is 350 horse too much for an alpha 1

[Ryan]

i have a 1986 checkmate 20 ambassador with a 350 that i am going to have rebuilt or replaced. the engine shop that i went to had a 350 bored .40 over with all kinds of other goodies. he said it puts out about 350 horse is this too much for my alpha 1. if so what would be the most an alpha could handle. thanks
ryan diaz

 

[Ryan]

i have a 1986 checkmate 20 ambassador with a 350 that i am going to have rebuilt or replaced. the engine shop that i went to had a 350 bored .40 over with all kinds of other goodies. he said it puts out about 350 horse is this too much for my alpha 1. if so what would be the most an alpha could handle. thanks
ryan diaz

 

[Shameless]

I do not recommend it, about 300 is the Max that Merc suggest, you will have to baby the drive too much, You have to be real easy with the throttle getting on plane, and if the boat ever launches, you have to be real easy back on it and you mite as well forget spinning any wheels more than three blades, they provide too much bite

 

[JW]

Yep, Bill's right. Mercury did use the Alpha on the 330 horse 454 package but they didn't hold together with abuse. At 300 horse you'll have to be easy on it. It'll hold together OK as long as you don't abuse it. There is a shop that can beef up your Alpha to handle the power, don't remember the name. The Bravo is bigger and stronger, but slower through the water because of the extra drag. If you can make the Alpha work, it'll be faster.

1995 2100BR/1995 225 Promax 2.5 EFI/10.5" RapidJack setback/23" Tempest

 

[Ryan]

thanks for the help guys this is my first boat and i would hate to sink all kinds of money into performance mods if my lower unit could handle it. what kind've dollar figure would i be looking at for a new bravo or a good used one? thanks for the help
ryan

 

[Hot H2O]

I believe this is a rhetorical question.

Can a boat have too much horsepower?
Can summer have too many perfect days?
Can you have to much money?
Can gas be too cheap?
Can a man have too many girlfriends?
Can a bathing suit be too small?

 

[Kip Combs]

Think you'll have to replace the drive and the gimble...gimbles are different with that year of boat.....going from alpha/bravo.

 

[Shameless]

In resonse to hot h2o questions, all no but the last, a bathing suit can be too small if on a man, but never small enough on a woman!

 

[JW]

Well, wait a minute. I live up here in the land of Big Fat Women, and let me tell you, YES SOME WOMEN CAN HAVE BATHING SUITS TOO SMALL!!

1995 2100BR/1995 225 Promax 2.5 EFI/10.5" RapidJack setback/23" Tempest

 

[Eriktheviking]

Ryan, The dollars it would take to swap a bravo drive on that boat would probably be as much as you paid for the boat!

I have a few friends that have "built" engines with alpha drives.They run them hard, but CAREFULLY hard. Like someone said earlier,being careful out of the hole,never mashing it.If you jump some waves and don't back off, it can chew up the gears.

Good luck with your project.

 

[Z06]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JW:
Well, wait a minute. I live up here in the land of Big Fat Women, and let me tell you, YES SOME WOMEN CAN HAVE BATHING SUITS TOO SMALL!!

1995 2100BR/1995 225 Promax 2.5 EFI/10.5" RapidJack setback/23" Tempest<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Its OK up here

That is, for people my age!

Smaller the better for most people

But yes, there are some scary people that do not deserve a small bathing suit

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Chevy Corvette Z06
Z06
Chris E.
Checkmate Fanatic
Chris.Ellard9@sympatico.ca
2003CorvetteZ06@addr.com
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