HEI Distributor in a boat ??

[windsors03cobra]

Well after really being let down on marine vs. auto block differences on my Chev 250 I decided I was just going to have to cobble a car motor into my boat to replace the cracked block. I put out a catcall on craigslist last night for an auto application Chevy 250.

I checked my email today and found a guy a town over wanting to sell me a "low mile running 250 complete from carb to oil pan from a 74 Nova that he put a V8 into" for $100. :redface:
I was pretty pleased to be offered a "good motor" so cheap but I was still worried about having to cobble the MerCruiser front motor mount onto the front of the car motor.
He had the motor on a engine stand and I was dumbfounded and overjoyed when I saw the front starboard side MerCruiser motor mount ear hanging off the timing cover. UNBELIEVABLE.
I gave him the $100, we loaded it up and I went home happy as a clam.
When I got home I scrapped the grease off the port side front motor mount pad to find the 2 holes fully of grease, dunno if they are tapped out but if so I am sure the grease has preserved them.

I'm so glad, I'm so glad
I'm glad, I'm glad, I'm glad

It came with an HEI dizzy and I was wondering if I could use this to replace me point type marine dist. ?
I think I'll put my water pump, marine cam, timing cover, oil pan and head and other misc. marine bits onto the Nova bottom end, probably do a DUPONT OVERHAUL as well since the Nova block is corporate blue.

Rare as hens teeth starboard side MerCruiser front motor mount, A.K.A. Chevy Nova grounding point.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

I rebuilt 2 nova l6's.

There is more to a marine dizzy. I would put the point system in but thats just me.

Yep the crank and cam gotta be traded out the power curve will kill that car crank.

Yep change over all the tin and manifold and riser is still good from the other motor, some will tell you a new motor new manifold and riser, up to you.

You need brass core plugs, marine water pump, and marine gasket kit.

Good find and please follow all the torque values or you will be sorry.

Chase the hole for the front mount i actually like to chase all the bolt threads it's old iron and i hope all goes well for you.

Maybe do a compression check for the base before you start the rebuild and if you keep every bearing and holder in the same spot you might not need to change em out. But they must stay in the EXACT SAME PLACE ON THE NEW MOTOR. Not turned around.

Good luck the baby will love the ride when you finally get it on the water.

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Yea I think she will too and I just noticed that the Nova dist. has a vacuum advance so I guess I will use the point dist.

I guess I'm going to reuse my old manifold and riser, it was believed one of those was cracked until I pulled the manifold off and found the block badly cracked. Previous owner didnt winterize I guess.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Yep the crank and cam gotta be traded out the power curve will kill that car crank.

????

 

[chiefalen]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Mark are you suggesting he use the motor straight out of the nova and not change out anything???????????

 

[J JACKSON]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

i would check the crank before swapping it no need to swap if they are both forged steel. all you have to do is look at the casting line on crank and compare the two

 

[chiefalen]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

I was going to save this but a reply was not posted.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=48971&highlight=difference+in+auto+straight+six+marine

If this were a truck motor, then PROBABLY one could get away with using it straight out of the TRUCK.

This a a Nova car and i know that motor did 2, it was 35 + years ago.

Getting tiring every time i post something i get a couple of guys wanting to question every post.

And when i ask for them to clarify they are lost in the wind.

To the original poster you are doing everything right, and taking a few extra steps old school like, you will have a motor that is durable and safe on the water, i too take small children on the water.

Once again good luck ?

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Yea I really want the motor to run good and have the right amount of power, all the accessories on my engine seem to work ok so using them on the car motor should be no problem.
Going to tear them all apart Wednesday.
I'm using my head and rockers and used cam provided it is not wiped out, (should be fine) with that cam I believe I will use my MerCruiser's lifters in order so they rub on the same lobes along with my pushrods and rockers which are also in order.

Surely my marine oil pan is in less rusty shape and maybe boat specific so I will use that along with the MerCruiser timing cover with new seal (tab on opposite side)and the MerCruiser balancer. Oil pick up is probably the same I'm guessing.

Going to reuse my old engine water pump and put a new water pump in the lower drive.
A new fuel pump would probably be a wise investment on a 32 year old boat I am planning on taking on lake Michigan with my wife and child. I gave $500 for the boat for its solid hull and unmolested shape knowing it needed some engine work even after finding a cracked block I am still pretty happy with the whole deal.

I wonder just how rare that front starboard MerCruiser spec. motor mount ear is in a automobile ?

Preciate the help fellas.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Merc motors are built on the same assembly line as all other chevy blocks if it's a chevy motor. Merc also got blocks from ford made on the same assembly lines as ford blocks.

The difference is one block went to merc and was built by merc with marine spec. cams and cranks, etc.

And one block went to the assembly plant as was built for a truck or car, ie: Nova.

