Reliable performance, 496, 525 or 600 any thoughts
 

repowering my boat. Any thoughts on motor preferences.. or should I look at custom motor builders that I see advertised....looking for reliable performance. Give me your thoughts and if there is one or two motors to def. to stay away from let me know.

Shouldnt we know what kind of boat?

Playcraft Powertoon
 

This is a 3 pontoon boat w lifting strakes. The last one I built I used a 6.2 w/ thru hull exhaust. Love the motor but look for something more on this next one.

A custom built pontoon that you are looking for power then? I think twin O/B is the ultimate toon power

im shallower than you think....
 

I agree, I just cant get away from the rumble of a V8. I know Im shallow and i need to look past it...Its just not in me. Im much shallower than u think

THe guys w/ the OBs run faster on less fuel, less maint. trouble free. :hitfan:

I just cant get away from an I/O.... I will remember this when its 106 degrees and my hatch is up w/ my butt stuck up to the sun swapping out an impeller in a water pump. ha ha

Back to my original question, 496, 500, 525, 600, custom built? Any success stories or horror stories I need to stay away from..:cool-smiley-027:

Yeah, I could tell you a few of my own....so could several others I know of. Nothing wrong with tooting their own horn, but just because a marine engine shop advertises on here does NOT mean they really know what it takes to properly build a marine hi-perf engine....and it also does not mean they will deal with you fairly and many will run you around in circles once they have your money with all kinds of excuses---but one thing you can be sure of is that they will sure take your money! Just do your home work.

Initially, I would try to find a good local machine shop that has a good reputation with marine hi-perf engines in your area if you can. Do not get roped into a shop that does great car engines only. Ask around....ask a lot of people in the area about the reliability of a particular shop's product and how they were treated once the "honeymoon" was over with if problems have surfaced.

It's not a perfect world, but having your engine(s) rebuilt/upgraded, etc, should be a good and interesting experience that you can even have a little fun with.

There is a video here of toon with a 600sci merc....think it might have been a south bay trifecta. Looked good, and ran strong. I do like the twin 300's hangin off the back better.

Ive seen that video.....I think Warren Buffett owns that company now.....I like the way he thinks....


Plan on this rebuild to be shot and posted on my web site....paddlemyboat.com I'll be highly dissapointed if you guys dont give me some grief....ex. Why did he do that,, that looks like crap, etc.

Lets see, full rebuild on a BBC, ballpark figure around 3500. Full rebuild on a pair of OB's with 200+ HP? Don't know but I bet it is an anchor locker full of money more than that.

If you are talking stock Merc power, you are in a world of different money from the 496 to the 500/525, and then another huge jump to the 600SC.

You will get as much power for a lot less money going aftermarket than buying a black/blue motor.

I have been very impressed with recent re-builds of my motors by Scorpion Racing Engines in Livonia, Michigan. Both partners are former Sterling employees. Call Frank at 734-306-4147.

Twin merc 300's on a Playcraft pontoon boat took top honors at the 2007 LOTO shootout with 90mph. There were a number of BBC i/o pontoon boats that also ran but well off of that mark.

Go with 2 6.2's, one in each toon and probably less $ than one 600

We offer custom engine packages from 500-850 horsepower N/A. Please feel free to contact me.

Dean Gellner

Twin 300 Merc's, i WILL COMMADERE someones boat this summer with this set up..... Its just too tempting,I wanna ride in in one.... My current project cracks me up.....

I paid way to much, knowingly, the only thing I asked was for him to inspect the pontoons and if the Pontoons were clean straight, lifting strakes no problem. I would gladly pay too much to get the project boat im looking for.... "Absolutly perfect, laser straight" He says....When the guy pulled up (It was bought on Ebay) w my newest project it had more wisky licks and imperfections than the basement of a Frat house. I think they literally center punched huge river channel marker ripping lifting strakes off.

Well, as a friend of mine says about a cheap hotel it just adds splender & excitement to the evening....

I need (I use this word alot) to be a solid 62 mph w/ 8 people in the boat... I have a whole laundry list why:
1.)My buddy's new pontoon runs 61mph!

I'm digging your thinking,

I believe that Playcraft sponsors some of the high hp/mph pontoon boats that ran at the 2007 LOTO shootout. You may want to contact them for suggestions as to what boat mod's are required to produce/hanble safetly the speed these guys run at. Denting of off the shelf pontoons when hitting rough water at these high speeds would seem to be a big issue to deal with for one.

I'd rebuild the 6.2 with aluminum heads and forged pistons, then add a Whipple. I just did one for a customer and it made right at 600 HP on the dyno.

Bob, are you still running the stock pan or did you go aftermarket? Is the reason the stock 6.2's oil capacity is 4.5 quarts due to Merc using the stock pan with the longer stroke crank so they just changed the dipstick level to keep the crank out of the oil? Did you also add an oil cooler?

Stock pan, but added a large oil cooler. This engine ran 3 years stock with a Whipple. He detonated a piston this summer so we rebuilt it with forged pistons and Edelbrock Etec heads. I'm using a FAST ecu, since it had the PCM 555 originally and there was no programming available. I believe Whipple has since gotten a program worked out.

Bob

Thanks! Got a friend with twin 6.2's that has been hinting of an upgrade.

Stay away from anything with CMI headers! My Merc's have been great except for the TWO times the CMI headers failed. $40,000.00 later. Get some 496's and supercharge them or anything without CMI headers.