Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

[Spivy30]

I found a pretty nice 1985 Sea Ray 185 with a 3.7L 4cyl Ive always heard that the 3.7L were problems so i'm a little leary about the boat. The boat its self is in very good shape nice interior no soft spots in the floor no major scratches or dings in the hull. My question is are 3.7's really that bad? the boat runs good and I am going to be water testing it.Is there anything that i should look for when looking at the boat? I am also looking at a 1985 wellcraft with a 5.0 but its going to need more work and I think its more boat then I need.

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[Bondo]

Re: Found a nice inexpense boat but it has a 3.7L

Re: Found a nice inexpense boat but it has a 3.7L

My question is are 3.7's really that bad?

Yes...

 

[towman818181]

Re: Found a nice inexpense boat but it has a 3.7L

Re: Found a nice inexpense boat but it has a 3.7L

if you dont mind a funky design problem prone not part availabe enginge go ahead otherwise get a tried and true package like the 5.0 even if it needs work you just might be ahead of the game

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Found a nice inexpense boat but it has a 3.7L

Re: Found a nice inexpense boat but it has a 3.7L

It's sort of like when people ask here if they should buy an OMC powered boat because it's such a "good" deal.....

A whole bunch of other people who have them will jump on here and tell you all the reasons they think they're ok and that they have had little problems keeping theirs running etc.....

The fact of the matter is, THEY'RE already stuck with theirs. They're still rationalizing to themselves why they bought it so they tell others to go on ahead and get one.....

(Misery LOVES company)


Just keep looking. In this current economic environment here's many boats out there for sale with non-obsolete engines/drives.


Cheers,

Rick

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

Sounds good thanks for the honesty

 

[gadget73]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

Is the 3.7 that strange 4 cyl engine that uses a single big block head and the 4bbl carb? The one that always sounds like its ready to come apart and vibrates like crazy?

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

Gadget, uh yea also know as the 470 among other things. Almost like trying to hide the identity of a junker.

 

[blue452]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

LOL .. I had no idea about this particular model engine .. but the Glastron I test drove a few weeks ago had the 470 4 cyclinder in it .. 3.7L ... and when I fired her up .. I waved the dealer to put the trailer back in the water and loaded her right back on ... 3 minute test float. Rattled my teeth like I was on a roller coaster.

Now I know why.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

Supposedly if you have the carb tuned right they don't shake so much. At least that's what the guys who have them say. But apprarently I ahve never seen one tuned right, cause all the ones I have seen running shake like pre balance shaft 4.3, with a broken motor mount!

But Spivy, you've gotten the best advice. Don't buy a boat with a 470/3.7, if you don't have to. Sure people have them and they run, but when they start breaking, it's a nightmare fixing them.

 

[artificialreef]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

470, Its a combustion engine. It requires the alternator upgrade, 4 inch riser upgrade, and keep an eye on the water pump drain weep hole. When that goes install a speedy sleeve. Plenty of manufacturers mounted an aluminum head to a cast iron block. Just dont run it hot and it will be fine.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

Plenty of manufacturers mounted an aluminum head to a cast iron block. Just dont run it hot and it will be fine.

True, many did that. But not too many put an iron head on an aluminum block, which is what Mercruier did with the 470. And that's great to say don't get it hot, but it's hard to do in real life. Since overheats can be caused by low coolant, bad impeller in outdrive, clogged exhaust manifolds, they are "quite common". But it seems that if you get one of these 470s hot just once, you are screwed. Where you can get a 3.0, 4.3, 5.0, 5.7 hot and really not hurt anything.

 

[mylesm260]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

A boat for sale with the 3.7 is like the inside of a burning building.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

Caddy put iron heads on an aluminum block in the mid 80's and early 90's and that motor was wrong from the factory.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Found a nice inexpensive boat but it has a 3.7L

I like mine, but it is probably best to head the advice here and stay away. If it shakes at idle, I would bet on a weak #3 or 4 cylinder due to a leaking head gasket, not good!