Jim Marshall
Petty Officer 2nd Class
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2007
- Messages
- 172
Hello out there:
I want to find out more about Ford engines, specifically for my boat. It is a 1974 Glastron that I am rebuilding. I had it in storage, I usually store it well, fogging it, draining the block, etc. But I sat for 12 years when we moved in to town from living on a lake.
I pulled it out of storage to find that two freeze plugs had popped out. I pulled the engine out and looked at it. You can't feel a ridge at the top of the cylinders. It only has a few hundred hours on it.
Wanting more performance (and getting the cart ahead of the horse) I picked up a 90's brand new long block Explorer engine that supposedly has the GT-40heads. Oops, some things have changed, like the flywheel. So I thought I needed some clarification on my decision.
THE EXPLORER
I have the Explorer sitting in a crate, brand new 5.0. I picked it up from a marine dealer. I guess boats lag behind. It has an EFI manifold on it. I planned to convert the boat to EFI and rounded up most of the parts but it looks like quite a project.
I guess I don't know exactly what the Explorer has that the standard doesn't in horsepower, balance, rpm range, etc. So now I am looking at several ways to go.
THE OLD 302
This engine has had hardly any use, comparatively, just quite a few years on it. We lived on a lake and it was run a little each year, then fogged and stored in the winter. All the bearings are probably okay. I soaked the pistons in the holes in Kroil for several months, just to make sure everything was lubricated. Perhaps it would be good to scuff the cylinders and put in new rings at minimum.
Valves, who knows. Everything looks very clean since the oil was changed very often.
I could put it together with a new set of gaskets, but it is quite a bit of work to pull out again.
SUMMARY
Age of the engine, technology, and other figures come into this. I went to the boat place and apparently the new boats predominately are still running carburetors. EFI costs a few thousand more.
Finally, I have been told yes and no that there is a difference in marine and automotive engines. One guy says different alloys, components, etc. One even told me an auto engine would run a few hundred hours in a boat, whereas a boat engine should run 3000.
You guys can surely tell me a lot more about engine developments and what I have in the two engines.
Thanks,
Jim Marshall
I want to find out more about Ford engines, specifically for my boat. It is a 1974 Glastron that I am rebuilding. I had it in storage, I usually store it well, fogging it, draining the block, etc. But I sat for 12 years when we moved in to town from living on a lake.
I pulled it out of storage to find that two freeze plugs had popped out. I pulled the engine out and looked at it. You can't feel a ridge at the top of the cylinders. It only has a few hundred hours on it.
Wanting more performance (and getting the cart ahead of the horse) I picked up a 90's brand new long block Explorer engine that supposedly has the GT-40heads. Oops, some things have changed, like the flywheel. So I thought I needed some clarification on my decision.
THE EXPLORER
I have the Explorer sitting in a crate, brand new 5.0. I picked it up from a marine dealer. I guess boats lag behind. It has an EFI manifold on it. I planned to convert the boat to EFI and rounded up most of the parts but it looks like quite a project.
I guess I don't know exactly what the Explorer has that the standard doesn't in horsepower, balance, rpm range, etc. So now I am looking at several ways to go.
THE OLD 302
This engine has had hardly any use, comparatively, just quite a few years on it. We lived on a lake and it was run a little each year, then fogged and stored in the winter. All the bearings are probably okay. I soaked the pistons in the holes in Kroil for several months, just to make sure everything was lubricated. Perhaps it would be good to scuff the cylinders and put in new rings at minimum.
Valves, who knows. Everything looks very clean since the oil was changed very often.
I could put it together with a new set of gaskets, but it is quite a bit of work to pull out again.
SUMMARY
Age of the engine, technology, and other figures come into this. I went to the boat place and apparently the new boats predominately are still running carburetors. EFI costs a few thousand more.
Finally, I have been told yes and no that there is a difference in marine and automotive engines. One guy says different alloys, components, etc. One even told me an auto engine would run a few hundred hours in a boat, whereas a boat engine should run 3000.
You guys can surely tell me a lot more about engine developments and what I have in the two engines.
Thanks,
Jim Marshall
