Bravo vs. alpha

bronxlatetour

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 16, 2006
Messages
77
Re: Bravo vs. alpha

I own a 1990 sea ray with the 7.4 bravo with 365 hours on it. As far as I know the boat has always been used in salt water around Long Island. The engine is raw water cooled and runs as though it were brand new. Is it just me or is "roscoe" a little pesamistic about raw water colled engines?
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
71,082
Re: Bravo vs. alpha

bronxlatetour said:
Is it just me or is "roscoe" a little pesamistic about raw water colled engines?

Ayuh,........

He sems to think that All of the 30, 40, or 50 Year Old motors up in This Country are Junk Too.........

Up here on the Sweetwater Seas,........ 40 years Ain't Nothing........
And,.......
That's with Dry Block winter storage.................
Cast Iron grows a very thin Patina,+ just Stays that way.......

While I'm well aware that Saltwater will Rot Cast Iron,+ Steel,+ About Anything Else,........

He does seems Much More Pessimistic that Anybody Else I've ever talked too...........


Btw,....... Rosoe with an e is a Totally Different Guy,......
 

RandyJ

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jun 13, 2002
Messages
808
Re: Bravo vs. alpha

I've got two 1978 boats with chevy 350's (260 mercruisers. One salt water and one freshwater histories. Both rusted out the exhaust manifolds. Only reason I had to replace the block on the saltwater boat was because it had frozen and busted. In the Warrior river of Alabama the boats that sit in the water year round tend to rot the aluminum really bad. I don't know if it is the quality of the water or just the fact that it's in water but it's rough on boats that don't get a breath of fresh air now and then. BTW... even with a new block...both of these boat engines run hot if run for very long if run very fast. The 24' cabin cruiser is heavier and sluggish... the other is a 20' ski boat and has no excuse... maybe it is the pistons or rings seizing....both are a pain and lots of aggrivation. They seem to circulate water really good.
 

AdamB

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 26, 2004
Messages
251
Re: Bravo vs. alpha

Ummmm, just to interject something in my own post 8)8)

Everything on this motor looks new. The battery wires, the starter etc. Hell, he even pulled the starter and it looked new. I just think a solenoid or switch or... it's been raining here too long and I've got a lot of other things to do. PLus, I did buy this boat with intentions of going through all her systems anyway as a precaution so don't want to rush her too much. The seller was alble to fire up the motor and I heard her run. Then I saw the auto type carb instead of marine type carb and thought I had definitely go through the rest.

Thanks for your thoughts so far.
 
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