Is the 2007 350 Rinker with 350 Mags underpowered

trip_n

all i see advertised is with 350's

Michael T

@YYZRC.....whoa - touched a nerve? Nothing makes my argument better than your response. Lots of fury, little logic. The point here was that I was giving Mylo advice (hoping he wouldn't purchase an, in my opinion, underpowered boat) that came straight from side-by-side comparisons and several friends' experience with EC 350s with 350/377s vs 496/502s. I deemed it far more important to offer my opinion to Mylo than to not - for fear of ruffling your feathers. BTW Rinkers are not "cheap" they are inexpensive for what you get. Just because you bought a pos that you have spent half your life fixing - don't take that out on Rinker. Yeah, I do buy new because I don't want to have to spend time crawling around a junk heap instead of boating and post 800 reviews of me repairing crap. I buy new, I clean-up a bit of wiring, a sticky truck on the cabin door - then go boating. Does that "pay"? Well, actually it does, if (as somebody on the stock market thread said - you know when to trade/sell). Just as an example if one was to purchase a new Rinker when US/CDN dollars were at par then sell it in USD when the USD was +40% relative to the $CDN..... My plan always starts with avoiding crap and mistakes. As in boats in need of massive up-grades and those with underpowered engines. The first is a pita waste of boating time, the second just stupid with no decent resolution.

....and when I mention Randy or Kim's names that may seem like bragging to you but it's because I have ownered Rinkers for so long, had so much fun, been treated so well for decades by both the owners, execs, Rinker factory guys and Mercruiser teams that I became friends with them and I genuinely love the guys and boats. I have had so much fun with Rinkers over the decades that I don't take well to them being dissed on this forum or at the docks..... and I have always tried to share experiences with fellow boaters to help them in any way I could but, particularly to avoid mistakes. Yes, I am an old fart and am opinionated but I posit that my heart is in the right place. You may be a fellow Canadian but your response imo certifies you as a ****.

@Dream_Inn - no, I would NOT say your boat was underpowered. At the time you purchased your boat I believe the biggest gas mills were 496s (8.1L)  I WOULD say it is right on the line for diesels. I was on the very last Rinker EC 400 that was built. ( Oh Oh - am I name dropping here WWZRC?)  It was delivered to a client in Canada at a marina near me. He put it up for sale almost immediately. It had 502s and I think they were the 430HP versions. I was on it for a test run. It got onto plane decently but seemed to rev too high and burn a lot of gas at 3500 RPM. As for ever getting your 400 to plane anywhere near as fast as my former EC 360 with 502s - now you are really, really dreamin'. You'd lose your pink slip.

@Mylo .....if you really want to proceed with the purchase see if you can first get a ride one with bigger engines. I bet that will open your eyes!

LaRea

I asked my broker friend to pull some numbers from the MLS.  He sent me 100 listings of Rinker 350 ECs sold over the past few years.  Boats with 320 HP or less make up almost 90% of the listings.  A handful of buyers opted for VP 8.1s, and two got Merc 496s.  

Today's market has seven active listings -- six with 300 HP, one with 320 HP.  

@Michael T  your assessment of @YYZRC is inaccurate.  He is a well-respected member of this forum who has consistently made valuable contributions since he joined three years ago.  

Dream_Inn

MT, you should know that name calling really doesn't look good on anyone, including you. @YYZRC has learned and contributed to this forum, a lot because he has taken the time to make his boat one of the best out there!
@LaRea that is some good info for anyone that is looking for 350 ECs.  I've worked in the 350 EC engine room several times that had the 320 hp.  It would be very difficult to work in there with the 496 blocks, but that would be one heck of a boat.
I think we can all agree to disagree on subjects of how much power one person needs in a boat compared to another.  You made me really chuckle with the pink slip racing.  I imagine back in the 60's you might have actually done that.  Good for you.  My comment really was that unless you rode on my boat, you would not believe how quick I can get on plane, solely due to my 19.5" dia 4-blade props.  You can have all the horsepower you want, but my 0-30mph is unbelievable!!

