'95 4.7 Vortec Mercruiser rebuild or replace?

I've got such wonderful help on this forum and my '95 Sea Ray OB has been fishing and dragging tubes for 3 good years now. This boat fits my needs so well, that I would like to put a few bucks into it so I need not worry about pushing that throttle or going a couple miles offshore. The first update that comes to mind is the motor. She's 23 years old. No issues at the moment, so it would certainly be a candidate for rebuild however searching threads I see that most of you lean towards buying a rebuilt motor from a reputable dealer as a more cost effective solution. Is that still the consensus when replacing a motor simply due to 'mileage' or would having it custom rebuilt over the winter be cheaper and possibly offer me more options ( higher performance upgrades )? Thanks for your thoughts!! <%))>< ~~~~~

I would do a compression and/or leakdown tests first to assess the condition of your engine

A 23 year old raw water cooled engine is at the end of its life.

and it is a 4.3ltr.

I could never suggest rebuilding an Engine that had been Ocean Water cooled for this many years.
Start fresh with Automotive cores of the correct casting numbers.



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Docksidemarineservices said:

A 23 year old raw water cooled engine is at the end of its life.

and it is a 4.3ltr.

Click to expand...

Oh crap I typed 4.7..... EOL eh? I was kind of figuring that. It has only been used in fresh maybe visited salt once in awhile but that's kind of what I figured if I was going to spend the money.

I would recommend getting a Mercruiser built long block if it is still available...You will save money in the long run if you get a complete drop in.