Is the 2007 350 Rinker with 350 Mags underpowered

Mylo

I am looking at 2007 350  with 350 mag motors, saw some comments that they are really undepowered, use alot of fuel and rev high to keep on plain. Any comments would be greatly appreciated, need to make decission on this boat very soon.
Thanks

Cableguy Greg

Mylo said:

Thanks want to get as much feedback as possible so i don't make a mistake buying this.
How much HP is the 377 compared to 350?

The 377 has 320HP and the 350 is 300HP.

YYZRC

I have a 350 with 377s and it’s fine. More power would be great but it seems like most of the 350s and 360s were built with 350s or 377s. I guess it was big $$ to upgrade. 

Lots of 342s (similar hull) out there with 350s as well. 

The Hill Marine 4x4 make a noticeable difference due to the stern lift. I run 20p.

Mylo

Thanks want to get as much feedback as possible so i don't make a mistake buying this.
How much HP is the 377 compared to 350?

Mylo

Thank You

Mylo

With  the Hill Marine props if you cruise at a reasonable speed 26-28 mph What RPM do you think you would be turning?

aero3113

Around 3800-4000 RPM

YYZRC

I am not sure the 20hp makes an appreciable difference - I had the 350 mags in my former Rinker 330 and while the Rinker 350 is heavier I think it also has better weight distribution (more weight forward). 

Can you do a sea trial? Where is the boat located? Honestly there are other issues you should be aware of that are IMO more substantial than the engine hp - check for transom rot, stringer rot, steering pin leaks (expensive to fix), generator usage (low hours not good), etc. 

Mylo

O.K. Thank You, i was getting it surveyed in a few days to check for these other things, are these boats overall good? or did they have problems? I wanted to take some trips, 100-200 miles away but don't want a gas hog turning alot of rpm's With the stock props at 25mph what about would the RPM be? I am suppose to go on sea trial this week, trying to get info together so i know what to expect. Really appreciate any feedback.
Thanks

Grahamu

With my 2006, 342 FV and twin Merc 350s at 3600 RPM my speed is 25 MPH burning 22.5 GPH. This number can vary depending on tankage, persons on board, wind, current etc but those numbers are a good average.

Mylo

OK Thanks that gives me a good average.

Spyderweb

My 2008 330 with 350 and stock props does not like 25 mph.  Need to run tabs down to stay on plane.  Engines don’t feel comfortable till at least 3800 rpm, and better at 3900-4000.  Speed would be up to 28-30 mph.  VVM show fuel mileage better at this higher rpm also.  I would think the heavier 350 EC would be similar.

LaRea

On any 2007 boat with outdrives (not just Rinker), get in the engine room and carefully inspect the transom assemblies -- above and beneath the engines.  You're looking for any signs of water leaking in through the transoms, such as moisture, rust, or water stains/trails.  For details, do a search here for threads about leaking transom assemblies.

YYZRC

I think the 350/360 is a great boat for the money. Still looks decent 15 years later and I think structurally they are well built with a few nuances related to poor sealing of the transom and stringers. Those problems are easy to discover as @larea pointed out above. 

I like to go fast and I typically cruise at 32mph at 4200 rpm trimmed up with no tabs. At that speed I am burning 35 gallons per hour. 

mattie

@YYZRC

35GPH = $275 CDN/hr....

If you say it fast - it's not too bad. lol/

Grahamu

As you can see from the various answers it becomes a matter of personal preferences. I am quite happy at 25 -26 MPH with 3/4 tabs and slight drive trim carrying a dinghy and motor on the swim platform. I would cover 100 miles in 4 hours and burn 90 gallons of fuel. @YYZRC on the other hand would cover the same distance in 3Hours and 8 Minutes but burn 109 gallons.
As @LaRea posted, you or your surveyor, pay special attention to the transom for moisture readings and for water leakage at the drives. I did a lengthy thread on the subject.

YYZRC

@mattie it was $350/hour at the start of the season!

Michael T

@Mylo - lots of comments on the topic of a 350/360 with 350s or 377s on past threads - maybe you read some as you seem to be aware of potential problems with small engines. I had a 360 with 502's - my slip mate had a 350 with 350s it was an absolute DOG. He said it was the biggest marine mistake he had ever made. Several of us would go on a cruise with very similar loads. The 350 with 350s could barely get on plane "loaded", couldn't even begin to keep up with us (the other 350 had 496s), burned enormous amounts of gas and sounded like it was going to explode. If you are going to displacement cruise then the 350s/377s are fine but if you plan to cruise on plane RUN away. An alternative - IF - you got that 350 cheap enough would be to have the 350s stroked to 383s that should give you about 390HP with a lot of low end torque (depending on the cam). Props will only help a very LITTLE bit. A Rinker 350 with its solid hull and loaded will be a nightmare with stock 350s/377s. I have been on too many 350/360 Rinkers to count. Final point I had 350 magnums in my Rinker EC 310 - yeah, you heard right a Rinker EC 310..... but putting those small engines in a 350/360- RLMAO!

