buddy wants boat fixed

[netting one]

My buddy pulls his boat over my place and says fix it! Its a 1988, 185 v6 mercruiser looks like a chevy motor? what i found is a 4 in chunk of the block laying in the hull! looks like it froze. my guestion is has any one delt with this before, and can i use a car engine? thanks for the help guys

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: buddy wants boat fixed

My buddy pulls his boat over my place and says fix it! Its a 1988, 185 v6 mercruiser looks like a chevy motor? what i found is a 4 in chunk of the block laying in the hull! looks like it froze. my guestion is has any one delt with this before, and can i use a car engine? thanks for the help guys

Yes, this has been dealt with in dozens of threads. Use the search option to read up on them.

Nutshell... A truck engine of a similar year, in good mechanical condition can be used. Core plugs changed to brass, and marine head gaskets should be used, especially if this is going into salt water. A marine cam should be considered for use, but some have gotten by using a stock truck cam. All marine electrical components need to be transferred, or replaced with similar marine electrical components. The intake and exhaust manifolds/risers should also be replaced, as there is a good chance they may have cracked too, either internally or externally.

P.S. It's a Chevy 4.3L

 

[Struc]

Re: buddy wants boat fixed

I have a thread going that covers a lot of the basics.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=520824

 

[netting one]

Re: buddy wants boat fixed

thanks guys, i have taken the motor out and both exhaust manifols cracked and looks like it pushed out some freeze plugs also. thanks again i fill this is the beginning of a night mare!

 

[Struc]

Re: buddy wants boat fixed

Really shouldn't be too much trouble if you can find a good truck engine. I recently picked up two different (one 1992 and one 1997) 4.3l motors for $200 each. One of them I'm going to run in my boat, and the 2nd one I'm going to rebuild.

How much $$$ does he want to stick into it? That will really determine how much of a pain / nightmare it will be.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: buddy wants boat fixed

My buddy pulls his boat over my place and says fix it! Its a 1988, 185 v6 mercruiser looks like a chevy motor? what i found is a 4 in chunk of the block laying in the hull! looks like it froze. my guestion is has any one delt with this before, and can i use a car engine? thanks for the help guys

My advice is to get a new buddy. . .

The other posts have pretty much summarized it. How much money does your buddy have? this could run into some $$$$.

 

[achris]

Re: buddy wants boat fixed

When you go shopping for a new block you'll find there are many variations of the 4.3 block. This link is to a website of a guy who did all the research and has documented all those differences. It will make it easier for you to know what you're looking at...

http://www.hotsixes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=12

Chris........