New Here - 1989 24 Python
 

Hello, first time poster and 29 year old first time boat owner.

Recently picked up this 1989 Python. Im just here to gain some knowledge and useful tips and contribute if I can.

Here are some pics:

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...psacbfe812.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ps1f69d709.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ps0bc710e7.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...ps75c2b11a.jpg

Interior needs some cleaning. Its got a 454 magnum (how do I know for sure? 365 hp?), with Bravo 1 drive an 25p Mirage 3 blade prop. 680 hours

I had it out for sea trial for a few hours before I bought it and everything checked out and felt good.

Anyway, that's my "old school" offshore

Welcome! Cool boat.
You will learn anything and everything you need to know here.

Congrats !!! Be safe !!

the motor is at least a mag. You wouldn't be spinning a 25 with a 330 very well.

Congrats! Welcome to the board! Lots Ok knowledge here to answer ANY questions

Agree with phragle. Mine had a bone stock 330 HP and spun a 21p mirage plus to 4800ish and ran 61 on gps

Boat may run better with a 23p mirage + mine liked to extra cup to carry the bow

I think the 25P should do it now, but Im looking for a good 65-70mph if possible.

welcome aboard! When your bored at work you will have spent thousands of $$$ in your mind reading some of the threads around here. And wanting to make your boat just as fast! haha LOVE IT! Have Fun!

Having a mag motor you have a good start at that goal. A good hydraulic roller cam, intake, carb and exhoust should easily meet your goal. The carb, intake, and something like stainless marine exhaust can be found used easliy and not too expensive, Cam and valvetrain go new and decent stuff. A lot of people here have had good luck with Bob Madera. He would already have a nice recipie for what you want given what you have.

Welcome !

BTW: Unfortunately, you already broke a boating forum rule. Just like that.

1) Pictures of bow bunnies ! :bunnydance: :drool1:

Don't these young guys know anything anymore ? :lolhit:

Yes sir ! Let's get this young guy right in to things ! Might as well start now !

I actually found a video of the boat from the previous owner prior to purchase, while researching Python vectors.

Heres one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23v-fp0fSBc

The speedo says ~65, but without gps, who knows if its accurate.

On the sea trial we hit 63 @ ~4500 with my phone gps, but we were trimmed down a bit and on the Niagara River current. The speedo wasnt registering anything at the time.

Congrats on the new boat! That's gotta be my favorite top deck design out of all the 24x7 made!
Jr.

Welcome to OSO!

Do you have a regular 25 or a 25 plus? I have basically the same boat with around 375hp (made 407hp on dyno but sure its less in the boat) and I have a 23 plus and a standard 25 prop. With the 23 plus I run 65 all day loaded and have a best of 67 with light load and perfect conditions at 4800rpm. With the standard 25 I gained cruise speed but lost top speed only running 63 at 4800rpm. I think these boats really like the cup from the plus props, I want to find a 25 plus to try next.

You should try a 23 plus and I bet you get a few more mph and rpm.

The prop just has Quicksilver Mirage on it. There's some other ID #'s and a 25P stamped on it.

I don't see anything indicating its a plus.

EDIT: Stamp is 48- 13706 A41 25P

I had a 1989 24 Python for 8 years. With the 330hp 454 I ran a 23P mirage. When I changed t0 a 415hp 502 I spun a 25P mirage. Good boats. Looks like you have what was called the offshore without the windshield.

That part # is for the 25 Plus. You should be spinning 5000rpm with your Mag engine. Play with trim and see if you can spin your prop up to 5000rpm. If you can not try a 23 Plus.

My engine has a 330 bottom end with ARP bolts so it is not as strong as your Mag so I keep the rpms at or below 4800rpm. I spin the same rpm (4800) with the 23 Plus as I do with the standard 25, that's why I want to try a 25 Plus. I hope it will bite better and give me more speed and maybe only lose a little rpm

Any of you guys think this needs adjustment?

http://youtu.be/utQS8Bc8D3w I know there is supposed to be some lag in the throttle, but it seems excessive to me. The video starts with the throttle button already pushed in and it goes into the forward position. From there, I can move it that far without any movement at the actual throttle. If I push it all the way forward, I believe I get full WOT, but the slack to me seems like it can be adjusted a bit tighter.

Ideas?

For sure needs adjustment or the splines on the shaft are worn and or the set screw might be loose. I have the same throttle and it has very little to no play at all.

Do I take the spin the black arm part (don't know technical term) out further to tighten up the "slack" in the cable?

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f1...psf10f062a.jpg

I think you might have a problem throttle/shifter handle and should investigate there first. With that much movement I doubt it is just slack in the cable. Does the throttle lever feel like it is on nice and tight or does it feel like it is slipping? There is a set screw that holds it to the shaft.

Ill investigate it further today.

