315 MerCruiser

I have a 2003 Centurion Elite V-Drive with a MerCruiser with only 27hrs on it. I am getting conflicting advice about my first service/checkup. My dealer said 50 hrs. Another dealer said go hard up to 100hrs and bring it in. And my Mercury owners manual, from what I briefly read, is talking 10-20 hrs for the first service. I'll actually call Merc directly too. It would obviously be a piece of mind getting the boat serviced now just to make sure everything is tight and breaking in properly but of course that means more $. Fire back my fellow Merc owners.

20 hours for first service and I am told that is the most important one. Then every 100 hours after that. Or for most people the start of every season.

i would change oil and tranny fluid for sure at 20 hours to get all the metal and crap out from break in.

Joe,
Do the 20 hour service. As new things tend to come loose (assuming they where tightend properly in the first place. And you need to get that oil changed on your new motor. During that first 20 hours the engine is forming to the moving parts. That means that all the excess metal is now in your oil. Yeah it sucks to have to pay for a service so soon after you got your boat, but it is easier if you consider the alternative, a break down. Plus if you plan on keeping this boat for a while your investment will last you longer.