serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

[renegadescarab]

I went to the marinshopen.se site to ID my Merc V6's, and went away confused. Their S/N's are 5160246 and 5160250. Now, the site shows 150HP 1979 ranges from 5129480-5503246. Then it shows 1979 200HP ranges from 5158929-5464485, and then 1982 200HP from 5073192-6203990. Since my motors fall in all three of the aforementioned ranges, which one is it? BTW, these motors have apparently been race modified, I have been told they can rev much higher than stock. I am trying to get them going in order to test an anti-terrorist device with this Scarab that my buddy bought, and they aren't anywhere close to being 100%. Any help is appreciated.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Need more than the S/N on these....I've ran into this several times with Mercruiser units as well.<br /><br />EDIT: Welcome aboard!

 

[Dhadley]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

My info leads to 2.4 liter motors 1978-1988 (combined books). <br /><br />Just what info are you looking for?<br /><br />OH yeah -- Welcome!!

 

[renegadescarab]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Thank you for the welcomes. I was just curious about which year/model these were so that if I am searching for any parts or service, then I can at least know which engine I have. They are 2.4 liter, V6 black max's, as it says on the cover, but other than serial number, I need to know what I should look for on them to give you for more specific identification. My friend who bought this boat says that as far as HP goes, they are actually 300HP, but I've a feeling that's not what they were from the factory-They didn't make a 300 HP model then, did they? Also, if this is the case, just how fast should this 30ft. raced out Scarab go with 600 HP??? It's pretty much stripped empty as far as any creature comforts-nothing but a simple console, rear bench, and some big fuel tanks. My friend is hoping for 55MPH at least-I'm suspecting more is possible. Weight is unknown by me, so I can't provide that. 3 bladed SS ctr. rotating props, unkn. pitch. 20 deg. deadrise at transom. Hard chined planing hull. If someone who is familiar with these boats can chip in, so much the better. Thanks for the help.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

I'm not sure about the HP, but pre 1985 engines in 2.4L most likely were near 200 at the prop, best case. I may be wrong.....

 

[Dhadley]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

2.4's werent 300 from the factory and they arent 300 now. <br /><br />A 30 Scarab with twin 200 2.5 Merc's (stock) will run in the mid 50's. Wellcraft claims closer to 60 but every one I've been in was in the mid 50's.<br /><br />Naturally a lot depends on set up. Transom mount, bracket mount, X dimension, toe-in, spacing, props, which side is counter, balance, which gearcases and on and on.

 

[renegadescarab]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Thanks Admiral- I knew they didn't have factory 300's. As far as Wellcraft goes, this boat was pre-Wellcraft. The engines are transom mount, toe-in appr. 3-5 deg., port side is counter, gearcases unknown. The talk from my buddy was that this thing did 75 in top form. I guess w/600 HP and proper setup it might happen. Like I said, it certainly wasn't burdened by excess weight. The v-berth glass is so light that you have to kneel on the stringers or you will go right through it. And the only nod to comfort at all is some cheap industrial carpet that has been spray-glued to the interior overhead and forward bulkhead. The only problem with it's setup that irks me is that the cockpit scuppers drain into the bilge. I find that unfathomably foolish. You would think they could have routed an above waterline outlet on the transom or something. I guess they wanted to sink if the cockpit filled up, since there isn't any flotation in the boat!

 

[walleyehed]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

shouldn't the stbd eng. be the counter rot.?????

 

[Dhadley]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

When you say "pre-Wellcraft" what do you mean?<br /><br />Toe in is usually about 1/8" to 1/4" tops.<br /><br />With transom mounted motors on a V bottom the counter is usually on the port but I'd still try it on the starboard.

