1987 mercruiser 454 mag

"New boat this spring, new que

"New boat this spring, new questions to figure out. Any help would be appreciated. 1987 Baja Force 235 cuddy with a 454 Mag weighs 3250 lbs. Mated to a Alpha One. I know not the best combo , but freshly re-built(receipts) with supposedly thicker gears and smaller bearings at 1:62 ratio. Questions. What is a good temp reading for this engine? I had a 302 OMC bored .030 over that ran around 150 in the last boat. Anything I can do to prolong the life of the outdrive?, reduce torque, change props? Probably should have kept shopping but the boat is immaculate, motivated seller(divorce),$5,600, and I'm handy with a wrench. Nothing like working on the boat, Right? Also, wrong post but what is the best way to learn your trim tabs ? This is my first boat with them. Thanks."

temp. is depedent upon the eng

temp. is depedent upon the engine cooling; RWC or FWC?

"Anything I can do to prolong the life of the outdrive?"

Use synthetic drive oil and add a "drive shower".

"Synthetic, just drain and rep

"Synthetic, just drain and replace? I'll research the drive shower I thought it was a more performance oriented thing. Not sure what you mean by RWC/FWC or I would clarify . Thanks for your help."

To make the drive last avoid f

To make the drive last avoid full throttle starts - the more torque you apply the shorter the life of the gears and bearings. Merc only made that package for a few years due to drive failures. Even current alphas are limited to 300hp. RWC - cooled with lake/sea water. FWC -engine has a heat exchanger (long tube with a pressure cap like a car) - yours is probably not FWC. I think that model has a 140 thermostat.

"Thanks, yes it's RWC ,rec

"Thanks, yes it's RWC ,recycled water cooling???? I know when you run on muffs it's warmer than lake operation and one water jacket heats up more than the other but gauge went up to 175ish with 40 degree well water ,had me a little worried. I know I won't be able to slam the throttle but I was kind of looking for a mechanical governor if you will to help limit the Budweiser fueled, competitive, speed demon that dwells within me.Thanks for the advice though I know the wife would agree with you."