Mercruiser 350 Engine Life

[sk16]

I am looking at a used Bayliner 285 with a Mercruiser 350Mag engine. Can anyone give me an idea of the estimated life of one of these engines. One I looked at recently had 300 hours and I'm told that the last 150 have been on the Thames. Any information would be appreciated.

 

[geardownthreegreens]

Where would you be using it, sea or rivers?
300 is not a great deal and 150 on a river means it's had an easy life.
If serviced regularly,i'd say that engine would last 1-2000 hours,i could be wrong .Can also depend on how the boat is driven.
I'm sure some guys will give more accurate information.
Is this at Davis's yard Cobbs Quay?

 

[pistonbroke]

I know of several that have in excess of a thousand hours, and some of my customers have 800+. It's an excellent motor, and if looked after properly should run forever.

 

[sk16]

We would be using it on the river (Thames) for the first couple of seasons as this is our first boat but ultimately we want to get down to the south coast.

I'm feeling more comfortable already. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Tranona]

It is not hours that kills marine engines but neglect. The mechanics get an easy life when they are running compared with the same engine in a car. My car averages 28mph overall. That means in 100000 miles it runs for about 3500 hours! So your 300 hours is less than a year's driving!

However, the usage cycle is very different. In your boat on the Thames it may get used once a week. Started from cold, run at lowish revs for a couple of hours at a time and then shut down. Bit like the little old lady just going to the shops in her Fiesta!. Then it lays idle for much of the year. Fresh water is obviously kinder than salt, but it is all the ancillary bits that suffer rather than the main mechanics, provided the oil and filter are changed at least once a year. Maintain the engine and it should last the life of the boat.

Enjoy!

 

[GandalfLoJ]

Also, along with the other replies, get the risers and manifolds checked and if in any doubt on their condition, replace them. I speak from experience here as I've just had a new engine installed due to a manifold failure on my old mercruiser 4.3L

 

[itsonlymoney]

What year is the boat ?

 

[Alrob]

mercruiser dealers can put a laptop thing on the engine and it tells you lots of things like how many hours at what revs your engine has done. I was quite amazed at the info,

PM sent

 

[[2068]]

V8 petrols can last anywhere between 5 years and 20 years.

See, that narrows it down a bit!

It all depends on condition and maintenance, plus changing manifolds/risers on a regular basis if in salt water. Salt water use with raw water cooling takes it's toll eventually...

dv.

 

[sk16]

[ QUOTE ]
What year is the boat ?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's a 2003 model. It's currently on shore so we were able to get a good look at the hull etc.