Repower for 23' I/O

[bobbert]

Thanks for your input. Looks like the sbc is the way to go.
Wags sent pm re: your engine/drive package.
More questions will be forth coming as soon as the white stuff melts a little.

[Wags23]

Its the mag 350 300hp

[pelican]

for what it's worth...

my sea craft,it's powered by merc 5.7MPI with the horizon package,bravo I drive - in my opinion,this is the best option,performance,and effciency wise.the boat gets over 2nmpg,cruises @23-24kts,and the engine runs up to it's 5000rpm limit,as it should.the engine has ran for 335 trouble free hours in the last 3 seasons.i've used these engines in numerous other repower projects,with,similar good results.
if you're not running a bravo drive,i suggest you purchase a package-"package" being engine,drive,transom plate-reason being-if you're equipped with an alphaI drive,the water pump in the alphaI drives,are,low volume,high pressure pumps,the newer vortec engines require a large volume of water,using the newer vortecs and the older drives,will cause a problem with the engine blowing head gaskets...

here's a recent trip i made on my rig - http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/spo...n/345108625395

we ran inexcess of 62nm to the fish,the engine was never shut down-fired up @ 4:30,shut down @ 3:30 total trip distance was 125-out and back,and running and difting...total fuel used was 52g...


that v6 is a reliable engine,very powefull,but,it just doesn't have the torque needed to shove that hull..

[Wags23]

I run mine with the alpha and a thru hull(sea strainer) to the raw water pump (bravo engine).

[pelican]

I run mine with the alpha and a thru hull(sea strainer) to the raw water pump (bravo engine).

that's ok...but...you need to instal the [censored] interupt on the new engine.also,you need to install the block off for the cooling water tube-from the swivel assembly,to the engine.you're also gonna need to remove the water pump impeller from the drive...

[Wags23]

Pelican your right on.I put the shift interrupt switch in and mechanic said to just leave the alpha impellar in and let run rather than block it off (cools drive?).

[pelican]

Pelican your right on.I put the shift interrupt switch in and mechanic said to just leave the alpha impellar in and let run rather than block it off (cools drive?).

waterpump in ?? where does the water exit ?
if you still have the water pump -the water is forced up the drive...now,there's the transfer hose-from the swivel assembly to the transom plate-where it connects to another tube-another hose connects to this,and,this feeds the engine water...my question is,where does ths water exit,in your set up ?
normally,if you're going this route,you pull the impeller out-remove the transfer hose-swivel to transom plate-install the block off piece-inside the transom assembly-this is the accepted way to do this.the hose is removed-water is forced up the,via the water intakes,on thelower unit,and,this water exits @ the swivel assembly...

[Wags23]

Water exits the hose set up on drive.I heard of just capping the hole too but mech said just let it run outside the transom. Drawback being it now takes two two hoses to run on land.One for raw water pickup and one for outdrive