YYZRC

Michael T said:

@YYZRC.....whoa - touched a nerve? Nothing makes my argument better than your response. Lots of fury, little logic. The point here was that I was giving Mylo advice (hoping he wouldn't purchase an, in my opinion, underpowered boat) that came straight from side-by-side comparisons and several friends' experience with EC 350s with 350/377s vs 496/502s. I deemed it far more important to offer my opinion to Mylo than to not - for fear of ruffling your feathers. BTW Rinkers are not "cheap" they are inexpensive for what you get. Just because you bought a pos that you have spent half your life fixing - don't take that out on Rinker. Yeah, I do buy new because I don't want to have to spend time crawling around a junk heap instead of boating and post 800 reviews of me repairing crap. I buy new, I clean-up a bit of wiring, a sticky truck on the cabin door - then go boating. Does that "pay"? Well, actually it does, if (as somebody on the stock market thread said - you know when to trade/sell). Just as an example if one was to purchase a new Rinker when US/CDN dollars were at par then sell it in USD when the USD was +40% relative to the $CDN..... My plan always starts with avoiding crap and mistakes. As in boats in need of massive up-grades and those with underpowered engines. The first is a pita waste of boating time, the second just stupid with no decent resolution.

....and when I mention Randy or Kim's names that may seem like bragging to you but it's because I have ownered Rinkers for so long, had so much fun, been treated so well for decades by both the owners, execs, Rinker factory guys and Mercruiser teams that I became friends with them and I genuinely love the guys and boats. I have had so much fun with Rinkers over the decades that I don't take well to them being dissed on this forum or at the docks..... and I have always tried to share experiences with fellow boaters to help them in any way I could but, particularly to avoid mistakes. Yes, I am an old fart and am opinionated but I posit that my heart is in the right place. You may be a fellow Canadian but your response imo certifies you as a ****.

@Dream_Inn - no, I would NOT say your boat was underpowered. At the time you purchased your boat I believe the biggest gas mills were 496s (8.1L)  I WOULD say it is right on the line for diesels. I was on the very last Rinker EC 400 that was built. ( Oh Oh - am I name dropping here WWZRC?)  It was delivered to a client in Canada at a marina near me. He put it up for sale almost immediately. It had 502s and I think they were the 430HP versions. I was on it for a test run. It got onto plane decently but seemed to rev too high and burn a lot of gas at 3500 RPM. As for ever getting your 400 to plane anywhere near as fast as my former EC 360 with 502s - now you are really, really dreamin'. You'd lose your pink slip.

@Mylo .....if you really want to proceed with the purchase see if you can first get a ride one with bigger engines. I bet that will open your eyes!

x

LaRea

I got my friend to pull some more numbers.  For the Rinker 360 EC:
45% had 300-320 HP engines
43% had 370-380 HP
12% had 400+ HP 

And for the venerable 342:
65% had 300 HP or less
29% had 320 HP
6% had 350+ HP

These figures aren't exact, but Rinker's pricing strategy seems obvious:  Always make the top engine package so expensive that 90% of buyers can't afford it.  

Mylo

i did take boat for sea trial yesterday and it did seem to be very underpowered and hard to keep on plane, i know several comments were to put on Hill 4x4 props which i would do if i buy bought but i hope it would make a considerable difference or boat would be pretty dissapointing. Do you feel props would help alot? Also has anyone tried having their ECM reprogrammed by Whipple? they say they can do 350 mercruiser mags, it is suppose to give you 5-8% HP gain which equates to 15-24HP so say average of 20HP it is $600.00 per ECM to have it done. That would help if these ECM's are reprogrammable?

Mylo

LeRea, do you have 350's in your boat ?

YYZRC

I would buy props for $2500 before spending $1200 on tuning. 

LaRea

My 342 had the 300-HP Merc 350 package.  It was a great setup that would cruise 30 mph at 1.25 mpg.  Now I have a 370 (5000 pounds heavier) with 375-HP 496 motors.  It cruises happily at 32 mph.  

Forget about chipping the engine.  That tech is tailored for the go-fast crowd with chrome risers and bleetty-blatty open exhaust, where they run wide-open throttle and small differences are important.  

Want an express cruiser that goes fast?  Get a Formula PC.  Want an affordable boat with a wide beam and lots of room in the bow?  Get a Rinker, and enjoy the ride at 30 mph.  

(My old friend @Michael T and I have held this debate many times, and we hope to someday debate face-to-face over a rum punch or three!) 

