Repowering 1987 Grady White Seafarer

[vachaj]

I currently have a 1987 Grady White Seafarer.226. It currently has a 2003 Mercury 2 Stroke Saltwater Series 200hp. Thinking about changing it to a 2012 Yamaha 4 stroke 250hp.

Two questions

1). Is there any market for those 2 strokes?
2). Has anyone put a 4 stroke on an older Grady White Seafarer like this? Can it handle the weight? I think a Yamaha 250 is 600 pounds plus and the 2 stroke is like 400 lbs.

Grady says put it in the water and simulate the weight and make sure scuppers stay above water line but that is non-trivial at the moment to test (and of course check the transom integrity). Wondering if anyone has put 4 stroke on this boat or similar era of this boat with success or failure?

Thank you!

 

[tech_dog]

I've seen more than a few GW's sitting low at the transom after a 2 stroke to 4 stroke repower. I'd find a way to do the test. Fat friends are great ballast.

I'm still running my 1994 Yamaha 175TXRT at 419 lbs. The new I4 200HP with integrated steering is 516 lbs, about 80 lbs heavier compared to the Yamaha + Seastar rams. I'm hoping I can get a few more years out of my old 2 stroke as Yamaha continues to trim weight.

The new Yam F150 is really the same engine as the F200, almost exact same weight, and like you I figure I need to add HP to compensate for the low-end torque I'll lose going from 2 to 4 stroke.

If you're up for it, I know personally that there's a big market for 2 stroke used parts, as new parts run out and we keep the dinosaurs running.

T.

 

[DennisG01]

I currently have a 1987 Grady White Seafarer.226. It currently has a 2003 Mercury 2 Stroke Saltwater Series 200hp. Thinking about changing it to a 2012 Yamaha 4 stroke 250hp.

Two questions

1). Is there any market for those 2 strokes?
2). Has anyone put a 4 stroke on an older Grady White Seafarer like this? Can it handle the weight? I think a Yamaha 250 is 600 pounds plus and the 2 stroke is like 400 lbs.

Grady says put it in the water and simulate the weight and make sure scuppers stay above water line but that is non-trivial at the moment to test (and of course check the transom integrity). Wondering if anyone has put 4 stroke on this boat or similar era of this boat with success or failure?

Thank you!

"Non-trivial" defines as "very important". I agree with that - the best way to find out how the extra weight affects YOUR boat is to simply add some weight on top of the engine to equal the extra weight of the new engine. The reason for checking this YOURSELF is that others with the exact same model may have gear in different places and/or, given the age of the boat one model could be heavier/lighter than another for a number of reasons.

Don't guess on what a new Yamaha weighs - look up the specs for both engines and find out exactly. You'll be eliminating the oil reservoir - although that will end up being "trivial" in the end given it's small weight and location.

Checking the integrity of the transom is also important.

Yes, I would expect you'd have no problem selling your old engine. And I wouldn't be surprised if you got at least a few thousand dollars for it.

 

[Cooler]

I currently have a 1987 Grady White Seafarer.226. It currently has a 2003 Mercury 2 Stroke Saltwater Series 200hp. Thinking about changing it to a 2012 Yamaha 4 stroke 250hp.

Two questions

1). Is there any market for those 2 strokes?
2). Has anyone put a 4 stroke on an older Grady White Seafarer like this? Can it handle the weight? I think a Yamaha 250 is 600 pounds plus and the 2 stroke is like 400 lbs.

Grady says put it in the water and simulate the weight and make sure scuppers stay above water line but that is non-trivial at the moment to test (and of course check the transom integrity). Wondering if anyone has put 4 stroke on this boat or similar era of this boat with success or failure?

Thank you!

I repowered my 1987 seafarer 228g with a Suzuki 250AP. I moved the main fuel tank to the forward compartment which helps with weight distribution. Boat runs amazing. Weight isn’t a problem for me.

 

[Ekea]

Grady says put it in the water and simulate the weight and make sure scuppers stay above water line

odd since some gradys with fatory power have the scuppers at or below the waterline