New Mercruiser Question

[jp6]

Looking for some expert opinions on new mercruiser engines. I have a 23ft seacraft and am looking to repower it. Looking at a 250 hp package with a bravo 1 outdrive. Wanted to know the pros and cons of the fuel injection vs. the carburated engines. I have heard some bad stories about the fuel injected engines just dying with no warnings. I use the boat commercially and am looking for the best dependable setup. Thanks!

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

I personally would go with carbed.....They are easier to work on....You won't need alot of expensive diagnostic equipment, or a degree from M.I.T.....I'm sure the E.F.I.'s are more fuel efficient and have a little better performance, but I would go carbed, at least you will be able to work on it.....IMHO....JK

 

[QC]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

I've seen more troubles with Carbs, here on this site and on the water. I had a TBI Merc. and it was perfect and required nothing for the 8 years I owned it. Probably had around 800 hours on it. I have an MPI now and it has also been perfect, but it only has about 300 hours on it. <br /><br />I've had carbed engines die for no apparent reason, although I got them running again.

 

[jaybirdtx]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

EFI engines are past their infant stage and are now actually THE BEST engines on the market. Merc has just introduced a 1075 HP engine that is fuel injected and supercharged. Merc has been the masters of GM aftermarket high performance engines for some time. Until fuel injection was mastered they have not been able to produce an engine with this much HP. So..in short...fuel injection is the only way to go!!!!

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

FI is the way to go in my opinion also. Even the carb engines have fancy electronics, so why not go to FI?<br />My real question to you is, does your boat already have a Bravo drive? If not, and you want to change from Alpha to Bravo, that's a HUGE job.

 

[Trent]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

EFI....

 

[craze1cars]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

EFI. No different these days than buying a car, in my opinion. If a carb'd car/truck was still available, it'd be silly to buy it.<br /><br />They're rock solid dependable, and if you use it commercially, the amount of fuel you will save over a similar HP carb setup will help your bottom line as well.

 

[jp6]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

Thanks for the reply's. I dont have a bravo 1 now but intend to do the glass work myself. How long has mercruiser offered the EFI and did they have problems with it when they first came out? I think a Closed cooling system is standard with the EFI but not with the carb. package. Does anyone know how much a kit would cost? thanks

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

2 considerations for a COMMERICAL BOAT in bad weather. NO way are you going to hand choke a FI or do anything to get it running. Carbs. last forever unless a dirt bag starts playing with it and leaves out the filter or fiddles with it. I only use V 8 carbed engines and NEVER had a problem. You hp crazies have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to reliability. Some commerical guys carried a perfect carb on their boat as insurance. Only the guys who played with their carbs EVER had to use the back up, which took 15 minutes to change to!!!------------------------------------ Jump start a carb engine with a battery backwards 2 or 3 times. NO damage. FI, most are useless. 67 and carbs till the big box takes me. FI my foot.------------------Oh yea, we used the regular auto metal air cleaner housing. Because it prevented any water from getting to the carb. None of us 'blew up".

 

[Mile-High Mariner]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

2 considerations for a COMMERICAL BOAT in bad weather. NO way are you going to hand choke a FI or do anything to get it running. Carbs. last forever unless a dirt bag starts playing with it and leaves out the filter or fiddles with it. I only use V 8 carbed engines and NEVER had a problem. You hp crazies have no idea what you are talking about when it comes to reliability. Some commerical guys carried a perfect carb on their boat as insurance. Only the guys who played with their carbs EVER had to use the back up, which took 15 minutes to change to!!!------------------------------------ Jump start a carb engine with a battery backwards 2 or 3 times. NO damage. FI, most are useless. 67 and carbs till the big box takes me. FI my foot.------------------Oh yea, we used the regular auto metal air cleaner housing. Because it prevented any water from getting to the carb. None of us 'blew up".

