aq170s

[rockypond]

I have twin aq170s with 280 Volvo penta out drives . both engines need to be rebuilt or replaced. I would like to find out what newer type of engines would replace my 1976 vintage engines and bolt up to my out drives. thanks for your reply

 

[HorizonblueDK]

Re: aq170s

Well, there is no easy "bolt on and go" solution if you want to replace the Volvo B30 engines. But any GM V6 and V8 marine engine can be mated to the 280 sterndrive, if you find the right parts.

- Bell housing with coarse splined driveshaft
- Exhaust downpipe & manifolds
- Coupler
- Raw water pump mounted on the engine

You will have to do some custom work; new front engine mounts & electrical wiring. Note that Volvo has made two types of the GM bellhousing that fits the 270-280-290 outdrives. The latest version will accomodate the 14 inch flywheel, the older one will not. I'm not sure if it is possible to have the later bellhousing with coarse splined shaft. In that case you will have the fine spline shaft and thus need to replace the outer yoke on the universal joint or maybe the whole joint.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: aq170s

^^^ What he said.

Rebuild will not be cheap either. Parts are expensive, and some are hard to come by. The water circulation pump I have seen listed for 900-1200 alone (times that by 2). Exhaust manifolds run upwards of 1800-2000 (times that by 2). That's just 4 ancillary parts at well over 5k, and your not even digging into the engines yet.

 

[Bondo]

Re: aq170s

Ayuh,... ^^^ What they said. Welcome Aboard,....

Another Issue ya might run up against,...
The In-line motors/ drives, probably ain't far enough apart to put in V-motors...

V-motors bein' considerably Wider than an In-line motor....

 

[diesel1960]

Re: aq170s

I have twin aq170s with 280 Volvo penta out drives . both engines need to be rebuilt or replaced. I would like to find out what newer type of engines would replace my 1976 vintage engines and bolt up to my out drives. thanks for your reply

Those B30 engines are like rock (Mahr pistons-the best ever made)call me crazy but just re-powering twin engine Thompson,with two AQ170 @280 legs.(originally was merc.)
Parts still available,I selling on e-bay exhaust for $399,pump $200,have spare parts for those engines.
What compression you have on them ?

 

[INDIANA dave]

Re: aq170s

Well, there is no easy "bolt on and go" solution if you want to replace the Volvo B30 engines. But any GM V6 and V8 marine engine can be mated to the 280 sterndrive, if you find the right parts.

- Bell housing with coarse splined driveshaft
- Exhaust downpipe & manifolds
- Coupler
- Raw water pump mounted on the engine

You will have to do some custom work; new front engine mounts & electrical wiring. Note that Volvo has made two types of the GM bellhousing that fits the 270-280-290 outdrives. The latest version will accomodate the 14 inch flywheel, the older one will not. I'm not sure if it is possible to have the later bellhousing with coarse splined shaft. In that case you will have the fine spline shaft and thus need to replace the outer yoke on the universal joint or maybe the whole joint.

I too have a need for knowledge... I have 1975 houseboat with twin 270's... the original 351 is good, replacing a bad 302 rebuilt... going with another 351...bought a 1979 -351 mercruiser version, bell housing fits... need a different coupler, and the worst of it a junked the 302 with the flywheel already... now I neeed the right compatible coupler... any part numbers...thanks

 

[Bondo]

Re: aq170s

I too have a need for knowledge... I have 1975 houseboat with twin 270's... the original 351 is good, replacing a bad 302 rebuilt... going with another 351...bought a 1979 -351 mercruiser version, bell housing fits... need a different coupler, and the worst of it a junked the 302 with the flywheel already... now I neeed the right compatible coupler... any part numbers...thanks

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard Dave,.... You've gotta start a thread of yer Own,...

This 1 belongs to Rockypond, 'n his problems...

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: aq170s

call me crazy but just re-powering twin engine Thompson,with two AQ170 @280 legs.(originally was merc.)

OK... You're crazy...
While I agree the B30 is a very respectable performer (if you can keep em cool), just makes no sense using an obsolete engine if you have a choice.

 

[rockypond]

Re: aq170s

hi seaman the engines , 1 is in parts needing 2 pistons and a possible circulating water pump the other engine will not turn over . the oil is clean. the exhaust is in good shape so far . thanks for your reply

 

[diesel1960]

Re: aq170s

hi seaman the engines , 1 is in parts needing 2 pistons and a possible circulating water pump the other engine will not turn over . the oil is clean. the exhaust is in good shape so far . thanks for your reply

Circulating water pump is rebuildable (kit available in i-boats),you can get nominal or oversize ITM pistons online or e-bay(I have also some used in good condition).All other parts are available as well (bearings,bushings e.t.c).
If your cylinder walls have only little wear,honing and fitting new rings will give an engine more life .

 

[Freeboater]

Re: aq170s

OK... You're crazy...
While I agree the B30 is a very respectable performer (if you can keep em cool), just makes no sense using an obsolete engine if you have a choice.

Greetings to all. I'm a newbie but I just have to weigh in on this one.

Sometimes it does make sense to go with the obsolete engine(s). From wiring to plumbing to space considerations and 'weight and balance'. They may not be producing these engines any more but parts are readily available. New and used. I've managed to find every single part I needed to restore mine from a 'fresh water only' exhaust manifold ( $50! ) to electronic ignition conversion. I added a Sherwood strainer to replace the stock unit that someone carved off. Dirt cheap. Trashing the cooling system seems to be the most popular conversion people perform on this motor.

What some folks out there seem to ignore is the fact that these surviving engines are 40+ years old! "Rode hard and put away wet". Rebuild it and baby it and you might get 50+. How long do you plan on owning that boat?

And now let us 'bow' our heads in a moment of silence for all the perfectly good straight sixes melted for scrap.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: aq170s

Greetings to all. I'm a newbie but I just have to weigh in on this one.

Sometimes it does make sense to go with the obsolete engine(s). From wiring to plumbing to space considerations and 'weight and balance'. They may not be producing these engines any more but parts are readily available. New and used. I've managed to find every single part I needed to restore mine from a 'fresh water only' exhaust manifold ( $50! ) to electronic ignition conversion. I added a Sherwood strainer to replace the stock unit that someone carved off. Dirt cheap. Trashing the cooling system seems to be the most popular conversion people perform on this motor.

What some folks out there seem to ignore is the fact that these surviving engines are 40+ years old! "Rode hard and put away wet". Rebuild it and baby it and you might get 50+. How long do you plan on owning that boat?

And now let us 'bow' our heads in a moment of silence for all the perfectly good straight sixes melted for scrap.

It's not lost on me that this engine is 40 plus years old. It's admirable that it is.
New and used parts may be readily available for YOU right now...

The cold hard truth is what happens 10 years down the road when even fewer parts are available for the engines that you still dumped allot of money into? Your going to be scrounging for that last holy grail dust covered bag some dealer forgot about on the shelves DECADES ago. Or your going to be hoping upon hope another fresh water cream puff that papa always trailered to and from the lake each day has expired, and is donating its organs.

As posted, I have absolutely no problems with a working 170. In proper tune they are great running engines. BUT, if I had one that had a catastrophic failure, or was just plain worn out from top to bottom, I would need to think long and hard about "investing" in an engine that it's already hard enough to get GOOD parts for at a reasonable cost.

You say wiring, plumbing, and space can be a problem. I say there wasn't a boat made that was intended to only have THIS engine installed.

 

[aerobat]

Re: aq170s

a guy next to me in our marina replaced in a birchwood 25 an aq170 / 280 drive with a marinized peugeot 4 banger 70 hp diesel botled to this drive.

i quess you are looking for more powerful gas engines ?

 

[Freeboater]

Re: aq170s

It's not lost on me that this engine is 40 plus years old. It's admirable that it is.
New and used parts may be readily available for YOU right now...

The cold hard truth is what happens 10 years down the road when even fewer parts are available for the engines that you still dumped allot of money into? Your going to be scrounging for that last holy grail dust covered bag some dealer forgot about on the shelves DECADES ago. Or your going to be hoping upon hope another fresh water cream puff that papa always trailered to and from the lake each day has expired, and is donating its organs.

As posted, I have absolutely no problems with a working 170. In proper tune they are great running engines. BUT, if I had one that had a catastrophic failure, or was just plain worn out from top to bottom, I would need to think long and hard about "investing" in an engine that it's already hard enough to get GOOD parts for at a reasonable cost.

You say wiring, plumbing, and space can be a problem. I say there wasn't a boat made that was intended to only have THIS engine installed.

A pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Anyone who's passionate about boats is alright with me even if we disagree!

A posting in the meantime makes great sense to me. The four banger option is a good one in my mind and one I considered. I haven't had the pleasure but I've heard they are decent performers and with the price of fuel these dark days a little less power may be a very reasonable trade-off for improved economy. Plus you get fresh water cooling which can be a real bonus for those in the salt chuck or want the other benefits of a closed system.

I'm an optimist. 'Seek and ye shall find'. I'm also a digger and encourage others to do the same before cutting up and rebuilding/redesigning anything that just needs maintenance. Unless that's the aim which is altogether another thing. Re-powering can be a lot of work and expense. It can require a fair bit of modification. I know I'm not telling anyone here anything that isn't common knowledge. What doesn't seem to be as common is the knowledge that if you avoid the shysters, and the boating world is chock FULL of them, you can make these engines and outdrives perform like new for surprisingly little. I was encouraged to re-power the boat that I'm restoring, as was the previous owner. For a song I've put the engine back to stock with enough parts on the shelf to last me as long as I'll need. I've passed over two complete running engines for cheap as well because after having the head re-done I've got 150 - 165 ft/lbs of compression across the board. These engines are real workhorses built to last. Napa has most of the stuff on the shelf that I'll need from here on. The boat is comin up 40. I'm hittin mid 50's. In all likelihood, before that engine gives out one of us is goin down!

That's my story, and I'm stickin it to ya.

 

[Freeboater]

Re: aq170s

If anyone is looking for parts for one of these "cast iron pigs" they should check out eBay and look for the seller Lightendog. His name is Rod and he's one of the best retailers I've the pleasure of dealing with. Excellent parts for very reasonable prices compared to those that would soak you for $1300 for a used exhaust manifold! They're not that rare pal! Of course Volvo was selling them for $3000 so they set the extortion bar pretty high. Every single part I've purchased was in 'almost good as new' condition, AQ170 and 280 parts alike. Gee, I hope I've got everything I need or I basically just shot myself in the hull.

 

[diesel1960]

Re: aq170s

If anyone is looking for parts for one of these "cast iron pigs" they should check out eBay and look for the seller Lightendog. His name is Rod and he's one of the best retailers I've the pleasure of dealing with. Excellent parts for very reasonable prices compared to those that would soak you for $1300 for a used exhaust manifold! They're not that rare pal! Of course Volvo was selling them for $3000 so they set the extortion bar pretty high. Every single part I've purchased was in 'almost good as new' condition, AQ170 and 280 parts alike. Gee, I hope I've got everything I need or I basically just shot myself in the hull.

First thanks for support my fellow Canadian.
I have done many deals with Rod,but he is slowly going out of business.Recently purchased another two of 170s for $300 each.
One of this engines,completely neglected,sitting in the dirt for years-after basic maintenance and 20 minutes run giving reading 160 psi equally on all 6 cylinders.
If you or anybody need parts for "iron pig" I am on ebay as a nikonian666.
Thank you.

 

[Freeboater]

Re: aq170s

I do what I can. ;-)

Long live the ... Cast Iron Pig!! What did you think I was going to say?

I've done a number of deals with Rod hence the preferential B.S.. However, the one purchase I made from you recently was equally satisfying hence my 5 star feedback. A very nice crank pulley in exchange for a strainer I mistakenly bid on. A generous concession as well. Can't believe it's still up there while some nice little 4 banger somewhere slowly chokes to death on silt.

I'm quite sure we'll deal again.

 

[diesel1960]

Re: aq170s

OK ,thank you and good luck with your engine.