Now the proud owners of a 1986 Sea Ray 300 DA

Interesting note as the cleaning process goes on with only a day to day and a half a week to work on the boat during the winter. The guy I bought the boat from just lucked into an old Harbor Patrol Penn Mar that has twin 2005 5.0L MPI's and he has already yanked them, tested them (they had under 200 hours on them) and offered them to me for $2,000.00 ea ($4,000.00 total) with all their accessory parts. i REALLY want to take him up on the offer because it means better fuel consumption combined with better HP in a MUCH newer set of engines, but I have promised the admiral no more major $$$$ into the boat until AFTER the wedding and we get her on the water to make sure that we are happy with her :-(.

Hate to let a deal like this get away though...
 
What are those 5.0s rated for? The 5.7s from back in the day are rated for 260 hp. You definately don't want any less HP as these are heavy boats.
 
Post a pix. The radar arch may not be tall enough for you to stand up when driving. I can get a couple of pix of work arounds that I wish I could use on Saint Max. Both are very tastefully done.
 
HP is also 260 - according to what I have seen advertised online. I would do it because of the increase in efficiency, but I wonder if the fact that they are the same block size would mean that the 350's would not have more "ooomph" to them and it would be a worthwhile purchase (vs. larger or 350 mag engines).
 
Sounds like the 5.0s should work with your existing Alpha's just fine. Since the HP is the same, I'd imagine that they would perform similarly to the older 5.7s with improved efficiency. The 350 mags will have more power but the outdrives may not be able to handle it.
 
I dont know if Id go with with 5.0 motors in an older 30' searay.. did you check the torque of the 5.0 vs the 5.7? The torque is what helps the boat jump out of the water..

id think twice about the swap...
 
The torque is EXACTLY the reason why - as good a deal as this is pricewise - it really isn't worth it right now. I am probably going to actually LOSE torque by going to the 5.0's. Maybe in a couple of years if we are putting a lot of hours on then I will look into going with new 5.7 mags, but by that time we will probably be ready to sell and up size as the kids will only be getting bigger.

KIDa - as far as the question about the arch (I have it under cover right now for the weather so I won't be taking any pics until it warms up a little) you are probably right. i am 6'3" and i found when I was shopping 300's in the '86-'89 range that had full covers that I had to duck slightly to stand under the canvas. i have an idea that I might look at a custom cover that adds a riser to the windshield to make it come up 4-5 inches so that I can stand and see when the full canvas is up.
 
Double check that measurement, I'm 5'8" and standing I'd need to add about 18" to be able to run the boat with top up.
 
Yep, I think I look over the arch when I'm standing at the helm? I can't remember? We usually have the top up and I drive sitting down anyway. A lot of folks have to stand to drive or at least have a bolster and look out over the windshield. I'm sure for a few dollars, a good fiberglass guy could extend your arch! :-) Then you could get a canvas guy to work his magic. Those two items would cost more than what you paid for the boat!

The 5.0's are a great deal, but I think you'd be disappointed with the torque which as stated is what gets your boat up on plane. They might work, but I wouldn't try it! I think you'd be really bummed if you made the switch and lost performance! How much would that cost? You'd be our $4,000 PLUS the labor to swpa them out. If you just replaced the blocks, the existing stuff will bolt up. What's a new 350 block cost these days??
 
I'm sorry, I was thinking of standing back on the deck UNDER the arch itself. Of course I cannot stand from the helm. I wonder how much of an issue that would be for me though as I have a nice clear line of sight when I sit there but not OVER the windshield, just below the top frame line. as far as the 5.0's go, it's a moot point as the admiral won't even discuss anything more expensive than the bottom paint until AFter the wedding. The best part of the deal though is that I would pay NOTHING for the labor because both drives and one of my engines is still out and the guy said he'd just pull the other engine and drop these in instead of putting my existing ones back in before she goes back in the water. i am just way to leary of all the bad things I've heard and read about engine downsizes (never have heard any complaints yet about UPsizing though ;-)!).
When I looked up the 5.7's on ebay, they were advertising the mag's for about $7,800 plus shipping.
 
Mags would be cool, but you might save a bit going with a regular 350. I'll have to go take a look at see!

We're STILL waiting for some pictures!!!

100-0718_IMG.jpg
 
That is an awsome picture Jim! Looks like you have the stainless bilge louvers? Mine are plastic and a bit discolored. I'd like to upgrade them to SS for a sharper look. Where is that beautiful place where you took that great pic?
 
The picture was taken during our two week trip in the San Juans last year. I've never been there despite living in Washington my whole life. That was the Club Sea Ray group that we went with. A guy and his wife from Sacramento that trailered up for the trip and another guy and his wife from Hermiston, Oregon. We met on the internet and had an absolute blast! The picture was taken at Sucia Island in Fossil Bay.

The previous owner replaced the plastic louvers with the stainless steel version. They are a little smaller, but seem to work very well. They give is some bling, but not a whole lot. The plastic are probably easier to maintain!! Don't pay any attention to that Lipton tea bottle that is upside down on the arch! Some spotlight eating tree got hungry on our trip from Spokane to Anacortes and I discovered it was missing the first day out. So, I cut a bottle to cover the void. One guy on a huge boat looking down asked if it was some new device to detect weather changes. Yes, of course that's what it is!!
 
On most of the 80's dancers, the canvas extends forward to the ws, but the firstsection forwqard rolls back to the first forward bow and has a boot to cover it. This gives you room to stand at the helm or on the seat back. Or the seat if you are on a good plane. The original canvas extended aft to just under the arch, and thenhad a mooring cover type drop to the transom. A camper cover will require extra bows at the stern.
 
Second year in a row that boat has been on the cover of a certain calendar at another unmentionable boat site!! It's just one of those unusual photo's that worked.
 
Anyone know if there is a parts catalog that has not only the mechanical stuff, but also things like the cabin lights, support arms for the hatch covers, etc.? I am trying to look stuff up at west marine, but maybe I am just going about it wrong (captain techno-idiot here!).
 
sac marine or west marice offers 10 pct discount to new boat owners
 
Go to Searay.com, look in the archives. They have parts diagrams and owners manuals you can download., BUT I doubt you will find any parts still available from Sea Ray. Most parts were purchased off the shelf from other suppliers. Things like hatches are probablly made by Taylor or Bowmar. Try their websites. Also thumb thru Boatfix.com, they have a large selection and very good pricing.
 
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