225 to 260,,,fuel and speed?

[ally2dextreme]

if you cant pick up 10mph on a 2002 going from a 225 to a 260 you got a bad 260 have 225 on one xb2002 260 on the other xb2002 260 hands down

 

[David Shook]

I've had 150's, 175's ,200's, 2.4's, 2.5-260-280-300+ and if wanted a fishing or riding boat it would have nothing but a 280 on it, it ran as smooth as the 150 and I could run 115 everytime out, best engine I ever owned!
Shook

 

[spanky]

shook, you need to tell your secrets. how on earth did you get your 2002 to run 115 with a 280? the guys i know down here struggle to get 105-108 with a 280.

 

[ALLISONMAN]

setup, a good gearcase and a big set of nads!!!!

 

[David Shook]

Spanky,
Don't listen to the A'man, it's a combination of small nads and a small brain which creates a false sense of speed, with these limitations I only think I'm cruising!
A's right though, a good set up, good lower and prop, I think the main thing is I just pissed into a good hull, when I was running 115 I was running a heavy Hoss Triton Prop that I had found in a hole in the wall repair shop and gave $200 for, I believe if I had have tried props it had more, it would hit 115 and no more, I would trim it to the point I couldn't see the pond still 115. If it had been a brackett drag racer, I would have won every race, just dial her in at 115.
If I had secret I would tell it, just a bunch of testing and messing and still have to get lucky, my advice would be foot to the floor and trim to the max!!!!!!
Shook

 

[2fast4mom]

I started my Allison adventures with a 1998 225 ss promax on an XB-2003. After driving a buddy's 280, I was hooked, the 225 felt like a '74 Plymouth compared to the 280 which was like a Camaro with a 350. I yanked the powerheade and dropped on a 280, performing all the necessary mods needed including changing the exhaust plate to a 1-piece.

I disagree with some who have said you can't use this motor recreationally. I've been running the 280 on the XB03 for several years and this has included lots of pulling kids on boards and tubes, skiers, idling through long no-wake zones in the delta AND just flat out haulin. If you keep this motor maintained, it will last--BUT it is not immune to the forces that work against any high-rpm motor. It'll blow if you abuse it and it'll blow eventually even if maintained, if there is some random cause. That's the nature of race-bred motors.

The trade-off to me is worth it. I couldn't go back to a 225 after feeling the pull of 280's and 260's. The performance difference to me is worth the risk of failure, the hassle of mixing the oil, and the decreased fuel mileage.

 

[280ALLY]

with a light hull like an Allison,which by design is built for speed,if you are in the 5000 rpm range , you're gonna get pretty good gas mileage with a 280.will you get as good as a 225, NO. but what you get in return is worth a mile or 2 per gallon.would you not buy a vette if it got 20 mpg,& instead got a min-cooper because it got 22 mpg.I don't think so.If you want the speed when you want it, get a 280. if speed isn't that big a deal, & want a little less maintenance, get the 225, & then you'll wish you had the 280 everytime you get the urge to open her up. speed is addicting,no two ways about it.I wouldn't trade my 280 in on 5 225's,unless I could trade them & get 2 280's. but it is your decision,everyone has given you different aspects of 3 different motors, only you really know what best suits you

 

[JR]

I do not want to start an argument but this is my observations of going to all of the hot boat outings;

My wife and I run my Pmax 50-60 miles [each way] up and down the Suwannee at 80-90 MPH GPS and have plenty of fuel left over. I have no concern for my engine and am only worried about 200# jumping Sturgeon.

The other hot boaters with their mod 260s, 280s and 300 [+] motors cruise carefully in a line from "Social" stop to "Social" stop at 50-55 MPH [maybe]. Carrying portable tanks is a necessity and then some of them run out or blow-up.

When they are following behind me they could pass me any time they desire, yet after a few miles of catching up to me they usually choose to fall back.

My Nephew's 280+ Ruck Motor burns about a gallon of race gas each mile [but he can hit 115 anyday with 2 people].

My point is, do you want an Autobahn cruiser, sprint car, or a top-fuel drag racer?

I really like my Autobahn cruiser......
JR

 

[Yellowallison]

What people don't think about is.......since HP motors are designed with LEANER fuel curves/Porting to make HORSEPOWER that they run more EFFICIENT than the everyday fishin motr.

The every day fishin motor is built so its BULLET PROOF against billy bob fillin up with (87) at the STOP/GO - adding his 1.99$ TECHO oil and not burning piston and having a warranty claim... :very sad

If you take a 280 and run it around down the river and keep it at a good midrange speed it will get some fuel mileage--- and (IF) its any less than a 225PM it not by just a little tiny bit..... 280 is a great motor!!!! :relax:

 

[JR]

Scott,
what if; you want to haul butt mile after mile down the river like some us that have the Formula 1 syndrome... 55-65 is just idling.....unless it's rough.
JR

 

[Yellowallison]

Scott,
what if; you want to haul butt mile after mile down the river like some us that have the Formula 1 syndrome... 55-65 is just idling.....unless it's rough.
JR

BUY a 280.... cause tha 280 runs 3/4 throttle CRUISE'n 85-90 while tha PM is SCREAMIN its BALLS OFF to run 90banghead banghead.............................then when yu want to bust off a 100-105 run yu can with out needin to adjust yur PM TIME BOMB knob!

