CKSNAP

Small world. I was Mobil dealer back in the 80s-90s. Remember the oil recall?

Not boat related but interesting to compare. I recently had a medium duty Diesel engine in a truck I own rebuilt. It had over 21,000 hours on it. DT466E Navistar.

Your boat lift doesn't hit potholes at 60 MPH. No need for the extra support.

Your tach should have a rotary switch on the back that changes it from 4 to six and 8 cylinders. With a screwdriver carefully move it around to all three positions several times. Then return it back to original position. This cleans the contacts and may fix your tach problem. Worked for me. Sorry can't help you with fuel sender location.

Your tach should have a rotary switch on the back that changes it from 4 to six and 8 cylinders. With a screwdriver carefully move it around to all three positions several times. Then return it back to original position. This cleans the contacts and may fix your tach problem. Worked for me.

Did you replace the float in the carb when you rebuilt it? Some carb kits don't come with them.

A boat with a Sting Ray or other brand of hydrofoil on the drive is a sure sign of an underpowered vessel.

Race cars are designed to be as light as possible and typically with only one seat. The boats you are considering are similar to pushing your living room with 12 people seated in it through the water. Torque is key not horsepower. And you are right OEMs should spec torque ratings. I have a PDF from GM Marine from 2013 that shows the 5.7 makes 292hp/370ftlb. Mercury uses 10% +/- on engine ratings to get those nice round numbers. I don't have numbers for the 7.4 but the 8.1 Mag (375hp according to Merc) is 392hp/503ftlbs. I would bet the 7.4 300hp is in the 400ft lb range. It is a slug considering its displacement and weight penalty. All that being said, the 7.4's peak torque will be lower in the RPM band than the 5.7 making for a better holeshot and higher cruising speed.

Well I'm late to the party here but I'll throw in my 2 cents. I agree with the consensus here that neither of the boats being considered are a good choice based on price and engine options. I have a 230 and a good friend has a 2330 with a 7.4 Bravo 1. I seriously doubt that the 2330 you're looking at "can do 55+ all day long". 45-50 is more realistic. IMHO the 230 cockpit layout is much better and having MPI vs carb is a no brainer. The first time you would load up that 230 5.0 with a bunch of people you're gonna have buyers remorse at the hit of the throttle. My advice would be to find a clean 230 with a 5.7 Bravo 3 (better yet an 8.1 but they're few and far between) and you'll have no regrets.

I've replaced both cable and helm unit on my 230ssi because of a broken cable. A little play is normal. I would try to compare the amount of play with another boat so you don't spend money or time and end up with the same result. That being said it's safety first so check everything thoroughly. You don't want to have cable break at speed while turning in a narrow channel. Don't ask me how I know. On my 230 it wasn't that hard to do. I removed the screwed in cooler mount which helped a lot and the bottom of the helm station was open. Don't think you have that luxury. I also needed a large but short length open end wrench for the nut on the steering rack. Somewhere between 1" to 1-1/2" as I recall. If you're gonna replace the cable change out the helm unit also. The helm unit pulls the cable internally through itself and it's not serviceable and you can't see if it's worn. At least mine wasn't.

Buy the boat with the 8.1. No one has ever come on the forum and complained they had too much power.

The fact that you've posted on a public forum your possible intention to knowingly tow with malfunctioning brakes kind of makes it impossible for you to claim ignorance if you have an accident. Just sayin................

Looks to me like that's your tow point. Looks stouter than the one on my 230ssi which has been towing tubers and skiers for years. Route your tow line under the cross bar and put the loop around the T. I wouldn't use a harness they're a pain in the azz.

I use the drain hose. Found out it works a lot better if you make sure it's out all the way and doesn't have a kink in it. I also remove the oil fill cap to avoid a vacuum and then knock a hole in the top/bottom (depending how you look at it) of the oil filter with a punch so it also drains and doesn't make a mess upon removal.

Heres what I use to control the trailer clunk. http://www.schuckcushionhitches.com/ I use the Model 340. Works well.