Looking at a motor - I need input

[Scott06]

Easiest swap if you had 3.7 originally is. 4.3 as the drive ratio is the same

Would recommend you try and find a donor boat that if it doesn't have a working engine has all the dressings to swap over like the alternator, ps pump, engine mounts , water pump, intake, wiring harness, and ignition and fuel systems.

Generally a truck engine can work but none of the accessories above will swap over. You need a manual transmission flywheel to work with a Merc coupler

Buying the engine first then coming back and getting all these pieces will cost a fortune, unless you find a roached boat with all these parts on it

 

[saltydogjeff]

Thanks for the input Scott06 . That's exactly what I am looking at... a fortune for parts. ECM - $500 (low), Exhaust headers - $500, Exhaust y-pipe - $300, and then everything else like alternator, starter, ps pump, ps oil cooler, coolant hx, wiring harness.... the list goes on without even talking about what I want to do the engine.

I've thought about the donor too... and I am trying to tie in my current motor that is in the boat. It's a great motor, but it needs work. The #4 cylinder on the engine is no good with like a 45% blowdown test result... while the others were in the 80-85%. That on top of the coolant/oil leak that is MIA - like I don't know where to find it MIA - but have been told by a good friend who happens to run one of these and it is the exhaust header with a crack leaking back in, which is a common issue.

​But yeah, talking about it makes me think I got my game backwards for the winter, I need to pull the 3.7L and work on that motor over the winter, and put IT in when seasons turn. This 350 will have to sit on the shelf before I do any real investing... What do you think?

GA_Boater ​ - I was kind of referring to this topic...

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...can-mercruiser-ecm-be-reprogrammed-or-updated

​Where that further goes onto michaelstractors.com website that has a dude that performed a bunch of research.... but I haven't really read into it yet.

 

[GA_Boater]

GA_Boater[/USER] ​ - I was kind of referring to this topic...

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...can-mercruiser-ecm-be-reprogrammed-or-updated

​Where that further goes onto michaelstractors.com website that has a dude that performed a bunch of research.... but I haven't really read into it yet.

All of that is about reflashing a marine ECU - Not quite the same. I'm not sure he ever finished.

 

[Scott06]

Maybe you've looked into this already, but given the age of the boat have you inspected the floor, stringer, and transom for rot yet?IMO make sure these are sold befor buying any engine parts.

If you want to do the V8 conversion look for something like this to get it done
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Only-69-Hou...ash=item1a201d4c47:g:55wAAOSwux5YLkYe&vxp=mtr

Soup to nuts complete can bolt all in and go. No injection to mess with. Doesn't have to be this exact one just similar package. Of course this is $3500 drive, transom, and engine which is a lot for a free boat...

 

[saltydogjeff]

Yeah, that's a good buy.... I have to figure out a way to get this 470 out and that will give me a chance to get down to check out the stringers which has definitely been on my mind.