personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

[imported_wallup]

Good afternoon all, I have a 1990 Chaparral Villian II Eliminator with a 5.7 merc 350. Last summer I ran with no oil for one day and defintly broke something.

I have 3k into the boat and it ran like a champ for two years.

My alternator and starter are new.

Am I better off buying a new long block or trying to have my engine remanufactured?

I'm planning on purchasing new manifolds, intake and pulleys.

What comes with the long block?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

I would recommend a complete drop in if you want to afford it. Here is an example of a complete drop in engine

 

[Fishermark]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

A long block comes with the basic internals (crank, rods, pistons, cam, etc) and heads. You supply the sheet metal parts usually. (Oil pan, etc) Sometimes the pan comes with the block. If your engine is in good shape otherwise - meaning all the rest of the stuff, and you are mechanically inclined, it would be cheapest to buy a long block for a Chevy truck of the same year as your current engine and simply transfer the stuff from your existing engine. You would need to replace the freeze plugs with brass ones, and you're good to go!

If most things are shot on your engine, then a complete drop in from Mercruiser is also an option (that's called a Bobtail engine - or at least I think it's called that! 8))

 

[Fishermark]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

I was wrong about the sheet metal - apparently the long block does come with oil pan and valve covers. Here is a long block for your application:

That costs $1,699 at Scoggin-Dickey Chevrolet.
http://www.sdpc2000.com/catalog/123/products/100/1987-95-Chevrolet-GMC-C-K-G-R-U-L0557K.htm

 

[Bondo]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

Ayuh,..........

The Same motor can be bought from your Local Chevy Dealer,.....
And,......
It Should be the Same Price..........

 

[imported_wallup]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

Doesn't look like to many advocates for a rebuild.

Should I try to obtain a marine long block?

Are they more expensize?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

You're right to want to keep things "marine" - to a point. All the externals will be "marine" - and can be transferred from your current engine. There really isn't a "marine" long block. The camshaft is essentially identical to a truck cam and all the other internal stuff is the same - car - truck - or boat.

Whether or not it is worth it to rebuild what you have now depends upon a lot of things. What's broken inside? How much machining needs to be done? What internal parts need replaced? How solid is the block? Salt water or fresh water? Those are questions we can't answer.

 

[Capt Ken]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

And when you install that automotive engine in your boat, any warranty you may have had will go out the window. Mercruiser sells a reman engine especially for your application and if it goes south, they will warranty the parts and labor. I'm replacing one out for a customer now that I installed last spring. Sure is nice to have someone else paying the bill when a job goes sour.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

Mercruiser sells a reman engine especially for your application and if it goes south, they will warranty the parts and labor. I'm replacing one out for a customer now that I installed last spring.

Why would anyone want to give Merc money for a Reman and a warrenty? New GM longblock with no warrenty (gee, 5.7's been around how long now?) is NEW, so I would take a chance on NEW, at probably 1/2 the price too....just my 2 cents

 

[Buttanic]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

Mercruiser sells a reman engine especially for your application and if it goes south, they will warranty the parts and labor. I'm replacing one out for a customer now that I installed last spring.

Why would anyone want to give Merc money for a Reman and a warrenty? New GM longblock with no warrenty (gee, 5.7's been around how long now?) is NEW, so I would take a chance on NEW, at probably 1/2 the price too....just my 2 cents

I agree, besides how long is the Merc warrenty and how much of Merc's warrenty costs are hidden in the cost of the remanufactured engine

 

[muc]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

I have never worked on car/truck engines. Do they have windage trays like the Volvo , Mercruiser and Crusader engines I have torn down?

 

[imported_wallup]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

I appreciate the input from all of you, I am looking forward to being back on the water.

I have heard from others that car/truck engines are not maunufatured for the continual high RPM's that a boat motor is built for. Is this a myth?

If I do use a truck motor is there anything else I will need to do to it besides changing the plugs to brass?

 

[Fishermark]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

If I do use a '90 truck motor is there anything else I will need to do to it besides changing the plugs to brass?

Nope... Other than all the externals mentioned above.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

you will need to swap over the windage trays and oil splash deflectors most likly, and this to most likly will void any GM warrenty as you have to swap some main bearing cap studs.
the windage trays and deflectors help keep the crankshaft from whipping the oil into foam, foaming oil will create low pressure issues.
Jasper,mercruiser and a few other places sell reman long blocks s does GM´s marine division.
I rebuild them all the time if they are not saltwater cooled, biggest issue is finding a competent machine shop to rebuild the rods,bore the block,replace the cam bearings and turn the crank correctly and do a decent valve job and correctly press new pistons onto the rods.
if you can find a shop to do that then your home free as after that its mostly clean it till ya think its clean then wash it all once more and assemble as per the service manual.
thats why most folks quit building motors, the old time machinists are falling rapidly.
nothing like getting it all cleaned and everything laid out for assy only to find 4 of 8 rods are on backwards or 2 of 8 bores are not the correct size or the cam bearings have aves in them from improper installation. worst I got was the cam bearing oil holes were not aligned with the pasage in the block, caught that one before assy .
running out of oil most likly damaged at least one rod and the crankshaft. most likly took out the cam and lifters with it.

mercrusier gives a 12 month warrenty valid world wide at any mercruiser dealer, jasper is 15 month(i think) and is valid at any jasper sales outlet.

pay your moneys and take your chances.

 

[imported_wallup]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

you will need to swap over the windage trays and oil splash deflectors most likly, and this to most likly will void any GM warrenty

If I buy a marine long block is all of this taken care of?

Do the lifters come with the long block as well?

Bare with me I've never purchased a straight motor before.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

Here is a great article about Mercruiser Marine engine avaliability.

Mercury Marine

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

I went the Jasper Marine long block rout two summers ago and couldn't be happier.

 

[elpaso]

Re: personal opinions on 5.7 merc repower

This site has long blocks - rebuilds - and a
new 5.7 Vortec Base engine for $3400
I have bought 10-12 new base engines over
the last 10 years - never had a problem
And they are great help on the phone

basicpower.com