I'm thinking of buying a 2001 Monterey 262 cruiser. It has the 375 hp
496 mag in it. Dry weight is listed at 5,500 lbs. Specs say it should
go about 50 mph top speed, but I'm assuming that's under ideal
circumstances and at sea level. Test drove the boat at 4500 feet of
elevation and top speed was 38 and it held 30 mph at 3700 rpm. Does
that sound about right or might something be wrong? Would greatly
appreciate if anyone with relevant experience could help.

Thanks!

"LakePowell" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm thinking of buying a 2001 Monterey 262 cruiser. It has the 375 hp
496 mag in it. Dry weight is listed at 5,500 lbs. Specs say it should
go about 50 mph top speed, but I'm assuming that's under ideal
circumstances and at sea level. Test drove the boat at 4500 feet of
elevation and top speed was 38 and it held 30 mph at 3700 rpm. Does
that sound about right or might something be wrong? Would greatly
appreciate if anyone with relevant experience could help.

Thanks!


What was the engine's RPM at wide open throttle (WOT)? The engine should
turn about 4600 rpm at WOT give or take a couple hundred RPM. I'll assume
you intend on running the boat at Lake Powell, based on your ID. If so,
you'll gain some performance , since Lake Powell's elevation is at 3591
feet. This assumes that your test elevation was indeed at 4500 feet.

The only way to set up the boat properly is to take it out at the elevation
you intend to run at, load the boat as you would normally use it, and then
run it at WOT for a brief period and monitor the tach. Mercruiser specs a
WOT RPM for that engine of 4400-4800 RPM. If you're turning less than that
range, you are over propped and working the engine harder than you should.
Since the engine is fuel injected, there are no adjustments to the engine
that are necessary or possible. The only way to bring the engine into its
recommended operating range is to change the pitch of the propeller(s). If
you need to increase WOT engine RPM, you need to step down in propeller
pitch. I'm guessing you probably have a Bravo III behind that 496 mag. If
so, prepare to spend mucho dinero for a new prop set. Been there.

RPM at WOT did eventually get up to 4500, but it took quite a while to
get there, and the boat seemed slow out of the hole. No gear on the
boat, but we did have about 1,000 pounds worth of people. Test
elevation was slightly over 4500 feet, though most of my family's
boating will be at Lake Powell. Bravo III outdrive, so two stainless
props.

So, while the WOT RPM is in the range you mention, it was sluggish
getting there. Prop pitch, if I remember right, was 26.

If you don't mind, a couple more questions... 1) Would it help to go
down a notch in pitch or will it over-rev? 2) The props are in
excellent shape...any idea of whether you can trade props in for a
reasonable fee? 3) Does the Bravo III require stainless props or can
you go aluminum to save some $?

Thanks for the info--very helpful!

LP

"LakePowell" wrote in message
ups.com...
RPM at WOT did eventually get up to 4500, but it took quite a while to
get there, and the boat seemed slow out of the hole. No gear on the
boat, but we did have about 1,000 pounds worth of people. Test
elevation was slightly over 4500 feet, though most of my family's
boating will be at Lake Powell. Bravo III outdrive, so two stainless
props.

So, while the WOT RPM is in the range you mention, it was sluggish
getting there. Prop pitch, if I remember right, was 26.

If you don't mind, a couple more questions... 1) Would it help to go
down a notch in pitch or will it over-rev?

I believe that what you are witnessing is simply a boat that is slightly
underpowered for the conditions at hand, namely altitude and load. Even at
4500 feet, the WOT RPM did get into the recommended range, but got there
slowly. Dropping 1000 feet to Lake Powell's level will help a bit. The
question as to whether to re-prop has much to do with your boating style.
If you tend to get on and off plane frequently, such as in water sports,
there is a definite case to be made for dropping pitch in your prop set. It
will make the boat much more responsive. If you tend to cruise long
distances, it could well be that the set you have might be more economical
than a lower pitched set. Dropping two inches in pitch would not cause an
over-rev situation at 4500 feet, but could be a borderline ever-rev at 3600
feet. Of course you always have control over an over-rev situation by
watching the tach and throttlling back if necessary. You have no such
control over and ender-rev/over-propped situation.



2) The props are in
excellent shape...any idea of whether you can trade props in for a
reasonable fee?

It's a dealer-by-dealer thing. I beleive a new set goes for about
$1,200-$1,400. Used sets can be found for about $700. Any dealer taking in
your set in trade would expect to make a profit from them, so your set
likely has a trade-in value of less than $500, assuming you could find a
dealer that was interested in trade-ins at all.


3) Does the Bravo III require stainless props or can
you go aluminum to save some $?

Only stainless and only Mercruiser. No aftermarket.



My recommendation would be to take the boat to Powell and see how it does.
If you still feel that you need more responsive performance from the boat,
then I would search for a used set of 24's (Ebay?).

A couple of questions for you:

1. Is there any reason to believe that the engine was not performing to
it's potential?

2. Possibility of stale gas?

3. Was the boat's bottom clean?

4. What lake were you on when did you do the 4500 ft. test?

Thanks for all the great info. Yikes. Will definitely have to be
careful of those props down at Powell if they cost that kind of money.
It would be an expensive mistake to ding them up on some rocks,
especially if dinged beyond repair.