JR.. a PM is GREAT MOTOR if yu leave it stock as yu have seen!! When yu start trying to make a PM GETTIE UP an run like a 260/280 it goes from a TIMEX to WAlly World CASIO real quick!!! :gone fishing

Been there - done that got the BURNT PISTONS on the shelf .. :big grin

 

[Jimxb02]

If you keep a promax internally stock, add a SVS, remove oil injection, take the revlimiter to 7200 and prop it for 7000 - 7100, you won't have a race motor but a strong running motor that is still reliable. JMO

Jim

 

[JR]

My Pmax is really already fast enough for what we normally do, just remember, Susan is usually with me and above 90 she starts grabbing the "grab-bars".

I am going to temporarily mod it with tighter heads/lab prop just to get it above 100 so when people ask me "how fast will it go?", I can tell them 100. They now always seem to be disappointed with 95, even though it is a five passenger family boat.

If the 280s are so reliable, why don't the hot boaters run them harder for long distances, day-in-day-out? They will make a drag run or two and then it's back to 50-60....Plus when I meet them at the Glenn, they can't run down the river with us due to not enough fuel or oil...
JR

 

[Yellowallison]

If the 280s are so reliable, why don't the hot boaters run them harder for long distances, day-in-day-out?

UMMM... every HOT BOATER I know runs thier 260/280s dayin-dayout and holds then wide open for miles..

Lets see!!
* My last 280 lasted 4 yrs and still runin..
* Ted's 260 lasted 8 yrs before he jus replaced the rotating assembly
* Amans 280 lasted 5 yrs and he jus freshed it up
* 260 on my shop floor is a 95 model and nver been apart
* Dad ran 260's fishin tournamnets for yrs and never blew one up!
-- jus to name a few

I can almost list more PM's that have blown up than 260/280s's! :relax:

 

[whipper]

Here is a Q with a twist on the 225-260-280.What about the 300PM or X motors? I relize that there are fewer of them on an Ally but some of you guys like Yeller must come across them with your buissiness. My take on the 300 is that its like the 225 as far as reliability goes a little less regular mantainance than a 260 or 280 not to say that these motors require more offcourse. Whats your take on these motors I really like the look of the 300 but wonder if its a reasonable alternitive to a 280 say? Because of the limitter I relize that a 300X probably would not hit the same top end as a good 280 but with the added tourque she must be a lot snappyer than a 225? Would a 300 make a good motor on an 2003.The 300X is around 500 lbs but so are the 250xs motors so I dont belive that wieght is a hudge issue here just currious. James

 

[JR]

Scott,
I see a lot of people on S&F needing re-rings on 280's with less than 200 hours. Some of the Best Engine Gurus say that if you run more than 140 hours on their stock rings you'll be sleeving or re-chroming. The 260s seem to have a lot more happy owners [battery issues aside].

My first Pmax powerhead went over 1000 hours and would have gone at least one more year but had a small amount of scuffing [was still +-4 on compression].

My new powerhead has over 350 hours and was +-1 last Summer.

I am still running the stock oil injection too.

JR

 

[Yellowallison]

The 300PM is great motor jus lil thirsty! :cool

The 300X makes a lot of mo POWER an better mileage than the 300PM!

I only know of 1-2 (300PM/300X's) thatz had problems and Mercury replaced those under warranty..

A 300X with a 1:62SM would work just fine on 2003!! :razz

Real soon I'm buyin a 300XS for my Young -- but first its going on my 2002/comp to show everyone its not a problem and can run a good top end #..

Biggest reliablity problem PM's had was pistons PINS ! :very sad

 

[Yellowallison]

I see a lot of people on S&F

JR-- yu really don't belive what yu read on S&F do ya..

Iffa yu wont to tell everyone at the boat ramp yu run 100 -- yu need a good 260/280...run it w/good oil and gas and it will last a long time..

If yu wont to tell everyone at the boat ramp yu run 95 and and hopin for nuther 1000 hr moto yo PM is tha ticket! :relax:

YEALLRS jus sayin from my own and other experience that when yu start tryin to make a PM GETTIE UP its becomez unreliable... :mad

I'm fixin to put a 225PM I've had on one of my 2002's and it gunna remain STOCK - so it stays a reliable PM! If I want to run faster I wil swap it out for a 260/280!:big grin

Matter of fact yur nephew CHRIS has a DRAG motor that could be easily fixed and made into a nice 100+ motor that with 150 lb heads would last a along time.. Heck CoronaMike drag moto is a 97 and he jus got freshin it up !!!

 

[ziemer]

...DRAG motor that could be easily fixed and made into a nice 100+ motor that with 150 lb heads would last a along time...

Yeah, but what fun is a drag motor with 150 lbs. of compression??? banghead :beer: :beer:

 

[spudman14]

I have two Bullet 21xdc's one with a 280, one with a 300x.
the 300x is 5.5 MPH faster. The heavy hulls (1400 lbs.) like the
big torque. I recently put the 280 on a 2006 Bassport, the Bassport
is 3-4 MPH faster than the 21xdc/300x. My next step will probably
be 300xs on the Allison.