Repower with 1983 235 VRO?
 

So I know it's an old motor (OMC), but apparently it's rock solid with all new gaskets, new impeller etc., and I think I can get it for $2k. My 150 VRO has been steady these past 10 years but a cylinder is scored and she may be on her way out - lots of white smoke probably from sea water getting to the head. I'm not a wrench and I don't want to spend $5K or more rebuilding it.

My questions is, does anyone know the weight of this 235 OMC? I have a rebuilt and solid transom done professionally so I think I can possibly go up to 500 lbs but the extra torque has me a bit concerned. Any ideas ... ?

Oh, if anyone has a solid 4 stroke for a reasonable price ... ha ha

Thanks!

I would think that 2k would buy a lot better motor than a 30 year old two thirsty five...

heck my tower o power is only a few years older and I wouldn't value it over a few hundred.

My V20 has a 1991 Johnnyrude 225 on it and it handles the power with zero problems. Can't speak for the weight, but you should be fine in the power dept.

The guy says he's got $4k in the rebuild, which isn't hard to do. But I agree that it's a lot of coin for an old gas sucker like that. I think I'll clean the tanks, clean the carbon with dunks decarbon method (just found that info here today) and see how long it keeps running before I make any rash purchases. Who knows, maybe a nice 4 cyl will come on the m
arket up here in the NW this fall.

Would love to reduce fuel consumption a bit ...

I used to run a 235 on my v20 and later a V8 Johnson 250 on a Aquasport 25 CCP I ran for a time. The 235 drank 5 more gallons a hour at full throttle (32 gallons an hour) than the V8 did. If you want to reduce fuel consumption RUN don't walk. If you want power you can'beat a 235. I have seen dyno results that they ran more like 256 hp at the prop even before they went to prop rating vice power head.

Kamikaze

Use the 2 grand for a down payment on a new power plant and the gas money you save to make the payments.

The 235 is the same basic engine as many 150's built from 85-90. OMC enlarged the ports, put in the bubble back exhaust housing, and a MASSIVE set of carbs to pump it up to 235 propshaft HP(in reality it is equivelant to about a 185HP today). And they never made an 83 with VRO. VRO came out mid year 84, so not even all 84's had it. Corrosion is a HUGE issue on the older engines simply due to age and useage. Personally I would walk away for that price. Even if it is pristine it will eat you alive in fuel costs.

Weight on that beast is 492 lbs.

Weight on a 83 235HP is about 385 pounds, same weight(within a few pounds) as a 83 150.

Thanks, guys. I think I'll pass on this beast. My current '92 150 rude already has me running to the pump ...

HA!..I had an '86 Gas suckin' 150 Rude on my 1st V is why I increased fuel capacity to 80 gals!!...

At WOT it would suck insects and small birds into the fuel vents...:oh:

Did you do that with saddle tanks? Mine pump right out of the vents if I get over 18 a side. Would be nice to add some fuel to the mix with any motor. Btw, is anyone running a 175 suzuki around here? I'm thinking that might be a nice next motor ...

Yes, mine has inhaled a few harbor seals, but those suckers had/have get up and dance grunt, which I am loath to give up ...

Gallagher...go to the Gallery and look through all pics...when yer in my pics, you'll see my seats on two boxes which contain two 40 gal tanks..., so I got rid of the original saddle tanks...actually was roomier w/those gone as well...if you decide to go this route for extra fuel capacity, I can give ya more details if you want...

And I think the 175 Zuke would be a perfect 4-stroke for a V20!!...

Unless it's one of the OLD 2 stroke 175's, in which case look for corrosion. I have one of the late 80's SUZUKI's I work on that has never seen saltwater, yet the sucker is almost trashed with corrosion.

Ooops...I went straight to thinking NEW 4-stroke 175...Ferms right!

That's right. Will definitely repower with four stroke. Trying to get the most bang for the buck

Will check out those picks Reel. Sounds
Like a great solution to fuel issue

Have fun lookin' through the pics...lots of ideas to pick up on in the gallery...BUT if yer gonna repower w/a new 4-stroke, you may not NEED additional fuel capacity unless you already know yer gonna be makin' long runs to get to the fishin hole or something like that...I repowered that boat w/a Honda 150 after riggin the twin 40 gal tanks...had I known, I woulda stuck a pair of 25 or 30 gals in there instead and save weight and room...live and learn...die and forget it all...:beer:

The problem with the saddle tanks is that you can only fill em to maybe 15 each before the fuel slops out of the side vents. The other problem for me is that there's no fuel in the harbor here. I need to run around to the peninsula on the back side of the island to get fuel. On the other hand, maybe that's easier than installing new tanks ...

By the way, I see 'Gallery' in the forums list but all I find is members asking for a gallery page ...? Are the Gallery photos somewhere else?

Go back to the VERY FIRST PAGE of this site...solid blue background w/a V20 and choices at bottom for Forum, Gallery, etc...click on Gallery from there...lotta BOAT PORN...:drool:

Thanks, reela. Lots of boat porn giving me ideas.

On yours, assuming you had some cracking in the deck, do those cover/fill with new deck paint? I need to cut a hatch for the bilge pump anyhow so why not roll on some new paint when I'm finished.

Also, on these older models there are no scuppers. Do folks create them? I'll search scupper too. I'm dreaming about a 175 Suzuki ...

When I 1st installed the tank/boxes, the floor was solid...problem showed YEARS later as core became soft under the tanks because moistire trapped between tanks and deck...seeped into core and softened...I had 'em like that for 11 years and no problem till the last year...so if you set up like that, provide for ventalation under the tanks so it can dry out under there...or plan to fix in 10 years!!...lol...

Scuppers ASSUME a self-draining floor deck which has to be a little higher than the waterline outside the hull (water flows DOWNHILL)...your floor deck is not higher than outside waterline, so if you install scuppers, you'll probably sink your boat...those hulls drain into the bilge and as all boats, self-draining or not, should be well equipped with high capacity bilge pumps and as much power to them as you and your budget can stand...your boat will never self-drain unless you RAISE THE FLOOR DECK and if yer gonna do that, move out of that hull and into a later year model Wellcraft designed to do that...save yerself a lotta headache...

My '74 and your '73 had saddle tanks and short caps atop the hull and floor decks even with the outside waterline...late 70's (77 or 78) Wellcraft changed it all up and went to belly tanks, raised floor (which allowed self-draining) and taller cap...with this in mind, browse back through the gallery and look at the 70s models vs the 80s and later and you'll see the difference...it's only a few inches or so, but it made all the difference between relying solely on pumps to get ALL the water out vs self-draining to get what water got on the floor, then pumps to get rid of anything that got below decks...

I'm sure by now yer reading this and wishing I would:shut:

Information is always good! Mine is a 76 or 77 hull so no scupper option I guess. Funny thing is I've run it for 10 years without a decent bilge pump so that's no 1 on my list - getting that hole cut and dropping a high volume pump in the hole once I've isolated the leak source and fixed that. Thanks for the info!!!

No sweat...I said yours a '73...my bad, but same style hull anyway...there may be room in the bilge behind your batteries to mount pump w/out cutting the floor...if me, I'd look into that first...and if yer thinking of the fuel tank/seat-box idea, look back at the Gallery where I had my batteries...opens up a whole new layout and room in the bilge for all the pumps ya wanna do..