PCM 343 in 230

[Heath Bradley]

Can those with experience please chime in on the performance of the PCM 343 in a 230 TE. I am not concerned with top in but more with hole shot and pull ability. How does this motor perform in the everyday environment. How does it pull wen weighted down. I problem could see about 6-8 people on average with stock ballest of 1075 plus another 750lb bag when surfing.

Thanks

[whitelakerider]

I have never had a problem with the 343. It is the best motor when you put performance AND fuel economy into consideration. Yes the ZR6 is nice but it sucks some gas down too. I recommend the 343.

[Miljack]

Whitelake, can you compare the Exc to the ZR6 in regards to which prop needs to be run on a wakeboard boat setup with extra ballast? I.e., does the Excal require the "power prop" if you want it get out of the hole in less than 300 hundred yards? I know it will depend on how much weight one is running in the boat. It seems to me that the Excal will require more prop than the ZR6 (dependant of the mystical torque curves that PCM won't reveal), and that the extra prop will cost one fuel usage.
Also curious about resale on the Ex vs. the ZR6 in the 230/236, it seems much more common to see the zr6 in this boat vs. the Excal.

[whitelakerider]

Let me rephrase my last post as I have done a little more research and proved myself wrong.... and i apologize for misleading you. The ZR6 due to it automatically tuning itself accordingly to the load you put on it is just as good if not better on fuel consumption as the 343 at cruising speeds. But, if you ride it hard then yes it does suck down more gas. Personally I would put a power prop on both motors if you are using extra weight, but like I said, that is my personal opinion. Due to the higher demand for the 6 liter in that size boats the resale value of the ZR6 is better.

[DanielC]

Modern fuel injected motors have a fuel management strategy somewhat like this. At part throttle, midrange RPM, they can run fairly lean, and can produce power, and not hurt themselves. As you transition closer to full throttle, the engine has to run richer, because it helps the engine run cooler, and it is assumed at full throttle you no longer care about the number of gallons per hour of fuel use, you just want to go fast.

If you are operating the 343, or the 409 motor at the lean cruise, I would expect about the same fuel use per hour. As you start to go faster, the 343 is going to start to transition to a richer "power" fuel management strategy before the 409. If you were to operate in this range a lot, it could be possible for the 409 to use fewer gallons per hour than the 343. However, once both engines get into the richer "power" fuel management, the 409 is going to use more fuel. It is also almost a guarantee that when you are pulling more than 340 horsepower out of the 409, it will be using more gas. You cannot get the extra power for nothing.

I think it all boils down to this.
You will pay more for the bigger engine, but you will arguably have more fun with it. It will give you a higher resale value, should you ever decide to sell the boat. It will probably use slightly more gas.
You will pay less for the smaller engine, but you might get into a situation where you wish you had more power.
It is your choice.

Here is an interesting little bit of information. I am a driver for a waterski show team. I have driven practices with both my 1997 Ski Nautique, GT-40 engine (310 Horsepower) and our teams Hydrodyne with two 200 Horsepower Mariner outboard motors. (400 Horsepower total) The Hydrodyne uses two or three tenths of a gallon less per hour than my single engine Ski Nautique.
I get around 3 gallons per hour in my boat, and the Hydrodyne gets around 2.7 to 2.8 gallons per hour.

[live2wake]

Hi I'm new too, but I have searched here alot to find info on the PCM ZR6 vs. 343. (especially on the 230) . It seemed like the ZR6 was favored especially for the 230. My personal experience is that I bought a new boat some years ago.I opted for the standard engine and I always regretted not having the extra HP. I also prefer the fresh water cooling (heat exchanger) available on the ZR6. In my search for the right pre-owned 230, I will definitely favor the larger engine however a 343 won't necessarily be a deal breaker if other factors are right. Remember kids, there is no replacement for displacement. Go for the 6 litre! (My 2 cents)

[robertsmcfarland]

As livetowake stated the closed looped cooling system is a must . Little or no winterizing, heater doesn't rust out always running clean coolant though the engine not dirty lake water, etc

[Heath Bradley]

Thanks to everyone's responses on this subject. I guess what I am most concerned with is torque. I want to understand if the 343 is going to have enough hole shot to make me happy in this boat. As i stated, i probably won't weight it down much more that stand ballest for wakeboarding and will probably add a 750lb fat sack when surfing. Will this engine perform under this environment.

Thanks

[tdc_worm]

I think it all boils down to this.
You will pay more for the bigger engine, but you will arguably have more fun with it. It will give you a higher resale value, should you ever decide to sell the boat. It will probably use slightly more gas.
You will pay less for the smaller engine, but you might get into a situation where you wish you had more power.
It is your choice.

that is quite possibly the strangest assertion i have ever read. i have never gotten off the end of a long line set and said "whew, i had so much fun on that set, that boat has a bazillionty horsepower." like wise, i have never said to myself "today was so great, we could cruise at 46 mph in stead of 44 mph." if those were my concerns, i would have a baja and a stripper pole...

as for the resale argument, yes it will bring a higher resale value...to a select few. tow boats are built to throw wakes. for the average rider, shaving 1 second off of their hole shot time is neglible and certainly not worth the $4k upgrade. as for what "higher resale" means, if the value your boat declines is 25%, and you expect your $4k investment in the ZR40 whatever they are calling it to value at $3k, you might be disappointed. I would expect that upgrade to value you no more than $1k after it roles off the showroom floor.

i have intimate experience w/ 220s and 230s/236s w/ both the excal and the 6.0l. if you are going to run them with more than stock ballast, both will need a re prop. if you prop them accordingly, they will both perform similarly...and the excal will do while using less fuel.

but dont take my word for it. if you are shopping for a correct craft, you are a demanding consumer. would you expect CC to place an under performing engine in their flagship wake boat? it is akin to thinking that Porshce would put an under performoning base engine the Carrea. sure, the turbor will be faster, but everyone will argue that the non turbo version will get the job done with a smile...