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Thread: Engine life on Merc 525 EFI & 600 SCI??

  1. #11
    Not So Fast
    So doing the maintenence makes themm last longer?? LOL The 50 hour service on my SCi/XR is going to be about $300, not counting pickup and delivery. That's a minimal (in my experience) service, oil changes and inspections, according to what the Merc book says, so if they find anything in all the inspections, there will be additional cost. The supercharger belt on my Mini was $32, I'm just guessing that the 600's will be well over that.
    I heard of a Mercury Racing program that swapped out the engine/drive for a rebuild at 100 hours for megabucks. I thought that was rather low hours for a rebuild.
    I think the norm is a 20 hour service (complete with a drive alignment and impeller when new, avg cost around $600) that is probably your most important service then an oil and filter change at every 25 hrs or so if you use it that much in a year. Mine gets a complete service (20 hour type) every year period, but then thats just me.
    I dont know where all of these so called 30, 40, 50, hr service time periods come from, does Merc say it?? And you say its basically an oil change and inspection for $300:idea: Maybe your 600 is different:idea: NSF

  2. #12
    brianthomas
    How many hours are they good for? We only get to boat 6 months out of the year so we only put on maybe 200 hours in a good year. Lots of years 150, some even a little less. How many hours do you guys put on where you have no snow? I am running Crusader 496 cu. in. Chevys and they are in a very large and heavy boat. I had my sights set on 2,500 hours before opening them up but it sees extremely heavy loads at over 4,000 rpms for most of the hours.
    Most of the people at our marina say they rarely see an engine worn out but instead is lunched by bad manifolds or tulip a valve due to high rpm. Seems the rings and bearings are the very least of the concern. With the new coated pistons there is little to worry about in the cylinders.
    We run our engines hard with heavy loads so we use synthetic oils and filters changing every 100 hours. I know our season is only half as long but we think this is pretty good use.

  3. #13
    BajaMike
    Depend on the driver. You should get around 500 hours on a well kept 525 and slighly less on the 600 due to the SC. Both are very good turn key motors, but don't blow one the cost is very good too.
    If the boat is properly propped and geared, and you drive conservatively, and don't regularly over load or over stress the engine, and maintain it properly, there is no reason you couldn't get 800 to 1000 hours on either engine.
    The thing is, most people have their boats over-propped or under geared (or both) to get max speed, and drive wide open all the time......you do that, it's not going to last.
    :idea:

  4. #14
    HPBoats83
    We run our engines hard with heavy loads so we use synthetic oils and filters changing every 100 hours. I know our season is only half as long but we think this is pretty good use.[/QUOTE]
    That's kind of a long time to go on an oil change in a boat. I run the Royal Purple (full synthetic) and still change it every 20ish hours. I run the Merc Synthetic in my Volvo drive and change that when I change my engine oil at 20ish hours and stick the alignment tool in their just to make sure all is good.
    James

  5. #15
    Throttle
    forever if you dont use em...

  6. #16
    brianthomas
    We run our engines hard with heavy loads so we use synthetic oils and filters changing every 100 hours. I know our season is only half as long but we think this is pretty good use.
    That's kind of a long time to go on an oil change in a boat. I run the Royal Purple (full synthetic) and still change it every 20ish hours. I run the Merc Synthetic in my Volvo drive and change that when I change my engine oil at 20ish hours and stick the alignment tool in their just to make sure all is good.
    James[/QUOTE]
    The 100 hr. interval is dictated strictly by oil analysis. I don't like to cut it really close but 100 hrs. gives a really good clean analysis. It's really the best way to know the health and longevity of an engine that gets beat pretty hard.

  7. #17
    hkunz
    The book that came with the boat that says Mercury Racing on it lays out a maintenance schedule just like they do for cars. I know many folks don't read the books, but our says 25 hour service, oil changes, inspections, etc. Then, at 50, 75, and so on. That's 25 hours between oil changes.
    With our 6.2 in the Cheetah, we just got them done once a year around Christmas (since we knew were weren't going to be using the boat then). No book came with that boat.

  8. #18
    Kilrtoy
    The thing is, most people drive wide open all the time......you do that, it's not going to last.
    :idea:
    A little cut and paste
    OUTBOARDS LOVE THAT STYLE

  9. #19
    paradigm shift
    How many hours are they good for? We only get to boat 6 months out of the year so we only put on maybe 200 hours in a good year. Lots of years 150, some even a little less. How many hours do you guys put on where you have no snow? I am running Crusader 496 cu. in. Chevys and they are in a very large and heavy boat. I had my sights set on 2,500 hours before opening them up but it sees extremely heavy loads at over 4,000 rpms for most of the hours.
    Most of the people at our marina say they rarely see an engine worn out but instead is lunched by bad manifolds or tulip a valve due to high rpm. Seems the rings and bearings are the very least of the concern. With the new coated pistons there is little to worry about in the cylinders.
    We run our engines hard with heavy loads so we use synthetic oils and filters changing every 100 hours. I know our season is only half as long but we think this is pretty good use.
    Good info and I think accurate but there is a pretty big difference running 4000 rpm vs 5300 - 5400 especially with the added lift on cams run in 525 and 600 sci. Bottom ends with regular maintenance will run a while but the weak link in the higher HP - RPM motors is the valve train. I have heard of 502 mpi running that many hours but never a 500hp or 525. I would like to know if they are out there.

  10. #20
    WishIknew
    The book that came with the boat that says Mercury Racing on it lays out a maintenance schedule just like they do for cars. I know many folks don't read the books, but our says 25 hour service, oil changes, inspections, etc. Then, at 50, 75, and so on. That's 25 hours between oil changes.
    With our 6.2 in the Cheetah, we just got them done once a year around Christmas (since we knew were weren't going to be using the boat then). No book came with that boat.
    Lotta drywall screws did !!!!!

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