2004 228 Seafarer repower.

[Johnstone]

Hello,
Been lurking for a while, perusing old threads. Unbelievable amount of info here.
I am the proud owner of a 2004 228 seafarer, powered by an 08 Yamaha 225 4stroke and 9.9 kicker.
While I have guided out of other models and sizes of Grady Whites, I have come to absolutely love the 228 as a fishing, family, and fun machine. It is our rocketship to other galaxies, and though we keep a slip at the Marina, we still tow it all over the Island searching for new adventures. And this rig can fish...
Year 3 of ownership, and doing some modifications, including a rail across the stern, turning the live well in the stern into a small bench with back rest on rail, new Stern facing seats on port and starboard fish boxes and some other little things.

And this rocketship is getting a new booster,

My 225 is fine, buuuuttttt....
In a perfect world, what would you repower this rig with.?
I know, another motor question.
Thank you for all info and tips,
Cody

 

[Ky Grady]

Welcome, I have the same setup.

Biggest contributing factor for me is dealer network. I work at a Evinrude dealer here in Kentucky, but where I do the majority of my boating is down in South Carolina and Florida and you can pretty much find a Yamaha dealer anywhere down there.

I've looked at both the Evinrude G2 250HO and the Yamaha 4.2 F250, even working on, and being around the Evinrude, I'm staying with Yamaha. Right now availability of the F250 is limited for repower, some bigger dealers say they can get you one, but the dealers I use down south are still waiting. Mine is not a have to case so I will wait, so far my F225 is doing well. I prefer to do business with my Yamaha dealer in South Carolina that has been awesome to work with, they have always done great work for me on my previous Yamahas, so really have no reason to go elsewhere for a new motor.

Some others have gone away from Yamaha due to availability and the big exhaust fiasco in the mid year F225-F250's. The making of oil in the Yamaha's seems to go back to proper break in when new, evidently you need to run 'em like you stole it to get the rings seated. I've never owned a new Yamaha, always used, but they have served me well.

Suzuki, Mercury and Honda are other ones, but again goes back to dealer network.

SmokyMountainGrady and Doc Stressor have both repowered, Smoky went from 3.3 F250 to the digital 4.2 F250 and I think Doc was looking into a Honda for his repower. They will probably chime in here soon. Smoky runs a 228 and Doc has a 226.

If you venture onto THT, go in with both eyes open. There are haters of anything Grady and Yamaha so you will get nothing but doom an gloom from some of them if you ask this same question on there.

Keep us updated on what you decide.

 

[UCPA111]

I don't know how you can go wrong with any of the outboards out there. I was in your situation in early 2018. I opted for a Mercury Verado 300. I had rebuilt my transom and basically restored the entire boat. She's a 1984 model. I got one of the last inline 6 models. I love it. Silky smooth with amazing punch from the supercharger. I wanted the digital throttle and shift setup with vessel view control (which I love dialing in trolling speeds in 10 rpm increments, plus have cruise control above 12 mph). Power steering too.

I love seeing what people re power with and their experiences. So, please share what you end up doing. Happy to answer any questions. I do believe dealer support is critical in the event something happens. But, I have 100 hrs on my outboard and did my own service. Oil analysis came back great.

 

[Fishtales]

I agree. All the 4 strokes are super. I'd buy based on service availability and price. Good luck.

 

[bFransen]

I replaced a yamaha 225 with a suzuki 250 last summer on my 228. You can find some pics on here and probably some questions I posed before hand. It went well. Both LoneRanger and I repowered at the same time and same place. The boat really moves with a 250. It is a little heavier, putting the scuppers under the water, and I am concerned about the pickup at the bottom of the lower unit getting clogged by growth if left in the water. Other than those concerns, it's a great motor.

The local service angle is an important one. I've done some of the service to mine and paid for some. It all depends on your time and, if you don't have a garage, the weather.

The internet message boards basically like all motors these days, though that is a bit surprising. You can hit other sites to research all the motor options you have. If you have any specific 228 questions, post them here and I'm sure you'll get the run down.

I did replace my fuel lines with the motor, but not the fuel fill line. I think with your boats age it might be a good time to make that replacement. The yamaha fuel filter works great with the Suzuki and I'd assume it's good on any outboard.

 

[Doc Stressor]

I've been on a bunch of 22' Gradys with either 225 or 250 hp engines. I can tell you that the boat really comes alive with the 250. The newer models are rated for 300 hp, but you gain little except an extra 2 mph at WOT. Mid-range performance is the same a with a 250. My point is that 250 hp is perfect for that hull.

In your case, you need to be careful about weight since you already have 100 lb kicker on there. Suzukis are great engines and are priced right for repowering. But both the older 3.6 L DF250 and the newer 4.0 L DF250AP are heavy motors. Rigged out, they are about 10% heavier than your F225. Hondas and Tahotsus are also heavy. The Yamaha F250 is lighter than you present motor. So is the new Mercury V8 250 hp. However, both of these engines are hard to get for repowering right now. But if you can wait until more become available, they could be a better choice for your boat.

I'm in the process of hanging a 250 Honda on my boat along with a 50 lb jack plate. I'm worried about how the extra weight is going to affect the balance point of the boat. I have had unbalanced boats in the past and drowning the scuppers is the least of the problem. I hate running boats that squat and have a tendency to porpoise. I'll let everybody know how my new setup works out.