YYZRC

Michael T said:

@Mylo - lots of comments on the topic of a 350/360 with 350s or 377s on past threads - maybe you read some as you seem to be aware of potential problems with small engines. I had a 360 with 502's - my slip mate had a 350 with 350s it was an absolute DOG. He said it was the biggest marine mistake he had ever made. Several of us would go on a cruise with very similar loads. The 350 with 350s could barely get on plane "loaded", couldn't even begin to keep up with us (the other 350 had 496s), burned enormous amounts of gas and sounded like it was going to explode. If you are going to displacement cruise then the 350s/377s are fine but if you plan to cruise on plane RUN away. An alternative - IF - you got that 350 cheap enough would be to have the 350s stroked to 383s that should give you about 390HP with a lot of low end torque (depending on the cam). Props will only help a very LITTLE bit. A Rinker 350 with its solid hull and loaded will be a nightmare with stock 350s/377s. I have been on too many 350/360 Rinkers to count. Final point I had 350 magnums in my Rinker EC 310 - yeah, you heard right a Rinker EC 310..... but putting those small engines in a 350/360- RLMAO!

Loaded with 700lb of dinghy hanging off the back. 33’ Carver with 496s following behind. We always lead. 

You can’t take @Michael T too seriously. He drives a Mustang!

Michael T

@YYZRC......and I bet your engines sound like a honda civic 2000 rpm over redline.....and if my memory serves you are burning about 10 GPH more than I did. If that Carver had a decent hull like a Rinker 350/360 with 496s it would be half way down the lake before you limped onto plane and smoke you at 3/4 throttle without any effort at all. This I know as I have absolutely smoked Rinker 350s/360s that had 350s or 377s with my EC 360 with 502s without using my tabs or any real trim. Just left them in my wake with no effort at all while we aged waiting for them to get on plane. Good news for you is that your 377s will blow-up sooner rather than later and you can get some real engines......in the meantime keep telling yourself it's okay, someday you might actually believe it.

YYZRC

Michael T said:

@YYZRC......and I bet your engines sound like a honda civic 2000 rpm over redline.....and if my memory serves you are burning about 10 GPH more than I did. If that Carver had a decent hull like a Rinker 350/360 with 496s it would be half way down the lake before you limped onto plane and smoke you at 3/4 throttle without any effort at all. This I know as I have absolutely smoked Rinker 350s/360s that had 350s or 377s with my EC 360 with 502s without using my tabs or any real trim. Just left them in my wake with no effort at all while we aged waiting for them to get on plane. Good news for you is that your 377s will blow-up sooner rather than later and you can get some real engines......in the meantime keep telling yourself it's okay, someday you might actually believe it.

I’m sure the reason you don’t often see 350/360s for sale with the big motors is because that buyer bought a better built and better finished boat instead. 

Michael T

@YYZRC....now you have to do some reading to maintain your credibility. There are lengthy threads on this forum detailing the legendary ,strength and equipment of Rinker hulls and noting that they use the same brands of equipment found on cruisers three times their price. Their headroom is and industry leading - SEVEN - feet in the EC 360 shower and a good part of the entire cabin. Monster front bed - ours was king size along with two flexsteel pull our double beds. Blender, stand-up dedicated shower, vacuflush toilet, generator, hard top, two fridges, microwave, stove top, ice-maker. Axius, Sat. TV, Radar and on and on with - the big one..... awesome engines: 502s with B lll XR drives with trimtabs, that you won't really need. Made my Four Winns and Formula slip mates cry when they saw that beautiful full black hulled Rinker with the same and better options and then to add insult to injury they couldn't catch me on the open water either - not even close! You don't see 502s regularly included - although that was changing the last few years of production -as the purchasers have no idea what a DOG the boat will perform like with mini "weekend wally" displacement engines. Who have you ever heard complain about having engines too powerful? Plus my beautiful 502s sipped gas at their leisurely cruise pace while your wind-up toys sucked at your tanks like little piggies at a sow for about 10GPH more. As a Canuck you seem to be a decent enough guy but about Rinker hull performance and I go waaaay back with built-up engine discussions with Kim (Slocum) and Randy (Rinker) it is my opinion, fellow Canadian, that you don't know $hit about Rinker hulls and the proper engines to install in them to achieve best results: performance, longevity, re-sale and GPH. You got some serious back thread reading to do to avoid future embarrassment. Oops that may be too late.

LaRea

And yet, I was 100% satisfied with the performance of 350 motors on my '03 342.  I put 800 hours on those engines, and never felt the boat performed like a dog.  

@Michael T is right:  Power matters.  But power and cost must be considered together.  My budget in 2003 forced me to choose:  did I want a 342 with 350s, or a much smaller boat with upgraded engines?  I chose well.  It was the perfect boat for us.  

