Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

[PondTunes]

Okay so I don't have a project boat to do this to yet but I do have a leftover hot rod SBC engine from before my daughter was born....

It's a:
1969 Block (4 bolt mains)
.60 over, 0 deck height.
Pink Rods
Forged Pistons
Pete Jackson Gear Drive
Comp 305 Solid Camshaft (305 degrees duration, 445/455 split lift)
351 "x" heads (202/160 Valves, no accessory holes)
Aluminum Roller Rockers
Polished lifter valley
Aluminum Weiand Team G intake manifold
Mallory CD ignition System
750 Double Pumper 4bbl carb
engine has been balanced.


The carb, starter, alternator, water pump, & ignition system all obviously have to go and be replaced with marine grade units, im pretty sure It has brass freeze plugs in it already.

Since this boat I'm talking about doesn't actually exist lets pretend it is a ski/pleasure boat about 18-22' in length that had a bravo outdrive mated to a 350/327 that has thrown a rod and I have all the marine accessories that will have to go on it.

Now the questions:
1) What about the internals? Most of the posts I found were talking about swapping out a car/truck motor into their boat. Not a engine with solid lifters, flat top pistons and a big aggressive camshaft. It also looks like comp has some neat marine designed camshafts designed for ski boats.

2) Is the .60 over bored too much? Do I run a higher overheat risk in a enclosed boat vs a open engine compartment in a car?

3) Would I be better off selling the engine and making a mortgage payment?

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

Okay so I don't have a project boat to do this to yet but I do have a leftover hot rod SBC engine from before my daughter was born....

It's a:
1969 Block (4 bolt mains)
.60 over, 0 deck height.
Pink Rods
Forged Pistons
Pete Jackson Gear Drive
Comp 305 Solid Camshaft (305 degrees duration, 445/455 split lift)
351 "x" heads (202/160 Valves, no accessory holes)
Aluminum Roller Rockers
Polished lifter valley
Aluminum Weiand Team G intake manifold
Mallory CD ignition System
750 Double Pumper 4bbl carb
engine has been balanced.


The carb, starter, alternator, water pump, & ignition system all obviously have to go and be replaced with marine grade units, im pretty sure It has brass freeze plugs in it already.

Since this boat I'm talking about doesn't actually exist lets pretend it is a ski/pleasure boat about 18-22' in length that had a bravo outdrive mated to a 350/327 that has thrown a rod and I have all the marine accessories that will have to go on it.

Now the questions:
1) What about the internals? Most of the posts I found were talking about swapping out a car/truck motor into their boat. Not a engine with solid lifters, flat top pistons and a big aggressive camshaft. It also looks like comp has some neat marine designed camshafts designed for ski boats.

2) Is the .60 over bored too much? Do I run a higher overheat risk in a enclosed boat vs a open engine compartment in a car?

3) Would I be better off selling the engine and making a mortgage payment? :P

Option 3, IMHO...
How can ya have 351 heads on a GM?.....

 

[PondTunes]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

not heads for a ford 351, 351x heads were a high performance iron head that came with larger valves and no accessory bolt holes. So you had to use a low mount alternator brackets / no AC compressor etc.

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

not heads for a ford 351, 351x heads were a high performance iron head that came with larger valves and no accessory bolt holes. So you had to use a low mount alternator brackets / no AC compressor etc.

Ahh, OK......
I still think .60 over is too much for a marine engine......
I'm sure others will have their .02 to add.......

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

sell it - that's a lot of wasted technology to be turning a maximum 4800 rpm in a boat.
i would imagine that engine starts breathing properly above 5000 rpm where it can never turn in a boat. Outdrive's cannot be spun over 5000 rpm.
Plus you would need marine-safe ignition and carb, which it doesn't have.

 

[John_S]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

Another vote for sell it.

 

[Windykid]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

I agree, sell it!

Or get a car with no motor, put it in and sell for more.

 

[PondTunes]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

Guess that pretty much explains why you don't see hotrod motors in boats, would be a shame to put a high winding small block in there and blow the out-drive to bits... Guess i'll clean it up and see if I can find it a nice home!

 

[bekosh]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

sell it - that's a lot of wasted technology to be turning a maximum 4800 rpm in a boat.
i would imagine that engine starts breathing properly above 5000 rpm where it can never turn in a boat. Outdrive's cannot be spun over 5000 rpm.
Plus you would need marine-safe ignition and carb, which it doesn't have.

Don't know about his engine, but most of the Mercruiser MAG engines run at 5200 rpm WOT. and the 600/700SCI's turn 5300.

 

[PondTunes]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

I'll see if i can dig up my cam card when i get home for giggles but im pretty sure the intake manifold / cam combo was set up for 2800-5800 rpm. In an automatic It would require a stall converter but I had a muncie M22 rock-crusher to couple to it....

According to the weiand website the team G single plane intake basic rpm operating range is 3,000-8,200 not that alot of street motors are going to last long at 8,200 rpms

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

Find a squirt boat (jet boat) that needs a engine. The pumps can be modified to turn the higher RPM your engine requires to develop its full HP.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

3) Would I be better off selling the engine and making a mortgage payment?

Ayuh,.......... That motor Don't belong in Any Boat.........

By the time you swap out the Stuff needed for a "Boat" motor,......
It Ain't worth it.......

Sell it,+ Buy a Truck motor to start with...........

 

[My-SS]

Re: Marinizing A Smallblock Chevy Engine (Tinkeritis)

I'd sell the block, but maybe keep the guts.
A '69 date coded 4 bolt main block will bring pretty good money
from some one restoring a '69 muscle car. Check out what the
engine code stamping is and EBAY it.
Block may pay for your boat project motor.

Here is link to a interesting article about a budget build up.
Amazing what can be done to engine for not a lot of money.
This said, I mean if you stop at the point the article says they bought a new motor. 70 mph with a stock short block!

http://rlcpe.com/images/projects/tripple_digits/project_trippledigits.html