 

[renegadescarab]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

OK, I'm not sure about toe angle-I'd have to get a protracter and measure it. I'd estimate it at 1/4", maybe a touch more. Possibly one shifted a little.<br />As for running the ctr.rot. motor on starboard- How does this help? By driving torque inward? Is there a potential cavitation problem? Kenny seems to think stbd. is where it's at- Is that from a performance POV, or from an experience POV? You've gotta understand, (and I can almost hear the groans now) my experience on boats, although lifelong (I'm 38) has been almost entirely on sailboats and trawlers. I've been recruited to make this happen because if my friend can get a contract from General Dynamics for some of these nets (for lack of a better description) then my company will be making them. And although he's a Navy Seal, he doesn't know squat when it comes to boat maintenance or repair. I would go into more detail about the device, but until the legal and patent stuff is worked out, my lips are tied. And when these guys tell you "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.", they mean it!<br />He bought this boat from the guy who commissioned it in the late 70's or early 80's from the guy who originally designed the Scarabs, whose name escapes me at the moment. Apparently some were built by this guy before he sold the design and name rights to Wellcraft. But this one was one of the early ones. My friend was trying to tell me that the hull was Kevlar reinforced and stuff, but from my fairly close inspection, I'd say no- It's all regular glass from what I see. Supposedly this guy raced the boat extensively on west coast open ocean races in the 80's, probably based out of Newport or Dana Pt. Like I said-some of this info is second hand from a guy who isn't an expert on things that occur above the surface of the ocean, although he is an expert on operating below said surface. So please don't hammer me too badly if I come up with something that's way off. I know plenty about boat setup, handling, operation, etc, but my previous outboard experience is limited to about 15HP (dinghies) and my speedboat experience is nil. It's an all new world for me.

 

[renegadescarab]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Also, can I post photos in this forum? If so, I'll shoot a couple and let you see for yourself what the situation is on my end.

 

[Dhadley]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Is it a Larry Smith Scarab?

 

[walleyehed]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Renegade, just to clarify my position in the food chain here, if Dhadley says port or stbd, THAT's where it needs to be. He's the Bible on performance when it comes to experience, and please understand "performance" does not always mean "speed", which is a result of "efficiency".....Dhadley is the master of both.

 

[renegadescarab]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Yes sir, you are correct, it is a Larry Smith Scarab. Obviously by the Lt. Cmdr.'s deference, you are the man when it comes to knowledge of these vessels. And to be hailed as a master of performance and efficiency, well, a man could die happy with those sort of accolades. But can I post photos? I have no web site of my own on which to do so. I will email them to you if you wish, but the ones I have taken would have to be shrunk-they're about 2 GB each. That is, if you're interested. To tell you the truth, if it's something special, I will do my extra best to keep it from ending up on the bottom of the drink if the net works as it is supposed to. I figure that if you run it at 55-60MPH into this thing, it should drag the bow under at the bare minimum. It may endo if the weight of the engines gets lift. The transom may be ripped off and the motors do a number on everything as they crash forward. It should be interesting to watch. We are rigging it for remote control, athough one of our other SEAL buddies volunteered to drive it and bail out at the last second. (No mean feat at 60MPH, when H20 feels like concrete as you skip across it.) PS-I'm no renegade-The name of the boat is Renegade. Although it has been suggested to rename it any number of things, such as Osama Bin Sinken, Terrorist, and the like, although I'm of the school that says the less attention one attracts with this stunt, the more likely you can pull it off successfully without the intervention of various authorities who might frown upon such activities, despite the noble intention of what it is trying to accomplish. Suffice it to say that it will be in international, non-coastal waterways at an hour when all traffic is minimized with ample support and lookout vessels, as well as SEAL divers with lift bags and any other salvage gear which may be necessary. It is unfortunate that their SEAL cachet is not really enough to pull this off two miles off the beach during regular hours, but that's military life, even for the elites. As an admiral and a light commander I'm sure you guys understand...

 

[Dhadley]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Well, I dunno about being a master at anything. I just had the opportunity to drive a couple of different boats. <br /><br />Each hull is a bit different but generally, as Scarabs go, the California Scarabs (Larry Smith) had a better bottom than the Wellcraft version. A custom vs a production deal, nothing aginst Wellcraft. They're fine boats. The Calif Scarab probably has more lift and therefore I'd play with the position of the counter rotating gearcase and various prop styles. <br /><br />Sounds like you may easily hit your target speed anyway. Sounds like an interesting project. Pics would be nice to share but you do need to post them on a website first -- I believe. I've only posted a couple and wasnt that good at it. I'm sure some of the other guys can walk you thru it real easy.

 

[renegadescarab]

Re: serial #'s confusion from marinshopen.se site

Well, you're apparently a master of modesty. I do appreciate all the info.