Mylo

Thanks do you feel if i put the Hill props on it would stay on plane at 25mph? I am satisfied cruising at 25-27 mph, do you know what RPM i would turn at that speed?

davidbrooks

I have been watching this thread and thought I would share my experiences. So I have a 342 with 350's and hill 4 blade props. IMHO the boat is adequately powered about 80% of the time. There are a lot of things I have to just manage. My expectations are one. If I let the bottom get build up...underpowered. Full gas tanks, water and more than 5 people on board...underpowered. Fall behind on maint...underpowered. With me doing my job, keeping the plugs clean, 1/2 tank of gas, 2 people it pops up on plane, holds it at 24 mph and tops out at 36 mph. Not bad for 16k lbs. If I can find the time and money I may put in new rockers but I would really like to bore it out. I don't want max power or speed. I want reliable power. 

YYZRC

Mylo said:

Thanks do you feel if i put the Hill props on it would stay on plane at 25mph? I am satisfied cruising at 25-27 mph, do you know what RPM i would turn at that speed?

I cruise at 30mph at about 4200rpm with the hill props 20p and the 377 engines. I don’t use the trim tabs when running except to level the boat if needed. That’s with a 700lb dinghy on the platform.

I would think you could run at 26mph at 3800rpm on hill props with tabs deployed. As @davidbrooks mentioned there are lots of variables. 

davidbrooks

Staying on plane is all about weight distribution. So you really have to take a look at where and how many people you have sitting all the way in the back. If it's full tanks of gas. Where you keep your tools. The 342 has two really large compartments up front under the mattress. I keep my tools there as well as my inflatables. And it definitely helps. You don't need the hill props to stay on plane at 25 miles per hour. They help you get on plane quicker and not have it take forever. Just remember that when you go from 3:00 to 4 bladed props you go down and pitch and you're going to lose some top end speed. But you really don't need that extra five to six miles per hour at the top end as everything is just rattling and shaking anyway above 34 to 35 mph.

Liberty44140

Very important to keep in mind when talking about the 342 planing is that they changed the transom around 2004 and they planned much easier. My 06 342 with 350s and 3 blade props had no problem planing. New owner regularly has 7,8,9 adults aboard and has no issues. 

Mylo

Thanks Guys really appreciate the feedback. Is running 3800-4000 RPM 's hard-on the motor?

Mylo

is 3800-4000 RPM bad on the motor  if running for an hour or two on a trip?

aero3113

Mylo said:

is 3800-4000 RPM bad on the motor  if running for an hour or two on a trip?

Not at all.

Dream_Inn

If most of your trips are only an hour or two at a time, then this boat should be fine for you (if you are ok with what everyone is telling you).  IMO, if you run 4200 or higher most of the time, then you should have a different boat, as I believe that is a bit hard-on the motor.  Also note what @Liberty44140 said.  Things changed with the boat in the later years, so you have a bit more engine room space and it does go a bit better than the older models.

Mylo

Yes Thanks everyone for feedback, the boat i am looking at is a 2007 350

YYZRC

Post the ad! Does it have a bow thruster? 

Mylo

It's not on the market, no ad just talked with owner and he said he wanted to sell it.
What would be a good price for this boat with under 100 hrs on boat - no bow thruster
Needs some repairs, as we have been talking about,  generator won't turn over, some cracking on dash, headliner has some sagging, possibly steerting pins, boat has been sitting not being used much in last 2 years, excellent condition inside and out.

YYZRC

Low 80k range would be good value but the generator is a $$$ topic. Do you need the genny? 

Mylo

yes, he said it ran earlier this year but i went to start it and it sounds like solenoid bad or starter? won't engage it only has 12 hrs on it

Mylo

also are these boats hard to resell if i don't like it?

YYZRC

@Dream_Inn is the resident genny whisperer. 

aero3113

Is the generator fuel injected or does it have a carburetor? (5ECD or 5E).)

Mylo

This boat is freshwater , it is in Michigan 

LaRea

The boat is 15 years old, and there's only 100 hours on the engines and 12 hours on the genny?  That's not necessarily a good thing.  It might mean the boat was neglected and unreliable -- would not run when asked.  Engines and especially generators need regular exercise along with the annual maintenance.  

Maybe it's in great shape, but don't make that assumption based on low engine hours.  

Dream_Inn

So, you said steering pins.  Are they leaking around them?  If so, that is a change of transom assembly, big money.  

Generator could be simple but low hours is not a good thing and there could be many more issues there.