It feels tight, just sloppy in that posstion. I move it forward gradually and its nice and smooth once the throttle opens.

It's early in the morning here but looks like a 330 carb on a mag intake .that boat looks real clean for its age

Is there a part number I can reference to make sure I have the right gear?

I took it out for a few hours this weekend and came across some issues. I just don't know if its user error or not.

Im going to bump this to confirm if I have a 454 MAG. The boat is in storage and frankly I've been reading some threads and Im starting to get paranoid its a 330 version and not a MAG.

The only thing I have to go on right now are pictures from the summer, and maybe any experts here can help me out.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psc8a47c8f.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps8de60666.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psf1dfd64a.jpg

I know it says mag on the tag by the carb, and mag on the bravo drive - but I want to make sure Im dealing with a legit mag motor here.

I know I can look for a serial number (again, boat is away in storage), but Im starting to look into some mods and wont pull the trigger if its just a standard 330 454.

Thanks,

The intake manifold is definately a MAG ( hi rise compared to a 330 low rise intake) so there is a very good chance its a MAG!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

The diff between the 2 isnt great enough to decide whether or not to buy the boat. 89 engine? Gonna need rebuilt at some point anyway. If there are other things you dont like the fact it IS a mag shouldnt make your mind to buy anyway. The engine is the easiest thing on a boat to repair-upgrade.

It would take a concerted effort to come up with that many oem indicators that it is a mag. Odds very slim somebody went to that much trouble for very little change in boat value.

Thanks, the boat is already purchased and the previous owner did say that it was a mag, but looking at other pythons for sale, most list a 330 hp power plant.

Obviously value is important, but Im in this for what I believe to be a good deal either way - but obviously a true MAG is preferred.

Like I said before, Id like to see 65-70 from this boat, and a standard 330 appears to not be enough to get me there, where as a few mods to a 454 MAG could do it. This boat is swinging a 25P mirage (not sure if its a plus) at 4600 rpm. Theres a still 400 rpm to go if this is a mag, so I picked up a 23 plus for next summer.

if you are actually pulling a 25 mirage 4600 thats not a 330 and that should be mid 60ish

You should enter the Buffalo Poker Run with that beauty!!!!

It could be slipping. My 24/7 likes the "cup" in the Plus props. My boat is faster with my 23 plus than it is with my standard 25, I can spin them both at the same RPM. I want to try a 25 Plus on my boat.

is it or isn't it a mag... pull a valve cover and get head casting number. then do a compression test and see if heads hafta come off anyway. i don't know the numbers top of the head, but a 330 with 088, 188 or 990 heads is still sub-8:1 compression. the mag is closer to 9. there is NO WAY those are peanut heads with a rectangle port intake. would be a total dog. then first upgrade is the exhaust. the 420 hp mercs made by Gil are quite decent, easy to find and reasonable. and you can go up from there to about 4000 bucks. not that you should. but you want enough riser length to go up in duration and lift and down in lobe sep angle on the cam without exhaust reversion. and roller lifter conversion is pretty much a must too.

He could also be over-trimming or under-trimming. When I purchased my boat it had a 330hp in it and a 26p 4 blade bravo and I got 63mph at 4100rpm but it was a handful to drive (major chine walking). I blew the 330 two weeks after buying the boat. (the guy I got it from had the prop stolen so he put the 26p Bravo on it to sell it but I didn't know any better )Boat is for sure faster and handles better now with 3 blades Mirages. With the new 400hp engine I see 65 all day long and best of 67 so far and handles great. 24/7's are a drivers boat and many things affect them, fuel load, people load, props, driver, etc, etc.

This is my first boat, I'd like to but I can't hang with the big dogs yet!

This is my boat, from one of the previous owners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23v-fp0fSBc

In the vid he is at 4600 rpm as well, and that's all I could muster with that 25P prop.

I'll be getting it out of storage in May, at that point I will look at serial numbers, etc. to confirm.

Well there is a lower speed class.

Stop by the next WNYOPA meeting and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised, great group of guys with a passion for boating.

Changed the scheme around a bit:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...pskloltf17.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psno4yzf1y.jpg

Welcome to OSO

Very nice looking boat - all the best with it!

I know we all love speed and everyone has chimed in to offer tweaks to get you to the speed of light-- However, - this is my 2cents. Run a few tanks of fuel thru it with a good fuel cleaner - Sea Foam and see what happens at the end. You may have most of the items dialed in and all it needs is a good ol fashioned blowing out! Based on what you provided - I would bet money that it is ar Mag engine. I don't have one but just a plain jane 7.4 MPI and the 454 is almost bullet proof. I truly believe don't fix it if it ain't broke!

be safe

3pointstar

i didn't write that.

Nice boat. We should get a some buffalo people together to do a few cruises. Seems like we have a few.