to get on plane, but once the boat got on it iot was performing fine. A proper use of trim tabs makes a difference as well.

Alex.

 

[Searay Jim]

If top end isn't a concern and you'll spend most of the time from plane to 30-35 MPH with cruising being "relaxed" (keeping the RPM's down and speed down to 30 or less) you could always reprop if your typical load is tough to get on plane.

As for the 350 MPG vs 5.0, the 350 will have more torque so you'll notice it on the low end, but is it a difference that makes a difference in your situation? Maybe not.

Also, the 350 MPG is nothing different from the standard 5.7's these days, except of course fuel delivery and maybe a slightly different cam profile. Internals are identical.

It's all relative. I can load mine up and it feels slow to plane compared to normal. It may actually feel similar to another 240 with a 5.0 since the 2 boats would be propped relative to power. I'm turning cupped 30p's.

It's pretty much the same as when any power question comes up. It depends on what you need to the boat to do to satisfy your boating style.

 

[PHXATC]

Morning.

My 240 has the venerable 6.2L 320hp engine coupled up with a Bravo III. I do believe this was the biggest engine and biggest drive combination that they offered in the 240, although I'm not entirely sure. I think 6.2L equates to 377 cubic inches, which is a 400 crank shoved into a 350 block to give it a longer stroke [I'm sure the old car and engine guys in here knew that].

I have only had the boat since August and taken a whopping 3 trips on local Phoenix metro lakes with, at the most, 1/2 tank of fuel, 2 adults and 2 10 year old girls. I don't have much to compare it to, nor remember too much about cruising rpm's, mph's, or anything else, as it's been 6 months since I had it out.

Look at it this way. Look at your checkbook and boating needs, then try and balance them out. My motto is buy the stuff you want the first time and pay a bit more for it the first time instead of upgrading 3 times and pissing away money to get where you wanted to be in the first place. That's just me though. I like having power in reserve and the ability to motor around with a heavier load if I needed to. I probably never will, but I have the option to do so if I wish. If you'll never need this extra power and utility it provides, then get the smaller engine, who cares? Besides, it's a great way to say, "NO" to unwanted passengers and their gear..."sorry, I have a full load today and you will overtax my boat if you come with us."

You can always throw a turbo on there, bolt a supercharger on top, or hit the nitrous button when you have a few extra people on there too! :grin:

 

[Searay Jim]

Yep, it was starting in 2001. 2000 (the 1st year of the current 240 SD) could be had with a 7.4 MPI until the 7.4 was phased out so the 6.2 (small block) took it's place. It can't match the torque, but it would spin up and make a little more HP. The weight savings made a difference also which made the trade-off worthwhile.

I decided to keep a BB in mine; just figured I go a little bigger. :grin: Torque is not a problem. :thumbsup: