Re: Who loves their 3.7L/470?
Love is such a strong word. Enjoy/like/accept is more like it. The motor has good power while sipping on fuel. That is enjoyed. The weight is light-ish which allows higher speed. That is liked. The motor has its problems that are well known with proven fixes. That is accepted.
I have no problems using my 20+ motor that has been improved upon. I will not recommend it to someone that is new to boating or can not turn a wrench. But I dont think I would recommend any 20+ year old boat to someone new or cant turn a wrench. Would a 350 chevy be a better choice? Maybe but it depends greatly on how well it was taken care of and how big the boat is. I am also from a different breed of people who are drawn to motors designed from v-8s that the manufacturer thinks i-4 would work just as well (porsche 944). They have a unique sound and produce very good power (v-6 ish) from such a small footprint while still showing 4 banger fuel usage.
Also, this seems to happen every year, during summer a bunch of new 470/3.7 owners show up and this forum shows it colors by helping with all the questions and problems. Then winter will come around and some people have more time to complain about these engines and the new owners are off doing winter activities. Some of the haters have real reasons to dislike. Others just like to hear themselves talk. You can see which are which as time goes on. I always appreciate the ones that dislike the motor for good reason as they keep the lovers in check. There is only so much improvement you can put on these motors and in the end, its still a 4 cylinder motor capable of about 200 HP. You may be able to get more out of it but then you are really pushing luck and budget.
