343 motor in 230?

[rick230]

hey gang - looking to get input on power of the 343 in a 230? want to know how the power feels with say 8-10 people on board and pulling a wakeboarder? also - will it take the boat forever to get on plane loaded down?

Thanks for the input all...

[NautiqueJeff]

My 230 and my 236 both had the 6L engine. I did drive one with an Excalibur on the Nautique test lake, and it did fine, but it was not loaded down with people or pulling a rider. I guess you can tell from my boats that I found the larger engine worth the money.

[tdc_worm]

are you a nautique shopper because you think they build a superior boat? if so, do you think that they would underpower said boat and risk it having a reputation of performing poorly?

another way to look at it: approx $4k upgrade for the ZRwhatever or $500 for a power prop if you think the boat is underpowered, where would you rather spend your money?

another way to look at it: for pulling power, you need torque. ever wonder why PCM doesnt publish their torque curves for their engines? its easy to make HP, but torque is a different story.

a couple of references for you:
the base engines that PCM sources from GM and then marinizes, cams, and programs to achieve certain specs (be sure to look at the torque curves):
http://www.gmpowertrain.com/MarineEn...Portfolio.aspx
whom all sources their engines from GM before putting their stamp on them:
http://www.gmpowertrain.com/MarineEn...EMListing.aspx

[SkiTower]

One other thing to keep in mind is whether or not you're going to load it down with extra ballast. The boat should run fine within design parameters (built in ballast system, correct number of people on board), but when you exceed the specs considerably is when you run into issues. But as Jeff pointed out, whether or not it's enough is up to you. Some people want plenty of power, some are satisfied with enough to do the job.

[AllianceBJJ]

We have the 343 in our 230 and run with an extra 1850 lbs of ballast in addition to the 1100 lbs or so stock ballast for wakeboarding on occasion. Load it up with way more than than for surfing regularly. Pulls for us just fine. Can't say I have ever wanted for more.

Note: Buxton Marine (regularly the number 1 dealer of Nautiques in the country) orders all of their 230s for stock with the 343.

[tdc_worm]

here is another way to look at it.

drivetrains are designed to run with certain loads (within the design parameters), as mentioned above. trucks have certain axle ratios that allow the engine to run in its optimal power range given a certain tire height. taller than stock tires are more difficult to accelerate due their increased load on the stock drivetrain. when people put significantly taller tires on a truck, they usually need to change to a lower gear ratio in their axles which allows the engine to spin more times per one tire revolution. this brings the final drive ratio back near the OEM parameters.

adding excessive weight to a boat is very similar in that the boat is pushing more water, and doesnt allow the engine to spin up to its intended operating range as quickly. the fix is to change the gear ratio, or in the case of a boat, change the pitch of its prop. changing to a lower pitch prop will allow the engine to spin up more quickly, given the increased load of the water displaced.

keep in mind that the just 10 years ago, 300 hp was considered plenty, and boats were able to perform correctly given they had the appropriate prop. in my opinion, the only major advantage of the ZRwhatever is that has a closed cooling system...

[2gofaster]

My dealer is #2 in the US behind Buxton. Like them, he orders all 343's for stock. Of the 93 Nautiques he's sold since January of 2010, only 4 have been 6.0's. That includes 10 200s, so let's say out of 83 wakeboard boats, only 4 had 6.0s.

[rick230]

My 230 and my 236 both had the 6L engine. I did drive one with an Excalibur on the Nautique test lake, and it did fine, but it was not loaded down with people or pulling a rider. I guess you can tell from my boats that I found the larger engine worth the money.

thanks - looking at a used 2008 with 343 and wanted input from members with experience...

[rick230]

We have the 343 in our 230 and run with an extra 1850 lbs of ballast in addition to the 1100 lbs or so stock ballast for wakeboarding on occasion. Load it up with way more than than for surfing regularly. Pulls for us just fine. Can't say I have ever wanted for more.

Note: Buxton Marine (regularly the number 1 dealer of Nautiques in the country) orders all of their 230s for stock with the 343.

thanks - spoke with Phil at Buxtons the other day and he stated the same...

i appreciate the first hand experience input

[rick230]

My dealer is #2 in the US behind Buxton. Like them, he orders all 343's for stock. Of the 93 Nautiques he's sold since January of 2010, only 4 have been 6.0's. That includes 10 200s, so let's say out of 83 wakeboard boats, only 4 had 6.0s.

Thanks

[rick230]

here is another way to look at it.

drivetrains are designed to run with certain loads (within the design parameters), as mentioned above. trucks have certain axle ratios that allow the engine to run in its optimal power range given a certain tire height. taller than stock tires are more difficult to accelerate due their increased load on the stock drivetrain. when people put significantly taller tires on a truck, they usually need to change to a lower gear ratio in their axles which allows the engine to spin more times per one tire revolution. this brings the final drive ratio back near the OEM parameters.

adding excessive weight to a boat is very similar in that the boat is pushing more water, and doesnt allow the engine to spin up to its intended operating range as quickly. the fix is to change the gear ratio, or in the case of a boat, change the pitch of its prop. changing to a lower pitch prop will allow the engine to spin up more quickly, given the increased load of the water displaced.

keep in mind that the just 10 years ago, 300 hp was considered plenty, and boats were able to perform correctly given they had the appropriate prop. in my opinion, the only major advantage of the ZRwhatever is that has a closed cooling system...

thanks - prop is definitely important and would consider.

checked out your previous links - not much difference in torque between 5.7 and 6.0...

[shag]

I have a 2009 230 with the 343 and am happy with it. I do add extra weight and have several people at times, and don't seem to have much trouble. I have driven the 6.0 with similar configuration and didn't notice much if any difference, imo. 6.0 probably better on gas. I also prefer the raw water cooling over a closed system. Good luck!

[kaikane]

I have a 2008 236 Team Edition with the 343 and have had no power issues at all. We regularly run at full capacity or greater with additional 1K ballast on top of stock. As previously mentioned it's realy about torque and getting the engine to make power in the desired ranges. The prop and transfer case ratio probably effect that more so than displacement and overall HP of a motor. If you do slalom skiing or higer MPH activities the larger motor would be beneficial as the HP helps the boat maintain velocity with less effort.

Just my $.02

[jonfo]

I have a 220 with the 5.7 (330hp) that I load down and power is never an issue. I have not driven a 6.0 220 so can't compare. I do have friends that have had the Malibu Indmar 6.2 (400hp) hammerhead motor and moved back the 5.7 (340hp) Monsoon when they bought their next boat due to extra vibration, noise, and mechanical issues.

[rick230]

I have a 2009 230 with the 343 and am happy with it. I do add extra weight and have several people at times, and don't seem to have much trouble. I have driven the 6.0 with similar configuration and didn't notice much if any difference, imo. 6.0 probably better on gas. I also prefer the raw water cooling over a closed system. Good luck!

Thanks - i do appreciate the honest feedback...