Dream_Inn

So, over many years I've had experience with both the 342s and 350s following me.  The 342s never seemed to have any problems at all, but the 350s always did.  Both size boats had the 350 motors as a comparison.  I don't know how many differences there are between the two, but I know the hull is completely new for the 350.  Both boats did have to have higher RPMs to match the same speed I had on my 400 with 496s (some, like MT, would say my boat is underpowered - but I bet my big cow hill marine props would actually have my boat beat him to planing speed, then he'd pass me on the top end).

@Mylo Hopefully you are ok with all of our comments as this is always a topic of good discussion.  Let us know how the sea trial goes and make sure to get a good look at the RPMs at nice cruise speed and note how much fuel, water, and people are on board.

YYZRC

Michael T said:

@YYZRC....now you have to do some reading to maintain your credibility. There are lengthy threads on this forum detailing the legendary ,strength and equipment of Rinker hulls and noting that they use the same brands of equipment found on cruisers three times their price. Their headroom is and industry leading - SEVEN - feet in the EC 360 shower and a good part of the entire cabin. Monster front bed - ours was king size along with two flexsteel pull our double beds. Blender, stand-up dedicated shower, vacuflush toilet, generator, hard top, two fridges, microwave, stove top, ice-maker. Axius, Sat. TV, Radar and on and on with - the big one..... awesome engines: 502s with B lll XR drives with trimtabs, that you won't really need. Made my Four Winns and Formula slip mates cry when they saw that beautiful full black hulled Rinker with the same and better options and then to add insult to injury they couldn't catch me on the open water either - not even close! You don't see 502s regularly included - although that was changing the last few years of production -as the purchasers have no idea what a DOG the boat will perform like with mini "weekend wally" displacement engines. Who have you ever heard complain about having engines too powerful? Plus my beautiful 502s sipped gas at their leisurely cruise pace while your wind-up toys sucked at your tanks like little piggies at a sow for about 10GPH more. As a Canuck you seem to be a decent enough guy but about Rinker hull performance and I go waaaay back with built-up engine discussions with Kim (Slocum) and Randy (Rinker) it is my opinion, fellow Canadian, that you don't know $hit about Rinker hulls and the proper engines to install in them to achieve best results: performance, longevity, re-sale and GPH. You got some serious back thread reading to do to avoid future embarrassment. Oops that may be too late.

@Michael T you are so defensive for someone who is living what by all accounts seems to be a great life in retirement.  Nobody on this forum, myself included, is arguing that the big blocks aren't better.  You also don't need to remind us (yet again) about how Kim and Randy are your besties.  We know, and we are very impressed!  We also know how well Rinker equipped their boats and that for the most part they were decently built hulls.  Rinker were the cheapest express cruisers of their era, period.  It doesn't matter where you mounted the joystick or how much of the gelcoat was black - sorry!

Saying that, I'm thankful that Rinkers were cheap because I could afford one.  Similar to @LaRea, I made compromises and buying used puts you at the mercy of what someone else ordered new.  I wanted a 37+ foot 2008-2012 boat and I couldn't afford any other brand without a loan.  Rinker wins every time in terms of value for money.  As a result, I accept the shoddy wiring, budget cabinetry, sagging headliner with 1990s potlights, flexsteel couches that immediately bend when someone over 120lbs sits on them, leaking windshield, poor helm geometry, mediocre cockpit upholstery and the smaller motors because the value equation is incredibly strong for my needs.  I love my 350 with 377s.  I would love it even more with 502s, but it's the perfect boat for me at the price I paid.

It seems that your ethic is to buy the biggest powertrain in a budget brand.  No disrespect!  While you are very happy with your Mustang, I would much prefer to drive a nicely equipped four cylinder BMW 3 Series for the same money.  Different strokes for different folks.

mattie

Just ordered my new boat with 650kW motors. Think I should've gone bigger.......






lol. 

Mylo

Thanks for all the feedback, it is interesting, sea trial was pushed back to the upcoming week then i can see how it is. Really like the boat but certainly dissapointed about the underpower . Is their anything I can do to motors to give them more HP at a reasonable price?

YYZRC

More HP is very expensive. The Hill Marine 4x4 props in 20p give great stern lift and lower your running RPMs by about 200. Many of us have done this. 

Lake_Bum

Mylo said:

Thanks for all the feedback, it is interesting, sea trial was pushed back to the upcoming week then i can see how it is. Really like the boat but certainly dissapointed about the underpower . Is their anything I can do to motors to give them more HP at a reasonable price?

Props are definitely the best bang for your bucks.  And other options, are a lot of money, for little results. 

aero3113

I agree with @YYZRC and @Lake_Bum

Willhound

And don't sell it short until you do the sea trial. You might be perfectly happy with the performance. Not everyone has the same preferences.