re-powing

[reelapeelin]

Originally Posted by schwa

i'm going re-power my 1980 v20 . its an i/o with a mercruiser 470/165 hp alunm. block. i was thinking of getting brand new. the 3.0 with the alpha outdrive. but on another site called the bass barn. (im from the philly /atlantic city area). i was getting alot of feedback that that engine with the EFI, it was putting out 135 h.p. and the tourq wasn't good at all! then i have some people tell me its plenty?? does anyone have good info on this? also if i have to go to the 4.3 v-6 is the engine box big enough on our boat? with the re-powering, i'm also going with all new gauges . i was looking at complete controll panels with new ignition, the one i was looking at was made by mar-lan.and a new throttle mount,single lever side mount any ideas ? thanks for everything, this is a great site!..... francis wurtenberg

A lot boils down to what YOU want out of your boat...are you pulling up skiers/wakeboarders?...do you need a strong hole-shot?...are you comfortable w/cruising in mid to high 20 mph range?...on the other hand, if you are pulling skiers and want a higher cruise-speed, go back to the 165 HP...having experienced the bigger motor, I think you are going to miss the 30 HP...I know I would...it would be a shame to lay down the $$ you're about to and be disappointed every time you throttle up...

Keep us posted on which way you go...we know what it'll do w/the 470...but it might help others out in the future if the 3.0 is sufficient...and remember...pictures are ALWAYS good...


Now that you've posted the numbers, I'd jump on the 4.3!!...nice compromise on price/weight and plenty of HP!!...