6.2 MPI Closed cooling onto 350 based engine

[AussieB]

Hi Guys,

I have a 383 chevy in my 75 CC Lancer. I'm looking to install a closed cooling system on it and aftermarket is quite expensive, nearly as much as I paid for the whole boat.

Engine has v belts and at this stage no power steering though I may add that in the future.

A guy local to me has the complete setup from a 2000 6.2 MPI Mercruiser. From my reading it seems the 6.2 is a 5.7 based block? If that is the case I assume that the thermostat housing from it will fit my engine?

I'm aware of the worries about built up scale etc. This boat was only run in fresh water and supposedly not many hours.

My intake manifold is an Edelbrock Victor JR.

Thanks.

 

[Scott Danforth]

You will have to flush your block for sediment

 

[Bondo]

From my reading it seems the 6.2 is a 5.7 based block?

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard,..... This is correct, Externally they're the same,....

 

[AussieB]

Thanks for the confirmation and welcome!

I'm not worried about sediment but will check the heat exchanger after some hours. Got the boat from a deceased estate and it hadn't been winterized. One of the freeze plugs popped out luckily and it appears the engine was not damaged, at
least from the time I have run it in the driveway. I flushed the engine for quite some time and the water came out really clean. Even managed to flush some of the casting sand out. Its a low hour engine and it was about 3hrs from the coast out in Amish country. Big freshwater lakes/rivers.

Unfortunately both exhaust manifolds have hairline cracks so am replacing them. Those and the risers look newish and hardly any rust inside.

I have a Volvo penta raw water pump driven off the block. It sits to the bottom left of the crank pulley. I may have to get a little creative with the hose routing from that as imagine the standard Mercruiser pump is not in the same position?

I will start a thread in the restoration forum as I have more questions which aren't directly related to this subject.

 

[Bondo]

I'm not worried about sediment but will check the heat exchanger after some hours.

Ayuh,..... The raw water side is cleanable, the coolant side is sealed,.... No cleanin',....

 

[Maclin]

Aussie, are you saying the the engine in there now is a Volvo Penta? There may be some creative plumbing needed beyond just the pump. Seems Volvo and Merc had different ideas on the rest of it too.

 

[AussieB]

Aussie, are you saying the the engine in there now is a Volvo Penta? There may be some creative plumbing needed beyond just the pump. Seems Volvo and Merc had different ideas on the rest of it too.

No it has a 383 chevy (350 block).

The raw water pump is a Volvo/Penta. The outdrive is covered in paint and I haven't been able to get any numbers off it. But from my research the Lancers came with VP 270/280 outdrives.

 

[AussieB]

Ayuh,..... The raw water side is cleanable, the coolant side is sealed,.... No cleanin',....

Bondo,

My reply was in regard to ScottD's reply about flushing the block for sediment.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks for the confirmation and welcome!

I'm not worried about sediment but will check the heat exchanger after some hours. t.

you gotta clean your block before you put the heat exchanger on. only way to clean the shell side of a heat exchanger is to throw it away and buy another.

flush the dang block.

I helped design the heat exchanger on the 6.2

 

[Scott Danforth]

Aussie, are you saying the the engine in there now is a Volvo Penta? There may be some creative plumbing needed beyond just the pump. Seems Volvo and Merc had different ideas on the rest of it too.

exactly,

you can do it, you just have to make custom brackets to fit the volvo accessories

 

[AussieB]

you gotta clean your block before you put the heat exchanger on. only way to clean the shell side of a heat exchanger is to throw it away and buy another.

flush the dang block.

I helped design the heat exchanger on the 6.2

Did you read where I stated I had flushed the block?

And that the only thing to come out was some casting sand?

None of the hoses had any signs of scale or rust. I may install a hose filter which I have used before when putting a new radiator on an older engine but to be honest I have never seen such a clean cooling system on an old school v8. The water pump is also clean as.

I appreciate your input but my original question was in regards to the fitment of the system to my 383. I am new to chevy engines as am a Ford guy.

