250 xs power

RidgeRunner

RidgeRunner

God
Here we go. This is the next outboard for the center console.
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Decided to stop the thread crapping on my buddy Reel's account.
I purchased as a 20" leg off a bass boat so it is clean and without corrosion.
Good thing because I had to switch it over to 25" for my V.
More pictures to come. Waiting on paint to dry.
It is a 2003 with 249 hours.
 
Last edited:
RidgeRunner said:
Here we go. This is the next outboard for the center console.
View attachment 3397
Decided to stop the thread crapping on my buddy Reel's account.
I purchased as a 20" leg off a bass boat so it is clean and without corrosion.
Good thing because I had to switch it over to 25" for my V.
More pictures to come. Waiting on paint to dry.
It is a 2003 with 249 hours.
Click to expand...

somehow it looked BIGGER layin' on the pallet, Friday...I mean, REEL BEEG!!...Wish I had taken some pic for you...
 
DO IT. If I get outrun by twins it won't be my first and it won't hurt my feelings knowing that one of the 200's came from the Ridgerunner stable. LOL
Maybe I should bolt two on and get it over with now. :sun:
 
I say you should build up 2 tower of power inline MERC's and hang off the back. It would definately be unique, and I believe you can build up them old tower of power engines to scoot along. It would also be lightweight for the HP.
 
Love the idea of twin anythings and the mercury inlines definately have a cool factor , but...The tower of power inline six engines are/were about at the limits of their horsepower. Next to impossible to squeeze much more power out of them than the later years had in the 1986 1987 115hp which was more like 125hp at the prop. I have grenaded two of them trying to turn them trying to turn them up past 6k. Great on a light boat where the power to weight ratio of the inline is hard to beat. I have beat the old 150 inline six with any of my 115's as merc went to prop rating in 1985 and did not want the inline to compete with the 135 and 150hp V-6 sales so downrated it to a 115hp. Internally these engines had the same ports and pistons as the previous 140hp but had a better adi ignition system and much lighter and simplier power trim. The 1985-87 inline six was the best of them in my opinion but if you want to hotrod a motor there just isn't that much you can do to it.

Ridge is on the right track here as this xs 250 is going to fly.

B
 
Ridge, what is the benefit of the XS 250 over the 250 that you already have? I'm wondering for my future upgrade, assuming I don't go with a big Verado
 
The new power is a direct injected 2-stroke Optimax. Average fuel mileage is better by 40 to 50% over the somewhat crude fuel injection on the 250 EFI it is replacing. The 250XS is a motor Mercury Racing put together for go fast boats. Requires 91 octane fuel due to higher compression and a little more radical timing. They also changed the fuel rails and a few other tricks.
Bass and Walleye tested the 250XS head to head against the Verado, Yamaha 4-stroke and Suzuki 4-stroke. The conclusion was that the 250 XS had the best acceleration, fuel mileage and top speed of the bunch. Downside, noise and lack of refinement. Verado was the heavyweight but the quietest. The Yamaha was dinged for unpleasant exhaust note? Huh? So I don't put much confidence in the touchy feely reporting but numbers don't lie.
We will see in the next few weeks. Parts arriving daily. Paint on the XL mid is dry and ready to assemble.
 
250 EFI Current engine is a 3.0L burns 32+/-GPH WOT. WOT is 55 to 60 with a load. All around average fuel mileage cruising and such is approx 1.5 to 2MPG.
The 225 Opti also a 3.0L on a 23' Whaler Outrage averages 3.0 MPG. Heavier boat by a long shot and not near as efficient in the water as the V-20.
At WOT I expect very little gain but the idle and midrange (cruising speed) is where the Optimax shines. I would expect it to be as good as the 4-strokes in the same hp. I know Joe in Miami installed a 150 Optimax on his cuddy but have not heard of his mileage. A lot of guys seem to be going with the E-tec which is also a direct injected 2-stroke albeit much more quiet. What do you think Spare, Skool, Ferm, Genie Aye?
Will I see 4MPG?
 
i'm not real familiar with the XS engines, so i have no idea. 32 GPH seems awfully high for WOT burn on a 250. My EVINRUDE was built up to every bit of a 250 and WOT burn on it was 28GPH turning it right up to around 6100. The 3.0L MERC I always thought was a bit better on fuel as we had an older carbed 250 MERC and it was pretty good on fuel burn on a 231 PROLINE. I know the OPTIMAX engines are the best right now out there for milage though for new engines, only ones better were the 00-03 FICHTS I believe. Just make sure and run a good oil unless you want to be changing out compressors and air injectors in it is what I have heard.
 
I think I need to answer it the same way I answered the top speed thread you started. "I think I need to drive to to know for sure" :sun:
 
If only you lived closer Spare. I have been to C-town once. Your turn.

I think you may be right on the fuel burn Ferm. Maybe 30GPH WOT. LOL I can tell you when I put the big prop on for top end it kills the mileage in a noticable fashion. Load the motor and the EFI just keeps dumping in the fuel. Carb motors seem better on mileage in the same hp. Big diameter smaller pitch props that can easily be turned to the 5800 limiter, like the Mirage that you suggested, gives the best fuel consumption. My propslip numbers are out of sight with the 23p Tempest because it has to be trimmed to slip to get max RPM. In the 100 degree heat, the 21p is just about perfect all around. Last weekend, I ran the 23p with three people and a fairly heavy loading and I could only muster 55 MPH out of the motor turning 5500 RPM. Plum sluggish out of the hole. We went 28 miles and burned nearly 15 gallons of 40:1 premix. Mostly cruising at 40 MPH. So 1.8 MPG average for the trip.
Started to reassemble some last night I will post some pics later.
 
Disassembled tuner from exhaust plate, painted 25" leg prepped and ready, reassembly started, bolted tuner back to exhaust plate, lower mounts to driveshaft housing, 25" water tube in SS, Bolted the assembly to the driveshaft housing and mounted the housing to the swivel bracket. Waiting on a few more parts.
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I see you didn't cut the tuner. Shaun gave my buddy the dimensions to cut the tuner to make a 300 style out of it. from what we've been able to find out, they all use the same tuner, just cut to different lengths
 
spareparts said:
I see you didn't cut the tuner. Shaun gave my buddy the dimensions to cut the tuner to make a 300 style out of it. from what we've been able to find out, they all use the same tuner, just cut to different lengths
Click to expand...

I think the 250XS needs to be stock as Merc had it for this boat. I fear the performance mods help top end, but I need a more fuel efficient package/less noise and as dependable as I can make it for what it is. From what I can tell the tuner looked identical to the 3.0L 225 EFI tuner. It ought to have some snap, we will find out next week.
 
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