Four Winns Liberator OMC 454 to Merc 350 Swap

[krisnowicki]

I am doing the OMC to Merc swap much like the one done by HT32BSX115. The boat is a 1992 Liberator with a 454 originally in and King Cobra outdrive. ( the daddy king cobra) I bought a donor boat a Formula 26' ( the front was wreck but the power was good.) I chain sawed the transom so I have everything that was used on this boat to move to the liberator. I have a new longblock that I will swap everything from the donor to. I also got a merc shifter and trim pump. I will post updates to this thread but will use seprerate threads to ask questions about the gotchas I encounter to try and keep it short as I know Don S hates long run on threads and his help is and has been invaluable.

This is the album where all the photos will be stored
http://picasaweb.google.com/krisnowicki/NewFolder#

This is the boat...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...ageName=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123#ht_1533wt_1165

What I have done so far.
Removed the Cobra outdrive and sold it
Stirpped the new transom down to the barebones
painted all the transom parts Alpha one gen 1
I am going to replace the hose, elbows, shift cable, gimble bearing and change the lube and pump and housing in the drive. Also, put on new anaodic bolts and transom gasket when I reasemble.

The engine is a new longblock that is on a stand it gets new manis and risers, starter and oil and fuel pump. Is there anything else you would replace right now? everything else works fine. couple of q's for this thread

Oil pump did not come with the piece that connects the shaft and pump , did the hammer and wrench trick to get the pick up and the pump together and it is setup just like the old engines was. Can you reuse the guide between the pump and shaft and if not you think napa would sell this?

Is there any way to tell if a coupler is and will be good? This one looks great but I dont know how to tell.

The windage plate, two of the bolts that we on the old engine are not on this so the last two holes on the windage plate will go unfilled is this a problem?

I have two carbs a holley 4160 that is on the 454 and a q jet that is on the 350 If I use the holley I will need a new intake because it is not spread bore but, would I need to rejet the 4160 if i swap from a 454 to a 350?

Thanks thats all for now.

Kris

 

[coastalcruiser]

Re: Four Winns Liberator OMC 454 to Merc 350 Swap

Hey krisnowicki
some info on the hub, if the hub is toast you wont see flat spots between the grooves they will be pointed.

http://www.mercstuff.com/spunprop.htm

 

[gbeltran]

Re: Four Winns Liberator OMC 454 to Merc 350 Swap

Napa should sell that piece, I wouldn't reuse the old one. How many bolts hold the windage tray? If not supported it is possible to have one crack from the vibration if it's just flopping around on one end. Where it's unsupported smack it with your hand if it vibrates like a tuning fork it will need those other bolts. Yes the carburetor will probably require a rejet. I'd run it with the parts that were on it that you know worked together before changing anything, that way your not chasing down little problems while your getting it going.

 

[gbeltran]

Re: Four Winns Liberator OMC 454 to Merc 350 Swap

I just looked at your pics. Can you get the bolts for the tray off the old engine? If not Chevrolet also makes a shorter tray that doesn't use those front bolts. They aren't expensive maybe 35 bucks or so. I would think a machine shop might have some of those main bolts that mount the tray laying around if they do a lot of engines.

 

[old bird]

Re: Four Winns Liberator OMC 454 to Merc 350 Swap

What year and model Formula 26

 

[krisnowicki]

Re: Four Winns Liberator OMC 454 to Merc 350 Swap

engine and drive were a 90 I think and alpha one gen one 350 mag