The only Volvo accessory is the raw water pump. It already has a bracket and is mated to the engine. I assume that I will have to change a hose/adapt it to suit.

 

[Maclin]

Aussie, I meant is the engine in Volvo Penta dress, as in thermostat housing, exhaust manifolds, etc. I was pretty sure you had a GM engine. You may have to do some creative plumbing between the thermostat housing and manifolds is what I am thinking. Maybe not on the year you have, later years VP added some components in the exhaust, plumbing looked a lot different. May need different riser gaskets, blockoff plates, just wondering out loud here. What all is included with what the local guy has for sale?

 

[AussieB]

Aussie, I meant is the engine in Volvo Penta dress, as in thermostat housing, exhaust manifolds, etc. I was pretty sure you had a GM engine. You may have to do some creative plumbing between the thermostat housing and manifolds is what I am thinking. Maybe not on the year you have, later years VP added some components in the exhaust, plumbing looked a lot different. May need different riser gaskets, blockoff plates, just wondering out loud here. What all is included with what the local guy has for sale?

The exhaust manifolds and risers on it have the water ports in the same position as the water ports on a Merc 260 hp that I have.
Other than different riser heights and perhaps some slight external differences I figured they would all have the water ports in the same or similar position?

I will be using the thermostat housing from the 6.2 and I do need to purchase new manifolds.

It is the whole setup and I hope to be the one who removes it so it will ease installation. I figured on buying new block off plates/gaskets but if the owner let's me I will remove the risers to take them/see their condition.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Did you read where I stated I had flushed the block?

And that the only thing to come out was some casting sand?

None of the hoses had any signs of scale or rust. I may install a hose filter which I have used before when putting a new radiator on an older engine but to be honest I have never seen such a clean cooling system on an old school v8. The water pump is also clean as.

I appreciate your input but my original question was in regards to the fitment of the system to my 383. I am new to chevy engines as am a Ford guy.

The only Volvo accessory is the raw water pump. It already has a bracket and is mated to the engine. I assume that I will have to change a hose/adapt it to suit.

if you had casting sand come out, that would be a miracle as the foundry removes casting sand. then the block machining operation and subsequent washing would have removed any other contaminants.

you had the sand that is picked up from normal use from the raw water pump.

did you pull the plugs and flush each side with a small hose? normally I can get about a pound of sand and rocks from each side of a SBC. I use 1/4" nylon tubing to flush back thru the drain plugs. it allows me to get the stuff in the corners.

as for the other accessories. the mercruiser bracket bolts across the front of the engine. you may need to make a new bracket because of the location of the VP power steering pump.

 

[AussieB]

if you had casting sand come out, that would be a miracle as the foundry removes casting sand. then the block machining operation and subsequent washing would have removed any other contaminants.

you had the sand that is picked up from normal use from the raw water pump.

did you pull the plugs and flush each side with a small hose? normally I can get about a pound of sand and rocks from each side of a SBC. I use 1/4" nylon tubing to flush back thru the drain plugs. it allows me to get the stuff in the corners.

as for the other accessories. the mercruiser bracket bolts across the front of the engine. you may need to make a new bracket because of the location of the VP power steering pump.

Well it could be a miracle but seeing as I have flushed sand out of 2 390 fe blocks from cars I figured that's what it was. There are also many instances online of people finding the same in their blocks.

But it makes sense that it could also have been picked up by the raw water pump. If so is there a need to remove freeze plugs after a set amount of years and flush the engine to remove built up sand?

What "plugs" are you referring to?

I don't have power steering but have provision for it on my alternator bracket. The alternator bracket is Mercruiser off a 1983 260 hp.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the block plugs at the bottom of the water jacket. 1/4" NPT.

go to Lowes or Home Depot or Menards and get some 1/4" nylon tubing and the adapter they have to mate to a garden hose. make a small flexible wand about 3' in length and feed into the drain plugs. you will be amazed at the rocks and sand that come out.

knocking out the core plugs would work, however would require standing on your head to get new ones in.