Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

[KDFW]

Well fellow Iboaters what a disaster the last few days have been for me.. Supposed to be at lake but my boat didn't agree with me.. So here is what happened? After a bad winter, I found out which I already knew that I had a bad transom and water in the block which froze a split my blocks and manifolds.. After searching around I found a used SBC/350 to replace my old merc 260... SO after fixing the transom which I felt like I did a wonderful job, I went to work on the engine.. So I found used manifolds and used risers and used what i could off my old engine.. So yesterday I had everything ready to go, but hadn't water tested the boat and only had it on muffs for a short time.. I did run the engine before I installed it in the boat and had the compression checked which was excellent.... So today it wouldn't start, wasn't getting any gas so I replace fuel pump, which I also found out water seperator was bad.. So i put another fuel pump (new) on the boat just to get me through the weekend.. Well I couldn't get a water seperator so I just decided no to use one until Tuesday when i could get one... So finally I had the engine running and noticed a terrible vibration... After further examination It seems that my SBC/350 has the wrong Harmonic balancer on it... Is this possible? I shakes the whole boat... Im not a engine expert by no means, so my questions are.. How can I tell its the wrong one? Im pretty sure its a harmonic balancer for a 400 and not a 350.. How can i tell? Can I use the harmonic balancer off my old engine? Also can I run boat without water seperator on fuel pump just this weekend? Please help...

 

[KDFW]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

left a few things out.. I did have a marine place do compression check and check engine out.. Was told it was in exellent shape.. Today I called them and they told me that they wouldn't of been able to tell it had the wrong harmonic balancer unless they put it in boat.. Which i did, and friend of mine who is a chevy freak told me that it was for sure the harmonic balancer for a 400 sb...

 

[wallydc2]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

Yes you can run the boat without a fuel/water seperator. But get one a soon as possible. I ran my boat a whole season without one because I didn't realize I needed one until I joined this forum. Luckily I had no problems not using one. But I understand that they are extremely important.

 

[KDFW]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

thanks wallydc2.. does anybody know how to tell if I have the wrong harmonic balancer on my sbc/350, if so why would someone do this? And can I use the one off my old engine that has a cracked block?

 

[erikgreen]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

Yes, you can use the old one. There are only a couple of types for chevy engines.

However, your sbc engine... does it have marine gaskets in it? If it was a marine sbc, you're fine... if it was an automotive sbc, you can expect problems until you replace the gaskets and freeze plugs.

Erik

 

[Bondo]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

Can I use the harmonic balancer off my old engine?

Ayuh,...... Sure Can.......

How can I tell its the wrong one? Im pretty sure its a harmonic balancer for a 400 and not a 350..

The 1s for 350s "Look" balanced.....
The 1s for 400s "Don't Look" balanced........ There's extra weight on 1 side.....

 

[KDFW]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

thanks Bondo, should I just tell the marine engine place to give me my money back and they can have engine? I paid only $900 for it, but of course it has the wrong balancer on it.. Could the engine be damaged because its had the wrong balancer in it? I do know for sure it had really good compression and was told its a "stroker" engine.. .. But than again they also missed the fact that it had the wrong balancer..

 

[bomar76]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

I do know for sure it had really good compression and was told its a "stroker" engine.. .. But than again they also missed the fact that it had the wrong balancer..

This is where the story begins not to make any sense.
You NEVER mentioned it was a stroker.
If it is indeed a stroker, it is NOT a 350/5.7
A stroker uses a 400 crank in a 350 block to produce a displacement of 383 cu in when bored 30 over.
Stock 400's are externally balance.
Stock 350's are internally balanced.
Normally you MUST use a 400 balancer and flywheel on a stroker build. That said, there are also internally balanced strokers built (we are building up one right now).
You need to find out just WTF you have and make certain it has the correct balancer and flywheel.

 

[KDFW]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

Now im not sure what I have... Over the last few years I have been totally redoing a 1985 210 cuddy invader.. Basically stripped the boat down and replaced everything. Floor, transom, new wiring, all new guages, control box, seats, rails, etc.. Well the boat shop who painted my boat for me had a engine that had been sitting in there shop that someone used to pay a bill with, they offered to sell me the engine for 900 dollars since I spent 3500 getting it painted.. They said they would check the engine out and if it had good compression and everything was ok then I could have it... There engine guy told me it looked like I had a "stroker" a few weeks before they put it in my boat.. Well when I went to pick up boat it wouldn't start.. Was told water seperator and fuel pump was bad.. Tried to use the one off my old engine merc/260 but it still wouldn't get gas.. So I went to NAPA and got a new fuel pump minus the water seperator and it fired right up.. But it was shaking really bad, thats when I was told I had the wrong balancer.. Im 100% sure it is a 350 block that has a 400 balancer on it..

 

[KDFW]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

The reason I never mentioned "stroker" was i thought the engine guy was just useing the term " Stroker" as meaning its a good motor.. Since im not a engine guy, I mean I know the basics and then some.. So why would it have been shaking so bad?

 

[wncrjb]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

If it is indeed a stroker using a 400 crank, not only will you need a 400 balancer but also a 400 flywheel since they are externally balanced too.

Does the flywheel have a weight welded to one side of it???

wncrjb

 

[JustJason]

Re: Calling all the Experts... I need some help please..

have you double checked to make sure the firing order and the timing is correct??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

start with the simple things first