Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

A friend of mine is looking at a 30ft cat w/ 02 300 Pro Max's. Are these motors reliable? What is your opinion?

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

My boss has 2 on his cigarette and has had to do a bunch of stuff to them. Right now he is redoing a lower unit on one. And he does baby his stuff.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

I'e had a few issues with the lowers also, turns out the shift shaft seal likes to pop out and allow sea water to enter the case. I went and had the lowers with the seal customized so the seal wont push out. Other then that they run like bandits, but remember they are racing motors and things will happen on motors being pushed to those tolerences. If you think those are moody try the 250x racing, and then you'll know why guys who run these have a mechanic on call.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

I haven't had problems with my 98's other than my lower units. The 02's however are a totally different animal. They changed in 2001 to the X's. More HP and more problems from what I have heard.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

In retrospect though..... What performance boat is low maintenance? or doesn't break down... Ya wanna play, ya gotta pay...

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Amen to that!

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

I guess you here different things about everything. A guy local on the Potomac had a 26 AO cat w/twin 300 pro max's. This guy is hard on everything. He had over 400 hours, and according to a computer reading done 80% of the motors life was over 5000 rpm, the compression test also showed no signs of needing to be rebuilt. I have heard the 300 pro max's are a lot more reliable than the 300x motors but they are making 25-40 less HP.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

All my issues have been with the lowers not the motors.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Yeah but that can get expensive. Believe me I have had to rebuild both of them. I do have to agree though that my problems have only been with the lowers too... And I have over 250 hrs on mine. Still going strong. Knock on wood... :D

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Thanks for all the input.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Had a pair of X's with regular lowers instead of sportmasters. Sportmasters were more maintenance from what I saw at the drive shops in Miami. Never had any problems other than you need to make sure the plugs are gapped correctly or they like to stall at idle. I would not touch a pair of non X's based on friends experiences.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Yeah, But remember those lowers are where all the power is delivered to the prop and those constantley leaving and coming back into the water are going to shorten the life of those gears.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

These motors do have sportmaster lowers. Would the 2002 300's be 300X?

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Yep. '02s are 300Xs.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

Im looking at a boat w/ '00 Pro Max Sportmaster lowers.
What are the opinions on this specific set-up.....good,bad?

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

1999 pro max 380 hours.

Twin 2002 300 X's with 254 hours and still going.
I had a problem with the alternators, now they run very strong.

At $18,500 a motor you can not beat the bang for the buck. If you consider a pair of 525 EFI's and speed master six's would cost $100,000.
Also fuel consumption is 28- 32 gallons per motor @ 85-92 MPH cruise, on a 32 Skater.

Re: Pro Max 300's, good or bad??
 

I have a pair of 2001 300X's, the first year for the X's there were many improvements to the 2002 motors in the electronics, they should be good motors for your friend. Also for the shiftshaft seal problem Lakeland Marine in Lake Havasu has a new Billet shift shaft seal holder that holds 2 seals, the best solution to the problem I've seen. http://www.mercspeed.com/new.html