Custom Built by Mariner Hi-Performance?

[BigRWater]

Just bought my 1st Allison & it came with what looks to be an awesome 150 2.5Liter. I tried getting information from google, but didn't find much. Can anyone tell me much about this motor?

 

[dubmoney]

What PKSTV said Show pic of motor under cowl. A number is stamped on the block on the port side where the front half and the back half of the block is bolted together. Something like OG503453 this is the serial number, we can put that into a number of different data bases that will tell us what exactly the motor was when it was born. As for what somebody has done to it on the inside is anyones guess. Might be a good idea to pull it apart and check for some the to most common causes of failure.

 

[GrandLakeGAR]

Same motor as the Mercury ProMax, just a different color.

 

[BigRWater]

Thank you. It appears I am asking "Newbie" questions. I didn't know if "Custom Built by Mariner" meant it was actually custom built (for the individual customer) or a marketing term... Fishing today, but I will soon start reading the google "Promax" returns. Looks like a bunch of it on "Scream & Fly".

 

[BigRWater]

It’s a nice looking motor with a 15” mid section with an alien cowl and it’s grey ! That’s all I see so far . Hope that helps ! Let’s see what’s under that cowl !

Thanks!
I took a couple of "under the cowl" images with our Garmin trek. When my nephew shows up this morning to go fishing, maybe I can upload those images. I will do it soon anyway...

 

[BigRWater]

The product cut sheet states the weight of the 150 hp Super Magnum & the 200 hp only weigh 350 pounds! Either motor! "and I thought 400 pounds was a light motor.

 

[BigRWater]

What PKSTV said A number is stamped on the block on the port side where the front half and the back half of the block is bolted together. Something like OG503453 this is the serial number, we can put that into a number of different data bases that will tell us what exactly the motor was when it was born. As for what somebody has done to it on the inside is anyones guess. Might be a good idea to pull it apart and check for some the to most common causes of failure.

Thanks! Serial # is: 0G703157, I put the serial number in at Mercury.com & it checks as a 225 Promax/Super Magnum

 

[BigRWater]

It’s a nice looking motor with a 15” mid section with an alien cowl and it’s grey ! That’s all I see so far . Hope that helps ! Let’s see what’s under that cowl !

Here are some images I took the other day. If there is any others you think I should take, let me know.

 

[dubmoney]

Yep, It comes back as a 225 on Crowley Marine. I bet you are stoked!! What hull are you running it on? What propellers do you have? I see you have Pyrometer Thermocouples installed, what is the max Temp you are seeing?

 

[BigRWater]

I bet you are stoked!! What hull are you running it on? What propellers do you have? I see you have Pyrometer Thermocouples installed, what is the max Temp you are seeing?

Totally Stoked!

I was hoping you would come on this thread, because of your pursuit with your '96 XB 2003/2.5Liter (JSracing).

This motor is on a '98 XB 2003. I mean I know your motors are whole bunch more in every way than this motor. However your experiences and knowledge are valuable to guys like me. 'And I know that you know a whole bunch more about this motor and this boat than I do.

Because the boat has been sitting for some time, I haven't even started the motor yet. I am getting together with Barry Hoffer (he is our local Jay Smith) to go through her and just make sure... When we get her on the water I'll get the temps. There was 3 props with her, I will inventory them and report back.

Anyway, I would appreciate any of your thoughts.

 

[Jr in Jax]

In 98 the Merc and Mariner steel bores w/15" mids came from Mercury Hi Performance and had different ECUs. The cowling decals said SS Sport and High Performance [I think to get them around the EPA regs as a race engine]. I had a hard time getting replacement decals for mine.

 

[BigRWater]

In 98 the Merc and Mariner steel bores w/15" mids came from Mercury Hi Performance and had different ECUs. The cowling decals said SS Sport and High Performance [I think to get them around the EPA regs as a race engine]. I had a hard time getting replacement decals for mine.

So was the Mercury version branded "SS" & the Mariner version branded "High Performance?
A side note, on the original order for this Allison boat and motor. The original order form shows an order for a Merc SS $12,000.00.
The delivery receipt shows a delivery of a Mariner SS with a price reduction of $500.00.
So was the price at that time $500.00 different? 'Or was the $500.00 deduct some compensation for a failure to deliver the customers preferred brand?
Which motor do you have the Merc SS or the Mariner High Performance?

 

[Jr in Jax]

I just sold my 1998 Promax SS [Mercury] with an ACU to my Nephew after I bought the 300XS for my Grandsport. He has a 21 Skater with a 300XS on it.
Lou Jones has a really Hot 2.5 Mariner that has the fastest launch I have ever seen on a 2002.

 

[dubmoney]

BigRWater, I am probably as excited about your boat and motor as you are!! I look forward to hearing your experiences as you get her dialed in. Like MSethsmile said, there was a famous artical in Bass and Walleye magizine, in which the author, John Tiger Jr. reported a top speed of 101 mph in an XB2003 with a short shaft Mercury 225 ProMax, which is the same motor you have. When I read that article back in 1998 I fell in love. (as a side note, John Tiger Jr. and I are now friends on Facebook and he was kind enough to send me a copy of the article) It wasn't until 15 years later I finally, had the chance to get the machine I had dreamed about for so long. It was important to me to have the 15" mid, but I also wanted to go over 100 mph. After I found my boat, I needed to find a motor, I looked at many different motors, and I ended up with the 15" 260, because I wanted to be able to bust trips in less than perfect conditions.

