'04 330 Express Repower

Automated14

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I don't see many Grady's with Mercury power so I thought to post this in case anyone was interested in going this route. I've got a thread going over on THT but I know not everyone here goes over there. Also, there are still a LOT of these running around on 225/250 original power and I had a hell of a time researching 330 repowers and I couldn't find much info.

04 330 express that I bought in December of 2020. Used it with the OE yamaha 225's for a season and while it performed really well for what it is.... which is a big heavy underpowered boat.... I decided I like the boat enough to invest in a repower. While not everyone cares what the factory HP limitations are, I'm paranoid so it had to be a set of 300's. While I don't think any of the big 3 makes a bad 300 hp engine, I'm old school so the V8 Merc was the only choice for me.

I ordered fusion white Verado 300's in November of '21 with an expected 54 week wait time. That ensured another season with the Yamahas which was fine and even with 1000 hours, they ran really well. Here we are 72 weeks later and they just arrived. My old engines are sold, paid for, and off the boat so rigging the new will start next week. I'm adding in a few extras like a new 12" simrad in lieu of a vesselview and also upgrading my OE bennett trim tabs so they autoretract and have position indicators.

For comparison, these are the Yamaha numbers from the survey in 2020.

1500 8.4
2000 10
2500 11
3000 12.5
3500 14
4000 18.2
4500 25.2
5000 30
5500 33.5
WOT 35

I don't like plodding along so I was ringing out the 225's pretty good at 4900 to cruise at 28/29 mph. Based on what Oceandansar told me, I'm hoping to cruise at my current top speed and top out at 42/43

a little engine porn:
 

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Sibs

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Very interested in this, I was considering do the same repower on my 07 330. I think they will be great.
 

jap201

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Same here. We're considering an '03 and an '04, and both could use new power. Looking forward to your repower thread.
 

kirk a

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Looking at your numbers from the sea trial I thought "wow" that is pretty good for the 225's and is better than what I see with 225's. Reread and you are providing miles, and my data is knots. So about same. C'mon spring.

Very curious in how the new ones perform.
 

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Yep Interested in review of the new Mercs. I think they ditched the superchargers on the Verado and went big block.
Crazy how light weight they got the new Merc V6 & V8 & V10 & V12.

Are your's electric-hydraulic steering?
 

Automated14

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Yep Interested in review of the new Mercs. I think they ditched the superchargers on the Verado and went big block.
Crazy how light weight they got the new Merc V6 & V8 & V10 & V12.

Are your's electric-hydraulic steering?
4.6l v8. Lighter than the 6 cyl supercharged model it replaced. Supposedly better on fuel and no high octane requirement.

However, I will miss the 225’s. Clearly I’m upgrading but They ran like sewing machines. Over 1k hours when I got them and they never gave me any trouble. Previous owner even did the exhausts before I took over.
 
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kirk a

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Have you splashed yet? Curious about where you've ended up.
 

Automated14

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engines have been here since 4/2. Just got mounted this week, expected to be done by end of next week. It’s not like the engines took 70+ weeks to get here and I’m already chippy over this whole fu$king thing, no rush. Memorial Day? Who gives a shit about that?
 
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kirk a

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I feel the pain. There is time, and then there is marine time.

Hang in there!
 

family affair

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However, I will miss the 225’s. Clearly I’m upgrading but They ran like sewing machines. Over 1k hours when I got them and they never gave me any trouble. Previous owner even did the exhausts before I took over.
I had similar thoughts with the f150's when I replaced them with df200's. After firing them to near silent idle; engaging the silky smooth single binnacle control; running at cruise and being able to talk without raising our voices; jumping on plane, crazy good fuel economy... I have not wished to have them back. The mercs should be no different for you.
 

Automated14

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Sorry for my rant. I’m irritated. got plenty of sand in my vagina at this point. I wander through life f’ing things up but I always own it. Let’s just say the responses to my critiques thus far reek of feces.
 
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