Re: Mercruiser 4 cylinder 470. 1983
BBQ,<br /><br />There has been a great deal of discussion about this engine here, as of late. Do a search using: "470", "Merc 470".<br /><br />Basically, the engine is 1/2 of a Ford 460 cid. engine. Cast iron head, aluminum block. The head is stock 460 along with the pistons, rods.<br /><br />The engine has a great deal of torque and is light for its hp. class.<br /><br />The major issues with it were:<br /><br />1. Charging system. This can be remedied with an aftermarket charging kit-$500.00. It may already have it.<br /><br />2. Closed cooling system. Normally, this is a good thing, however some suffered from a smallish heat exchanger. This may or may not be an issue with the one you are looking at. If it has gone this far, tendency is it's OK. Also, outdrive impeller maintenance is critical.<br /><br />3. They tended to be a little rough running when cold.<br /><br />This set up can be made into a 185 with a 4-bbl. manifold and carb setup.
As noted above they do have some issues and probably need watching a little closer than some others. That said...they have good torque, excellent hp. to weight ratio, and are very fuel efficient. I would not refuse to own one, but would want to buy the boat right.