Since then, I think many people have tried to duplicate the results of the 1998 B&W Boats artical. It is my opinion that 101mph with a 225 ProMax is the very best performance you could squeeze out of that particular combination. I am pretty sure Darris sprinkled a little magic on that particular hull, and I am sure Mercury hand picked the perfect specimen out of all the Promaxs at the factory. I would guess that the Propeller division sent a 30P ET that also had been given extra love and attention. Then the driver added his piece to the puzzle.

It is been fun trying to do what people with a lot more experience, knowledge, skill, talent and resources did with a boat like ours. Be safe and keep us updated!

 

[xb03]

I would ditch the oil injection and premix it 50:1 or 40:1. Fastest I could get out of my xb2003/promax combination was right at 97, but cracked the lower unit and quit trying. My best top end prop was a 30p mazco, best driving and load carrying a 28p ot quad 4, and most favorite 26p drag or knob cut chopper.

 

[Dave Hensley]

What a find.

 

[BigRWater]

My best speed also was with a Mazco RE3 30. That prop was the fastest on several hulls. (03, 02, Hydrostream Voyager). As I understand, Mazco no longer J. Mazar in Missouri but now in Nevada--same tooling I imagine. Mazar made props for decades.

BTW--Merc Pro max = Mariner Super Magnum. Same assembly line? Same paint booth? Logic behind price discount?

I couldn't be happier that it is a Mariner Super Magnum! BTW - Included is what looks to be a, never out of the box, 5 blade 26P Mazco prop, with a "dated 2005"receipt from the pro shop in Nevada that now owns Mazco. I wonder why the guy would have bought it, & then never tried it. It was $525.00 in the day.

 

[BigRWater]

BigRWater, I am probably as excited about your boat and motor as you are!! I look forward to hearing your experiences as you get her dialed in. Like MSethsmile said, there was a famous artical in Bass and Walleye magizine, in which the author, John Tiger Jr. reported a top speed of 101 mph in an XB2003 with a short shaft Mercury 225 ProMax, which is the same motor you have. When I read that article back in 1998 I fell in love. (as a side note, John Tiger Jr. and I are now friends on Facebook and he was kind enough to send me a copy of the article) It wasn't until 15 years later I finally, had the chance to get the machine I had dreamed about for so long. It was important to me to have the 15" mid, but I also wanted to go over 100 mph. After I found my boat, I needed to find a motor, I looked at many different motors, and I ended up with the 15" 260, because I wanted to be able to bust trips in less than perfect conditions.

Since then, I think many people have tried to duplicate the results of the 1998 B&W Boats artical. It is my opinion that 101mph with a 225 ProMax is the very best performance you could squeeze out of that particular combination. I am pretty sure Darris sprinkled a little magic on that particular hull, and I am sure Mercury hand picked the perfect specimen out of all the Promaxs at the factory. I would guess that the Propeller division sent a 30P ET that also had been given extra love and attention. Then the driver added his piece to the puzzle.

It is been fun trying to do what people with a lot more experience, knowledge, skill, talent and resources did with a boat like ours. Be safe and keep us updated!

Thanks!
That's an awesome story.
Like you I think the original owner pursued this boat & motor in 1997 because of what John Tiger wrote in the "Allison '95 preview". Subtitle: Preview 21st Century Bassin' with Allison's Ultra trick XB-2003 ProSport!" This pamphlet was in with all of his other papers and manuals for the boat. (I am still reading and going through the stack of papers! I feel so lucky to have all of this information from the period.)
I can clearly see that the original owner ordered a Merc SS 225 for $12,000.00 but received a $500.00 off when a Mariner was delivered.
Also from the papers that I have, it appears that he was considering a Kevlar "Bullet"??? I thought Hydra-Sports was the only bass boat people making Kevlar boats.
Anyway, Thanks again.
Hope to meet you & your Allison at the water some time.

 

[BigRWater]

I would ditch the oil injection and premix it 50:1 or 40:1. Fastest I could get out of my xb2003/promax combination was right at 97, but cracked the lower unit and quit trying. My best top end prop was a 30p mazco, best driving and load carrying a 28p ot quad 4, and most favorite 26p drag or knob cut chopper.

Thanks! Is there an issue with the oil injection on these motors? 'Or an improvement in performance...?

 

[BigRWater]

I might have found the $500 difference... Looking through the literature that the original owner had collected I found a few differences between the Mercury SS that the customer ordered and the Mariner Super Magnum. Example: one difference is the Charging system. The Merc SS has a different charging system. It has an unregulated 16 amp charging system that the literature states "Delivers more spark to the spark plugs". The Mariner Super Magnum has a 40 amp regulated charging system. The Mariner Super Magnum is the equivalent of the Mercury Promax. A Mariner 2.5 short shaft would be the equivalent of the Mercury SS. This possibly explains the $500.00 difference better than anything else.
See scanned brochure specs below for differences in these two models if you would like.
To make this Mariner Super Magnum into a Merc SS it appears a charging system conversion was done. See the images of the 40amp flywheel & voltage regulators removed from this motor.