Parting Thoughts

MerCruiser Plus Series Engines

MerCruiser is positioning themselves to take up quite a bit of the market share for inboard/outboard (IO) applications.  The reason for this is that unlike most maritime engine vendors, MerCruiser is actively producing engines that are exempt from the rigorous Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for the specific purpose of re-powering .  If you have a boat built prior to 2010 and want to buy a new engine, you are subject to the EPA guidelines.  This means that you will have to turn your old engine back in to the vendor as a core.  This prevents you from paying thousands more on top of the engine price in order to have catalytic converters fitted.

This is where the MerCruiser Plus series engines really come into their own.  These engines are considered re-manufactured by the EPA, so they are not subject to the same regulations. If you purchase one of the MerCruiser Plus series engines, there is no EPA core charge or EPA guidelines that must be followed for boats built prior to 2010.  For instance, the 357 is a 350 block that has been torn down and bored out, giving it 357 cubic inches of displacement. The internals are replaced with new high quality components such as Teflon coated hypereutectic pistons and H-beam powder coated connecting rods.

The 8.1 liter engines are worth mentioning as well.  Volvo no longer offers any replacement big block engines, so if you find yourself looking for a re-power for an 8.1 currently in your vessel, a MerCruiser Plus series is an excellent alternative to potentially having to step down to a small block engine or one that would otherwise be unsuitable.  Every one of the plus series engines is hot tested at the factory and comes with at least a one year warranty, usually with extensions available upon request.  All of these plus series engines are very competitively priced and are an excellent option for you if you are in the market for a re-power and you would like a name brand unit from a respectable company.

MerCruiser Engines (PDF)

Categories: The MPE Crew

Tags: EPA guidelines, h-beam connecting rods, hypereutectic pistons, inboard/outboard, mercruiser, MerCruiser Plus Series Engines

Part Supersession – RPL/Replacement Parts – And New Part Numbers Lubricants, Oils, Sealants, and Adhesives – Discussion and Cross-Reference