proline 251 repower questions ? need advise or answers

[Bass_Appeal]

ok first things first , i have a 1996 proline 251 had a merc 225 efi with a single engine bracket! i since took engine off and currently parting out ! the boat placard says rated for 300 hp , here comes the tough question what should i put on with todays technoligy ? yamaha , evinrude ,merc, ect need input. i like yamaha so far ,! dont really wanna deal with 2 stroke oil ! another question is i wanna put a 350 but if i can only handle a 300 being thats what the placard says then so be it but, would i be able to put a 350 ? any input would be greatly appreciated ! and if u have had a repower done what do they include or what do u pay extra for when installing ! last but not least who or where are some places in middlesex or monmouth with really good quality work with installs and customer service

[Flygaff]

If you stay with Merc the only place to buy is Almars in DE. They are just over the bridge. They have leftover engines with full factory warranty. Great pricing and NO TAX. They have been great to me over the years. Give Frank a call and he will price you for everything. 300 Verado. As far as going to 350. Nobody will install over the rating of the hull. I advise you to stay in the limits of the boat. You are looking for problems overpowering the boat.

[Bass_Appeal]

im trying to stay away from mercury, mercury is very expensive to fix ,their parts are way over priced and nobody can seem to figure things out when things go wrong (not even mercury) themselves ! i heard bout almars and going to delaware for tax purposes , thought about it but the boat is pretty big to trailer long distances and my trailer isnt up to par as it should be, because i usually slip and not far from where i live

[Maritime Matt]

I just re-powered my friend's 1980 Mako with a 250 Suzuki. It had the old 235 Johnson on it. I installed U-Flex Hyd. steering also. Boat runs out real nice.
The motor and rigging came from Chestnut Neck Boat Yard. Great people to deal with.
Not a fan of Verados at all. I would do an E-Tec over a Verado. But the E-Tec is 2 stroke and your going to have to use XD 100 oil.

[Bass_Appeal]

i was thinking etec i heard good things about them but i had the 2 stroke merc and dont wanna deal with adding oil and gas worrying if i have oil to mix or running out of oil ect , so etec is a no no ! so i guess my narrowing down to honda , zuki , yami , honda i heard is a pain in the ass if you need some work done , but they are great engines overall. havent really priced them but im sure they are pretty expensive .

[pcheesesteak]

I have a 2000 Proline 241 Walk, which was originally powered by a 250 Merc 2-stroke on a bracket. It was repowered with a 300HP Suzuki DF300, 4-stroke fly-by-wire. Could not be happier with the Zuke, plenty of power when you shove the throttle.

According to the specs of your boat here:

https://prolineboats.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1996ProductInformation.pdf

the dry weight of your boat is 4250 lbs without motor. Mine shows 3,740 lbs dry, but I have a hard top with structure which would easily push the weight over 4000 lbs.

[BCinerie]

I repowered a 232 Grady gulfstream last year and Put on 300 Suzuki. I get 30 mph at 16 Gph. Top ends low 40's. At 6k. With different prop (3 blade)I got 47 mph at 27.5 gph. Top end. Current 4 blade is fast out of the hole but slower on top,end. Purrs like a kitten quiet and dependable. Boat weighs aprox 4150 plus hard top plus 20 hp,kicker and 148 gallons fuel. My guess is 5.5k fully loaded up.

[Bass_Appeal]

looking at the specs from suzuki to yamaha , there is not much difference what have you noticed about the suzuki that u like ? it looks like yamaha might have a little more power even though they are both 300hp

[BCinerie]

I got a great deal on the Suzuki. I think it was 20 k installed with all new steering wiring etc and a 20 hp kicker included. It has a 6 year warranty and service is semi local and they answer phone on sundays if need be. Suzuki also has a special troll feature that shuts off 1/2 or something that's reduce fuel trolling. I did not get that because I have a 20hp,kicker. You should get mid/low 40's 27/28 cruise at 15/18 gph. All about the prop. Can get 45/46mph but will take forever to plane 4 blade prop will pop up in5 seconds but loose top,speed. All the motors are so close , The Etec is offering a 10 year warranty but has a 26k plus price tag. Can't go wrong with the Suzuki.

[Bass_Appeal]

im gonna go to a few dealers and look at options an pricing the warrenty is a big deal too so between yami an suzuk ill have to make a choice , i dont have any engine on boat now ,just removed my merc. i sanded bottom paint off the boat and repaired fiberglass in some spots, i have to rebarrier coat and repaint then off shopping i go !! time to get bass appeal back up an running !

[BCinerie]

I,have seen a few demo 300 hp,with less then 50 hours on them for a great price. If you have dealer willing it install may be an option. Tough call,but either way will be a great motor!

[Bass_Appeal]

i thought about that , but with outboards proper break in procedures should be followed. i look at it this way they throw the engine on take a customer out and show them them power and stuff right from the gate. which to me they most likely werent broken in properly. there for the cylinders may be compromised or something else id rather get new and break it in the way the manufacture suggest, then i know things were done right and if a problem arises, i can tell the the dealer and warrenties should be guarenteed

[Gerry Zagorski]

Hey Bass - Great advice above.....Suzuki, Etec or Yamaha would be my choice....Here's a link for a guy selling twin 300 Suzuki's with low hours... Maybe he'd just sell you one?

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95030 looks like he includes the controls but they for twins so you'd need to check into that.

As far as installation and rigging, if you buy brand new many will include it in with the price of the engines...

Early spring is also the time that Suzuki usually has there extended warranty promotion but I think that ended 4/29 :(

My suggestion is to stick with one of these 3 brands, shop your best deal and purchase the one that has the better deal combined with the local dealer you feel most comfortable with.

Best of luck in your search and I think you'll be very pleased by swapping out the Mercury two stroke especially if you upgrade to a newer technology 250 or 300.

[Bass_Appeal]

thanks gerry, i bought the boat in 2011 , for a good price ! the merc came with it i took it out three times then got towed in for a shot alternator. thank god i had see tow cause it was a 20 mile tow ! replaced alt and went out a few more times then had more problems , been battling problems ever since . i finally came across some money to take care of this once and for all (at least for a decent amount of time ) the boat is in great condition for the age . so my thoughts is i do not wanna put my trust into a used engine ! i wanna go brandnew with warrenty ! i wanna make sure i break the engine in the way it should be . i just dont wanna spend a lot of money to have problems or someone elses headache ! i know i can have problems with a brandnew engine also which i am aware of but with a great warrenty and problems that persist i can turn to the manufacturer dealer or options like lemon law ect . id just feel more comfortable with brandnew

[Gerry Zagorski]

Don't blame you one bit... If you have the jing and that makes you feel more comfortable the by all means buy new.

One thing that is however different with the newer generation motors as far as purchasing used, with the correct software you can download a complete history of the engine, hours, hours at certain RPMs, temperature history etc... a lot more fool proof then it used to be.

[Bass_Appeal]

true , but you dont know how many times the oil was changed or other maintence. if it wasnt done by a professional and a do it your selfer did it, money is only money you cant take it when you die so enjoy the boat life while we are here on earth lol fish on!