300 GT Johnson.. Whatever happened to the V-8's??

[projohnson]

It seems the more I try and find out anything about these motors the less anybody wants to talk about them. All I really want to know is if anybody knows where I can find some for sale or to rebuild. Any info at all would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. :cool:

[Boatmaster]

There all blown up by now! :D Buy two 300Xs and call it good. After all once you go black you you will never go back!!!

[snappertapper]

look on ebay, they are on there all the time.

[projohnson]

Somebody told me that they weren't that bad of a motor if you ran the right RPM's... is there any truth to that or were they really that bad of a unit??

[snappertapper]

actually they were good motors even to be run hard but the problem was the lower units, so much torque they liked to break drive shafts.

[STV_Keith]

They are big motors and don't usually like to turn big RPM. 6k tops. Very reliable if you ran them under 6k.

[projohnson]

Is there any marina's or salvage shops that anyone knows of that might carry the 300's??

[STV_Keith]

What are you looking for? My dad has 1 complete one.
[ March 28, 2003, 10:29 AM: Message edited by: STV_Keith ]

[Kim Hanson]

I run a big " RUDE ", its only a 275~~325hp......( . )( . )....Mine was just rebuilt too, so maybe there is something to the blowin up part of it..lol http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/72kimsHST6-med.jpg :p

[HavasuDreamin']

I have heard the V-8's run the same gearcases the OMC V-6's run. I know several guys with OMC V-6's that have blown up their gearcases. I couldn't imagine how many cases one would go through with a V-8.
On another note, has anyone ever heard of someone mating a Merc gearcase up to a V-8? If I ever won the lottery, pig_flyi I would try to mate a highly modified V-8 up to a bravo style IMCO extreme gearcase. eek! That would be one bad a** combo on a 21' tunnel. http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/party/ylsuper.gif
[ March 28, 2003, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: HavasuDreamin' ]

[Kim Hanson]

Mine also runs a V6 gear case and mine made some awful noises last summer in Kelowna, don't think its a goner though. They would have called me by now and told me the bad news......( . )( . )..... :D

[snappertapper]

yea HD i think someone has done that, but i cant really remember.

[Tom Brown]

This picture shows a couple of my buddies looking over an OMC Sea Drive at a wrecking yard. It's a 4.0 liter OMC V8. The picture doesn't show the gear case very well but it's the largest gear case I've ever seen (by a thick margin).
My understanding is that most of them came with this behemoth sized case (with the exception of the F1 engine). Of course, anyone who wanted to go fast had to go to a V6 case.
Check out the massive transom mount on that bad boy. It's hydraulic steer too. This is definitely a more-is-more design.
By the way, it's complete, running, and probably still forsale. The guy wanted $5000 CDN.
-- Tom
http://www.carlsonspeed.com/~tombrown/QuickLink/seaDrive.jpg
[ March 30, 2003, 01:24 AM: Message edited by: Tom Brown ]

[HOSS]

When I worked on the Rude 300`s I would stand on a ladder. Things seemed like they were 8 ft. tall. Rumor had it that the federal government put a stop to production because drug runners used them the cross the pond and they had nothing available to catch em. Fed go fast wasn`t up to par. Don`t know how true but I actually heard that also from a guy who was on the OMC board.

[Kim Hanson]

Thats funny " HOSS "when so many say us " RUDE " guys are slow, proof is in the pudding. I use what ever I can to work on mine from doubled up milk crates to sitting on it. The other one that I couldn't believe how heavy the lower unit was till you change out your water pump, made me think about the transom-pickup instead......( . )( . )...... :D

[snappertapper]

i have read in magazines that drug runners used to run them as well, they also used the 235's alot but if im not mistaken OMC actually built a motor especially for gov't uses it was a 4.0 as well.

[Charley]

I flat out loved my 300....... 6000 RPM's all day long wink
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/38blkboat.jpg

[Kim Hanson]

Charley, that boat is " TITS ".....( . )( . )... wink

[rrrr]

Boatmaster:
There all blown up by now! Heheh, my first visit to the outboard asylum, and there's funny fockers over here too.. :D :D