Few random/specific questions when trading a truck engine for boat engine...

[craze1cars]

Re: Few random/specific questions when trading a truck engine for boat engine...

Just a thought but could you just swap the noses on the starters? I have done this before going from a stick shift to auto on a car, Worth a shot.

LK

I had not considered this. Will check out to see if it may be a possibility. Thanks.

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Few random/specific questions when trading a truck engine for boat engine...

Wow is this a hack job. Finally I got the engine flipped upside down on a stand and got a good eyeball on what's going on here. Clearly someone stripped the original bolt out, then they dried to drill and re-tap it probably with the motor still in the boat. I found several pilot holes drilled in that general area at all different offset angles, and even some CAULK in the holes! Like silicone caulk! Wierd stuff...

At least I now have an answer of why this is the way it is....the block certainly was not built this way by Volvo or GM!! Someone created this mess. We'll see if I can fix it.

Anyway, swapping starter noses is not an option....two very different starters. So I've started to move forward with my plan of epoxying in a couple set screws to guide my drill bit, and hopefully later this week I can drill and tap them and keep the hole square and properly located. I may buy a slightly shorter mounting bolt so I don't have to drill and tap too deep in to this block. It will be interesting...

And if I can't save this block, I can't save this block. Not the end of the world. I can always part this truck out as-is or source another used motor from somewhere to drop in it. But I'm gonna try my best to save it first.

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: Few random/specific questions when trading a truck engine for boat engine...

If you have the engine out -Could you have someone that knows what they are doing weld it up & start over?

Just thinking out loud here - Maybe post some pictures and we can try & help.

LK

 

[craze1cars]

Re: Few random/specific questions when trading a truck engine for boat engine...

Ok...Just to bring closure to this thread...

I'm abandoning this block.

Things really have gone beyond the starter bolt hole problem. I discovered that the SECOND starter bolt hole is about 50% cracked off...the outer one. And there are some small freeze cracks/bulges as well...It is obvious I replaced this boat engine for good reason!! (I purchased this boat from a pawn shop for a song 3 years ago....because they were honest enough to advise me that they knew there were "engine issues" including freeze damage...so this replacement has always been in my budget/back of my mind anyway. When I bought it home from the pawn shop I found a bad fuel pump connection and thought that was it because it ran great, had perfect compression, and never mixed water/oil internally, but 3 years and 150+ hours later with motor now out of the rig, I can see things indeed were substantailly worse than I realized. At least I did get 3 more reliable years out of this bad motor before deciding to move forward with this swap!).

It's time to quit messin' with retrofitting this broken 305 to the truck. I've sourced a proper used high-mileage 5.7L Vortec from another wrecked 1999 van for only $350, I've heard it run and it's quiet and smoke free. I will install this weekend so I can return this truck to it's correct state, and complete my plan of selling this donor truck and move on with my life...

And this 305 block will then be recycled for scrap.

Thanks once again to all for the tips and hints! The boat is now absolutely perfect and has a brand spankin' new engine, performing like never before. And all done just in time to winterize!!