Junk Yard Engine Question

[cantaris]

Some one told me that if you get an engine from the junkyard to use in a boat that you have to put marine cams in it. Is this true or a myth? I talked to another person who said they had owned 16-17 boats and always used junkyard engines without changing cams and never had a lick of trouble. Thanks for info.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Junk Yard Engine Question

Is this true or a myth?

Ayuh,.... I suggest a Search....

 

[WizeOne]

Re: Junk Yard Engine Question

Some one told me that if you get an engine from the junkyard to use in a boat that you have to put marine cams in it. Is this true or a myth? I talked to another person who said they had owned 16-17 boats and always used junkyard engines without changing cams and never had a lick of trouble. Thanks for info.

Many passenger car cams would not be ideally suited for marine use. The closest road vehicle crossover would be a truck motor. Their cams are closely related to marine specs, ie, low to midrange power with acceptable lobe seperation.

Other considerations would be freeze plugs. Road vehicles all used steel. Marine needs brass. Even sweetwater use will eventually erode the steel plugs. Same for the head gaskets. Marine uses stainless to withstand the rigors of non coolant use.

In salt water use, these last two items would mean short term death.

 

[Surfdancer]

Re: Junk Yard Engine Question

I suppose it depends on the particular engine from the junkyard, and the engine spec for the boat.

I put in a junkyard engine in my old John Allmand Ticonderoga; it was a Ford 302 with a truck/RV cam. The engine ran fine, pushed that old heavy 23' flybridge boat at 32 cruise, 38 max. I ran a 17" pitch prop and got nearly 3 mpg in calm seas / 2 in rough seas fully loaded (100 gals fuel, ice, gear, food, etc). I got over 1000 hours out of that junkyard motor before fuel prices soared and I sold her.

Would I do it again? Yep - Just did with an 18' Starcraft. Same engine and drive - she purrs at idle and hauls butt when I put the hammer down. She's still breaking in, so I don't have a good idea what the fuel burn rate will be yet.

Like anything, it depends on what you get. I looked for an early 70's block and checked it out very carefully with a borescope before dismantling it from the truck at the boneyard.