So I have a 280 on a 20" offshore mid. The ID tag says 7700 max rpm. It's got 271.6 hours on it and it's never been cracked. Leak down numbers are horrible. I'm exploring options:

1) Find a good clean 2.5 complete motor and set the 280 aside for now

2) Find a good drop-on, but I don't want a 260 and I'm learning that other 2.5's (maybe a PM 225) will require more mods to my mid so other 2.5's aren't a simple drop-on, I'd need to change the adapter and deal with t-stat issues, etc

3) Build the 280, probably by Jay Smith changing the side pins to top.

I know next to nothing about these 2.5's. So I'm looking for opinions. I'm never going to be the guy who runs his motor WFO all the time. I live in a county with a MAX on the water speed limit of 30mph. We go 40 to 50 when we can get away with it. I have to go 20 miles to get to water where I can run fast.

I know the 280's typically get freshened up between 100 and 150 hours. But I've also read that a 280 that's run "normally" can go a lot longer if fed good fuel and oil. How much longer is the question I guess.

So help me with my options. And do I have more?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Trace