Thread:

Outboard question from a no nothing noob about Merc 225

Originally Posted by BigQ

i was curious about the 225 Mercury ProMax motors and the dependability of them.They are on an Eliminator 25 and according to the owner:

"Brand new (5hrs) sportmaster lower units with beefed up internals and larger shafts. 2 new 30p 3 blade cleaver props", so i am sure "beefed up" is some outboard technical term , but can anyone tell me about these motors. I assume they are 2 strokes, do they smoke a lot?

Yes, they are 2 stroke motors, 2.5 liter motors.

A much better motor for a 25 Datyona would be a pair of 3.2 liter 300xs motors

Originally Posted by BigQ

i was curious about the 225 Mercury ProMax motors and the dependability of them.They are on an Eliminator 25 and according to the owner:

"Brand new (5hrs) sportmaster lower units with beefed up internals and larger shafts. 2 new 30p 3 blade cleaver props", so i am sure "beefed up" is some outboard technical term , but can anyone tell me about these motors. I assume they are 2 strokes, do they smoke a lot?

I believe your talking about the 25 Daytona that just sold on E-Bay for a great (low) price. Anyway, those 225 ProMax motors are excellent motors. Yes, they are 2 strokes, but they are oil injected so they won't smoke near as bad as a pre-mix motor. The rev limiters are set at 6,700 rpm, which is enough rpm to allow for a decent pitch prop for acceleration and top end, but will give lots of longevity (that same block/pistons/rods/crank spins 9,000 rpm in drag configuration). The motors are very light (375 #s each) which will make for a very well balanced setup on a cat of that size. As for the gearcases, I'm assuming he rebuilt them with the late model larger propshafts - which is a nice upgrade. I personally think that is a really nice rig. It won't be the fastest cat on the water (90+), but it should give you years of good service and a well balanced/good handling boat.

Originally Posted by BigQ

It is the one on ebay, but it does not say it's sold? Maybe he has not taken the ad down yet. Seemed like a good price and it made for a lot of room in the cockpit. Seemed like a great price. The only thing is it is on a totally different coast since i am in CA.

If you can still get that boat for that price, it's a steal! My buddy just paid $38k for a 26 DCB w/ 300PMs. The boat runs high 90s and he had to drive halfway across the country to get it. U-Ship.com would get that boat here for cheap ($1k - $2k). If you're in the market for that type boat, I would try and get it - but I think it sold and just hasn't been taken down yet. Good Luck!

Originally Posted by BigQ

Welp he still has it and i am trying to put this together. Shipping was more then I can imagine @ 2.50 mi. Anyway, before pressing forward is there anything else to watch out for with those motors. Are the GIL brackets OK (I noticed they are not in business anymore)?

What does it cost to rebuild a motor like that? He has new lowers with about 5 hours with new clever props. I am assuming for just regular cruising or more hole shot a different prop would be best.

That is a standard rate for shipping, but you can get it for half that by going through u-ship.com and having guys bid on it for you (they are all hungry for back-hauls). Or, you could fly back, test drive the boat, and rent a one way box truck and tow it back (that's what I did for a boat I purchased out of Virginia about ten years ago). I personally wouldn't buy a complete rig without test driving and running a compression check on the motors first. That is definitely a smoking deal on that setup though IMO. Where are you located anyway?

Originally Posted by TUNNEL T

hi dale, who's your buddy and what boat !!!

Jay Catucci, he's a motocross guy from the area. He picked it up in Idaho (?) or somewhere like that. I haven't seen it yet, but it's a standard deck 26 w/ a pair of 300PMs. It has Bravo props on it right now and I guess he's run high 90s with it. His dad has a 27 (?) or so Daytona in it w/ a 525, so the cat thing runs in his family. Looks like we might have some more boats to run with this Summer!