Your questions:

1. Is there any reason to believe that the engine was not performing
to
it's potential?

I don't think so... It sounded smooth. I had the compression checked,
and all 8 cylinders were between 145 and 155, so really quite good.
Shifting was unbelievably smooth and no odd noises from the
transmission that I could tell. That's one of the reasons I was
wondering if the boat should have performed better...wondering if it is
a possible sign of engine problems, though there are no other
indications.

2. Possibility of stale gas?

That's definitely possible--hadn't thought of that. It had just over
1/2 a tank, which was probably in there from last summer or fall. It
was professionally winterized, so I would think they would have added a
stabilizer, but stale gas is a definite possibility. That engine calls
for minimum 89 octane if I understand right. Not required, but would
premium make a difference?

3. Was the boat's bottom clean?

Bottom was clean. I found out for myself the impact this can have.
Had a 21' Rinker open bow with a 350 mag engine in it a couple years
ago. Hit 57 mph at Powell and still had some throttle left. Then the
bottom got grimed up from sitting in a slip at a different lake. Took
it back to Powell without cleaning it, and top speed was 35 mph!
Couldn't believe that was all due to the dirty bottom, but it was back
at peak performance after a good acid bath. Amazing.

4. What lake were you on when did you do the 4500 ft. test?

Utah Lake. Minimal winds, water pretty smooth. Elevation 4559.

Thanks again for all the good info. Do you have any opinion of
Monterey or the 262?

LP

That's definitely possible--hadn't thought of that. It had just over
1/2 a tank, which was probably in there from last summer or fall. It
was professionally winterized, so I would think they would have added a
stabilizer, but stale gas is a definite possibility. That engine calls
for minimum 89 octane if I understand right. Not required, but would
premium make a difference?

Modern gasoline blends are inherently unstable. They start to lose their
potency in a matter of weeks, and can start to turn to varnish in a matter
of months, if not stabilized. As gas ages, it loses octane. That engine
has a pre-detonation detector and will retard the timing if it detects
pre-detonation. Pre-detonation is a direct result of gas with too low an
octane. So, stale gas could cause a marginal loss of performance. Probably
no reason to run premium, unless you expected the gas in the tank to not be
consumed for a long period of time. Premium starts out with a higher octane
and therefore the loss of octane due to aging would be less problematic.


4. What lake were you on when did you do the 4500 ft. test?

Utah Lake. Minimal winds, water pretty smooth. Elevation 4559.

I was on that lake briefly one time in the mid-70's. Did a lake test of a
boat that was purchased from a dealer in the area. I was living in Las
Vegas at the time, and the boat was to be used on Lake Mead.



Thanks again for all the good info. Do you have any opinion of
Monterey or the 262?


I'm afraid I don't. I really haven't had any direct exposure to any
Monterey boats.

LakePowell wrote:
I'm thinking of buying a 2001 Monterey 262 cruiser. It has the 375 hp
496 mag in it. Dry weight is listed at 5,500 lbs. Specs say it should
go about 50 mph top speed, but I'm assuming that's under ideal
circumstances and at sea level. Test drove the boat at 4500 feet of
elevation and top speed was 38 and it held 30 mph at 3700 rpm. Does
that sound about right or might something be wrong? Would greatly
appreciate if anyone with relevant experience could help.

Thanks!


The rev limiter cuts in at ~4800 on that motor. It appears that you are
way over pitch on the props as set up now... 4600 would be a good WOT
max, and at about 44-45 mph for 4000 feet. Other factors to consider
too before jumping to a new prop set - did you use the trim for optimum
performance, does the boat have trim tabs, and were they used properly?

Rob

Rob, it does have trim tabs...tried with the boat trimmed and with tabs
flat. Didn't make a big difference. Actually got it to 39 or 40 mph
once, but it started bouncing so I had to trim it back down. Bravo III
outdrive, so two stainless props. RPM at WOT did eventually get up to
4500, but it took forever to get there, and the boat seemed slow out of
the hole. What do you think about go down a notch in pitch given that
additional info? Does it sound like that would help? As I mentioned
to RG, we did have about 1,000 lbs. worth of people on the boat, but I
was still expecting better performance even at 4500 feet elevation.
Thanks for the info--very helpful!

LP

LakePowell wrote:

Rob, it does have trim tabs...tried with the boat trimmed and with tabs
flat. Didn't make a big difference. Actually got it to 39 or 40 mph
once, but it started bouncing so I had to trim it back down. Bravo III
outdrive, so two stainless props. RPM at WOT did eventually get up to
4500, but it took forever to get there, and the boat seemed slow out of
the hole. What do you think about go down a notch in pitch given that
additional info? Does it sound like that would help? As I mentioned
to RG, we did have about 1,000 lbs. worth of people on the boat, but I
was still expecting better performance even at 4500 feet elevation.
Thanks for the info--very helpful!

LP


It's nice to have a relationship with a marina &/or a prop shop who will
let you test/borrow a prop set now & then... figure $1k for a stainless
Volvo prop set, the B3 sets should be similar or less.

I would try before buying on the props, & at your home water.

Rob