The ears were on alot of motors cause it was cheaper just to have them then not.

It was the run at that time and you got the right year run you lucky dog you.

You got a good handle on this.

Good luck again need help just post !

 

[Fishermark]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Mark are you suggesting he use the motor straight out of the nova and not change out anything???????????

No Chief, that's not what I am suggesting. That's why I quoted the part of your response that I am questioning: "the power curve will kill that car crank."

Getting tiring every time i post something i get a couple of guys wanting to question every post.

And when i ask for them to clarify they are lost in the wind.

I have no desire to get in a flame war with you - I will note that from the time you asked the question to me, and the time you fume that people are always questioning your posts and identifying me as "lost in the wind" was a grand total of... 1 hour and 47 minutes. (My math may be a little off - feel free to correct me ).

Look Chief - yes, you do get questioned a lot. Sometimes by me. Sometimes you turn out to be correct, sometimes not - same as me. That's what happens in public forums.

Let's just say I disagree with your assertion that the power curve in a boat engine with destroy a car crank. If you have some evidence of that - great! Share it! I love to learn new things.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Heres one where you say you don't know cams.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1975020#post1975020

This is what you quoted me.
" Yep the crank and cam gotta be traded out the power curve will kill that car crank "

So what was gained posting that? When you say you don't know cams.
You don't know, you don't know !

Seems you like sitting in the wings and then jumping in when you don't know.
You say you don't know, it's not me saying you don't know.

Want more bad posts, that you posted ??

Flame war not my style.
You say i fume at people questioning my posts.

Maybe you should post something that proves what you say, i don't ask you to.

Also i wonder where i mentioned you by name as you seem to with me.

You actually use my name, did i use yours ??

So Fishermark now i'm using your name.
Your smart, intelligent, and as far as i can see,a great mechanical mind.

But my goal is to help this guy achieve a good outcome, with good sound advice.

Where was your good sound advice with that post above ??

But heres is mine, a car cam and crank are not designed to handle the power curve that boats demand,it is like a car going full throttle up a hill all day every day.

A truck motor is different as is a boat motor.

 

[Fishermark]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Wow.

Where do I begin?

Heres one where you say you don't know cams.
http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?p=1975020#post1975020

This is what you quoted me.
" Yep the crank and cam gotta be traded out the power curve will kill that car crank "

Let's back up a minute. The reason I posted my original question - with the "confused" smiley face - was due to the statement you made that said the original poster needed to change his crankshaft. I didn't take the time to actually ask what you meant by that, but I quoted the area of your post that I questioned. When you asked me to explain myself, (which I think is what you were asking me to do), I said my question to you was about the CRANK not being able to stand the power curve. CRANK - not cam.

Also i wonder where i mentioned you by name as you seem to with me.

You actually use my name, did i use yours ??

Well, yeah you did actually.

But my goal is to help this guy achieve a good outcome, with good sound advice.

I actually believe that to be true - that you want to help a guy out. I too want to help - by making sure that information that is given is factually correct. If I point out something that is incorrect - by all means, point it out! I'll even try to not take it personally.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Ok here is what i found real quick and my last post to this thread.

It might be the same motors. And i could be wrong. And i got to run to a Boy Scout meeting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Straight-6_engine

 

[dan t.]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

dont worry about the crank shaft this block has 7 main bearings,the nodular iron crank will take anything that motor will put out. you should change the cam as the marine cam has a different profile. if this motor was out of a truck I would say dont bother. make sure you keep the lifters in order so they go back on the same lobe.THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I would use a point eliminator kit in the dist.
good luck with your swap

 

[windsors03cobra]

Re: HEI Distributor in a boat ??

Yea I was close to buying a junkyard motor out of 84 van which I would have kept the truck cam, junkyard wanted $375+tax+core. And who knows if it would have had that required front mount.
So pleased to have had this thrown my way for $100, a few decent folks on craigslist and my ad was only up for a day.

If I don't do the pertonix now I may do it later, tho I gotta say with some gas sprinkled in the carb and redneck fuel cell hooked to the fuel pump the engine lit right off and ran after sitting the better part of a year, the cracked block MerCruiser with points ignition that is.
The MerCruiser's rocker box was real clean like too the engine probably was a low mile machine, did not even have the brown burned on oil residue anywhere on the valve cover, rockers or cylinder head.
The nova engine has the typical brown sludge residue and a healthy coat of dirt/oil/grease on the outside. Well as long as it holds water and oil pressure.
The Nova engine also has what looks like a 3/8"-24 machine bolt threaded into the oil pressure port, hopefully I can save the 1/8" NPT threads there. I want a real oil pressure gauge in addition to the oil buzzer/light. I plan to T off the oil alarm sender and mount my gauge there.

Also going to service the outdrive while the engine is out, hope to be done with it all by the end of the month.