Twin 3.0 vs single 7.4?

jitts3

Well-Known Member
Dec 16, 2008
1,374
Freedom, WI
Boat Info
1989 Sea Ray 268 Sundancer
Engines
454 Bravo 2
Well its been some time since I've been on here. But I'm back with a question for anyone here.
Well I've settled in buying a Sea Ray 268 as it is the largest available to tow on a trailer without oversize load issues. Im seeing them in the mid to late 80s. Some have twin 3.0 4cyl engines, others had 350 and 454 (5.7 and 7.4) engines. Aside some the obvious redundancy of having twins, wouldn't it be best to shoot for the 454?
My thoughts are 3.0 x 2 is 6.0. This is larger than the 5.7, but 7.4 is still bigger. Also not having any added power loss running thru another stern drive.
Thoughts?
 
If I were looking at that size boat I'd want to sea trial both a single and the twins.

You'll always get all kinds of opinions on here about what is the best engine for that boat but we all use our boats differently. What I might give the nod to (twins vs single) might not work for someone else.

It's too bad you're not out here. My neighbor has an absolutely gorgeous 268 with twins that he's put ~$50K into upgrades since he bought it. New gelcoat, new genset, new A/C, windlass, and I think a bow thruster. Yeah, he has more money than smarts.

He knows he'll never get his money out of it but he's OK with that.
 
If I were looking at that size boat I'd want to sea trial both a single and the twins.

You'll always get all kinds of opinions on here about what is the best engine for that boat but we all use our boats differently. What I might give the nod to (twins vs single) might not work for someone else.

It's too bad you're not out here. My neighbor has an absolutely gorgeous 268 with twins that he's put ~$50K into upgrades since he bought it. New gelcoat, new genset, new A/C, windlass, and I think a bow thruster. Yeah, he has more money than smarts.

He knows he'll never get his money out of it but he's OK with that.
The one I saw today has the twin 3.0 however I knew before looking at it one engine has a major issue. Water in oil. From what I read those are prone to head gaskets or cracked heads. The work doesn't scare me as I do this work regularly. So there was no way to get that one out on the water.
 
Ocean twins....Inland lakes.... the single will make you happier with cost to maintain...
Why would twins be better in the ocean? The goal with this is to trailer it places. So it may see either coast.
 
On a boat with that beam the twin engines are packed in there really tight, very hard to work around.

Also, take a look at the 94 to 99 270 Sundancer. They have a lot of modern features the 268 didn’t have and they can be had pretty economical.
 
a boat that size....as long as you can dock and maneuver with one engine i would get the big block. less maintenance and more horse power.....but if you need redundancy then get the twins. thats just my opinion
 
My brother in law had an 89 with 7.4 bravo 1 and it was quite sporty in terms of performance. Easy to work on and economical. A friend of ours had an 87 268 with 2 4.3 alphas. Planed quickly and was a dream to operate! Real sporty but an absolute nightmare to work on. I had to stand on my head to check batteries!
I like Monaco Mikes idea of looking for a little newer 270. In addition to what he mentioned the layout in the cockpit is much more user friendly. The 268s just seem small in everyway to me in terms of the cockpit. Good luck shopping!
 
What year are you looking at? Some of those older 7.4L’s were setup with alpha drives, I would avoid those.

Twins are twice the maintenance, will be slower than a single big block, and will take up more space.

I’d get a good running single motor if you’re trailering.
 
Twin 3.0’s will still have plenty of space. The 3.0 is argued by many, and I agree, is one of their best engines.

Single or twin? Depends on if you’re going way offshore. If so, then twins.

BTW, twin engines do not equate to power x 2. It equates to power x 1 1/2. So twin 140 hp = 210 hp not 280.
 
I agree if the OP was coastal boating MAYBE twins and an old boat might be the right combo.

He from his post looks to move the boat around. If you notice his inland location, twins suddenly seem way less attractive from a maintenance and trailering perspective.

I wouldn’t rule out a 7.4 alpha if you found a never used one in a barn and modified it with a drive shower. Just know I’ve seen a backyard special blow up the drive.

and the coupler. Smells nice too! Especially when it is disassembled.

Plus, if it’s a Bravo drive single compared to twin alpha drives? Well Duh!
 
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If you want a get home motor put a kicker on the swim platform. Have friends with a 27 footer with single engine and kicker they use to fish with once the main engine failed and they made it home on the 9.9 at 5MPH.
 
My brother in law had an 89 with 7.4 bravo 1 and it was quite sporty in terms of performance. Easy to work on and economical. A friend of ours had an 87 268 with 2 4.3 alphas. Planed quickly and was a dream to operate! Real sporty but an absolute nightmare to work on. I had to stand on my head to check batteries!
I like Monaco Mikes idea of looking for a little newer 270. In addition to what he mentioned the layout in the cockpit is much more user friendly. The 268s just seem small in everyway to me in terms of the cockpit. Good luck shopping!
I was looking at 270s. But with a 10 ft beam, its not going to allow me to trailer long distances easy being that wide. While I certainly have the trucks to pull it, dealing with multiple state permits and holiday weekend restrictions on "wide loads" will ruin it for me.
 
I was looking at 270s. But with a 10 ft beam, its not going to allow me to trailer long distances easy being that wide. While I certainly have the trucks to pull it, dealing with multiple state permits and holiday weekend restrictions on "wide loads" will ruin it for me.
I think you're referring to the late 80s 270s. The mid to late 90s 270s had a 9'2" beam and were in the 7500lb range. Could be had with a single BB or twin 6s. Check out the model archives on the Sea Ray website and you can get all the specs on previous models. Keep us posted!
 
Mmm “radiator cooled sea motors”.

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