<br /><br />Ever wonder how we have been able to progress beyond things like horse-drawn wagons, telegraph, polio, bias-ply tires and bell-bottoms? Because we are generally open to incremental improvement. But if we're up there in years and we haven't learned to appreciate the benefits of things like electric power or electronic fuel injection, it's good that carburetor rebuilders will continue to provide us with the objects of our endearment. As long as we don't use any other regular auto parts in somewhat more crucial areas.......

 

[Red Fuel]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

Commercial boat, rough water, EFI small block with a Bravo 2 bulletproof drive. Important: do not ever overfill your oil. Doing so causes the air temperature sensor to receive oil vapor from the pcv and send faulty readings to the fuel management system thus overfueling the motor. Just came across it today after working on a customer's boat and the computer didn't show anything but a high percentage on the IAC. I've seen most EFIs burn roughly %50 less fuel than comparable boats with carbs. Good luck.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

Thanks for the tip, Red Fuel. If I were on the fishing grounds, I would want you AND your computer analyizer and a line to the factory to keep us going.-----------About the 50 %. only at the lowest rpm. At higher rpms a carb has the same hp and eff. Proven on dynoed engines for street engines.-----50 % more gas means the the fuel mixture would be so rich the engine would not run.

 

[Don S]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

At higher rpms a carb has the same hp and eff. Proven on dynoed engines for street engines.

Bull Hockey!!!!! Real world (Not Dyno) says different. more effecient and powerfull at all ranges in real world use. Ask any EFI owner that repowered from a carbed engine.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

I agree the boat owner says that when he has a worn out or pain in the butt engine replaced by a new FI. But the fact remains, a 220 hp carb has the same power as a 220 hp FI, both same cubes. Both new.

 

[Don S]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

If carbs were so great, why would every auto manufacturer be making their engines EFI. It's simple. More effecient, more powerful, easier starting, cleaner burning, better running.<br />Same with Marine engines, carbs are the past. I think the end of carbs on NEW V6 and V8 engines is 2006. After that, it's all EFI. Except the 3.0, not sure what will happen there, it runs so lean it self destructs in a short time, won't start, won't idle, diesels, etc.<br />One of these days, you will see the light also.

 

[Richard Petersen]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

Carbs are great. Trouble with all of them is they cost a fortune to make compared to simple coil of injector and a $1.00 computer chip. FI is cheaper. Thats why it is in there. Electronic gas pedal is replacing all the mechanical setups. $$$$$ in their pockets and service calls for any minor problem. It has always been make it cheaper without to many deaths and lawsuits.--------------They are already trying to do away with the steering wheel. Joystick will do everything, just like a kids computer game. That will really make me feel a lot safer at 75 mph. Buttons on it will control lots of other functions.

 

[EZLoader]

Re: New Mercruiser Question

Here's an Article from Boating World:<br /><br />The Gas V-8: An Endangered Species? <br /><br />It's a competitive world, and marine engines are subject to the principle of survival of the fittest. Consider the gasoline V-8. If the engineering team at Steyr Motors continues on its present track, this venerable engine may soon become extinct. The Austrian engine builder recently unveiled a 250-hp diesel in-line 6 designed expressly to go head-to-head with 5.0L and 5.7L V-8 gas inboards and sterndrives. <br /><br />Turbocharged, intercooled and featuring two-stage fuel injectors, the new Steyr diesel builds more horsepower per cubic inch than should be legal. At the same time, it sips fuel. Atypical for a diesel, it's not particularly heavy, thanks to its high alloy, lightweight castings. Smoke and fumes are virtually nonexistent. The engine mates to a wide variety of transmissions, including direct-drive, horizontal, eight-degree down angle and 12-degree V-drive. It's also an appropriate choice for MerCruiser Bravo One and Two, and Volvo Penta Duoprop sterndrives. www.steyr-motors.com.<br /><br />Here's an example installation:<br /> http://www.kevlacat.com/inboard.shtml