MCx compared to predator

Trying to decide if the 350 horse engine is worth waiting for or if the 310 will be fine. Anyone had experience with either especially the MCX or 310 info would be appreciated.

Either will do you fine. We have the 310hp Predator in or 02' X-Star, it has plenty of power, we usually run between 2400-2800lbs and it only takes 5-8 seconds to get up to speed. But depending on how much the upgrade is, I would go for the MCX for the simple fact that’s its got the "bling" aspect of it, and I guess the 40 extra horses doesnt hurt.

so youve never been underpowered for anything! Or rather never had a problem with the 310. Thanks alot for the info

the 310 is a time tested and proven engine. But the MCX is pretty bling. Do you need the MCX, no, is it a bad thing to have, no? It's really up to you, they are both great engines.

I've got the 310 Predator in my X-10 and have been super happy with it as well.

No problems getting out of the hole with 3000lbs and can easily go 2 days on a tank of gas. I've been running an ACME prop since just about day one which also makes a bit of a difference over the stock OJ.

I recently purchased a third ACME prop (I forget the size/pitch) but it is designed to help with the hole shot when fully weighted. My top speed is now about 35 - 36 MPH but the hole shot is insane. 80 - 90 percent of the day is spent at 24MPH or less anyway so no real loss there.

My advice would be to go with the Predator engine and put the money you would have spent on the MCX towards other upgrades.

Blood, what boat??? This a key part of the equation...

no such thing as too much hp.

x-2 yeah thats whats tearing me up the mcx is really cool to see when you pull up the hatch it looks 10 times better but we can get a boat thats in stock for a real good deal or else special order a boat and pay alot more.

I have a 2003 x-30 and i definitely need the mcx. its worth it in the long run because you will be happy with it all the time and it has much better resale. I couldnt be happier with the mcx- but we always have a boatload of people so better safe than sorry.

how much more, it shouldn't be that much more for the MCX, I want to say less than 2K.. 1800.00 comes to mind??? the real money comes into play when making the next jump to the LQ-9 or L-18. Also you must take into account the resale value with the MCX. Honestly either engine will get the job done.. The 310 has much low end power, but not as smooth as MCX. Good luck, you cannot go wrong..

When I bought a used 02 X-Star (Predator) from a private party, I asked the sales manager at my local dealership about the difference. He told me he thought the 310 was a little better getting out of the hole, but that the wakeboarding performance difference between the two motors was marginal. He wasn't selling me anything, so I don't think he was giving me spin. With respect to resale, when I sold that boat, I think one or two people asked about the motor. Most that called didn't know or care about the difference.

Two other things: 1. I'd prefer the MCX because it's neat-o, but other items would dominate my decision. 2. I thought the boat was a little underpowered, but I came from a direct drive (Sport Nautique).

Again to reiterate - there is no such thing as too much horsepower and there is nothing worse than an underpowered boat. Is 310hp enough juice - probably but if it is not you just spent $45K on a boat that you are unhappy with and to upgrade at that point would be costly. Beside the "neat-o" factor, the MCX is supposed to be more fuel efficient.

I have a 02 x-30 w/ the predator and I've found it to be under powered when sacked up with a boatload of people. Fortunatly or unfortunatly (if you knew the situation) I'm in the process of getting a new boat and the mcx, in my opinion, is the better decision.

I'm also in the process of ordering a new X2 and have been jumping back and forth between the Predator and MCX.

From what I've read in the archives, the Predator should be more than enough "go" for me, but one of the above comments regarding smoothness caught my eye.

My buddy has an X10 with the MCX, I was always shocked at how smooth and quiet it was (before the first massive log we hit). It was almost as if the boat were electric. I liked this a lot.

Is the Predator any louder or less smooth than the MCX?




(Message edited by Joe 788 on April 14, 2004)

I changed the prop in mine from a 14x18 to a 14x16 and there is no prob with getting out of the hole. still have 45mph top end. Don't look @ HP (it has very little to do with coming out of the hole) look at the torque curves of the two engines. The 310 has it in the low end...

I second what most people have said here about the Predator. I have a 02 X2 with the Predator, run 2250# of ballast and typically 4 people but have had up to 11 in it and have NEVER had a problem getting out of the hole.

Further to what 2up said - I changed my prop from 14x20 to 14x18 and it made A WORLD of difference. I get around the same gas consumption, better hole shot while sacrificing 1-2mph top speed.

I've been looking at new X2s and they all basically come with the MCX. Everyone looks at the HP numbers which don't mean diddly poo for pulling a wakeboarder - what we need is torque. I asked my local dealer about it (who is trustworthy and honest) and he comments that the torque curve on the Predator is actually better than the one on the MCX (ie better for pulling a boarder).

The problem that you're going to run into (and what the dealer is doing) is that most people see less HP and think it's worse. My dealer is selling only MCXs and if I try to sell a boat head-to-head with him he's going to beat me 9 times out of 10 because he's got "more horses".

If your getting a bigger boat like the x10 or x30 I would go with the "bigger" engine but if your getting an x2 I don't think it is needed.

Pred. in our 01 X-Star was fine enough but when we moved to our X-30 it wasn't enough. The move from the LTR to LQ-9 was about 7,600$, and the move to the L-18 is about 2,700$ above that. As stated you can't have enough power, thus we moved to the 8.1 from the 6.0L this time.

So to move from the Predator to the L-18 is about $12k?

yea, plus $200/hour in fuel consumption increases

Yea thats exactly it Tom, real bright....
Actually the 6.0L required 93 where the 8.1L only requires 87 so the increase in consumption is offset by the cheaper gas we can now use. Thanks come again.

If you want to get technical, my manual states 89 octane for the mcx. It has performed well for me so far, knocking on wood.

True I was refering to the LQ9 and the L-18 only. Matt

when with the mcx