Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

[ashleygoodin]

Hello all-

Over the winter I have managed to gather some parts and major pieces for my Chaparral Sunesta 220 refurb. The main piece of the refurb is going to be changing out the motor. I have the Volvo SX outdrive, gimbal housing, cylinders, etc. I even have the seized Volvo 305 block. I have also acquired a newer Mercruiser 350, completely dressed, at a really good price. Who has any experience in mating the two and any helpful hints you could share?

I have both bell housings, couplers, risers, etc. and I know that I pretty much have to swap the rear end of the motor to make it Volvo compatible. I also know that I have to mount the raw water from the Volvo onto the Merc.

The water pump is my first question. I am going from a multi-v drive to a serpentine belt motor. Can I swap the pulley or am I looking at a whole new pump to make it work?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

I even have the seized Volvo 305 block.

Ayuh,..... Save yerself a Ton of Greif, 'n strip the new motor back to the Long Block configuration, 'n redress it as the Volvo, with ALL the Volvo components....

Sell the Merc components to help defray the costs...

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Ayuh,..... Save yerself a Ton of Greif, 'n strip the new motor back to the Long Block configuration, 'n redress it as the Volvo, with ALL the Volvo components....

Sell the Merc components to help defray the costs...

I agree 100% in general.

Knowing things like years of your old engine and year of the new would sure help. Could be a few gotcha's if your not aware of them.

 

[ashleygoodin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Part of my issue is that some of the "minor" accessories such as the power steering pump are in much better shape on the Merc. Let me do a little more investigating on the new motor. It is a recent Jasper marine block with the Thunderbolt 5 ignition, single barrel carb. The Volvo is a 97 block that was not original to the '95 hull. Both blocks are Chevy with four bolt center valve covers.

 

[ashleygoodin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

I guess the other advantage to stopping back to the long block and building back from there would be that I wouldn't have to fuss with the ignition and the shift interrupt from the Merc.

 

[Don S]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Keep in mind when you go to sell this boat so you can get a bigger boat. You don't want it to look like a junk yard dog. Would you buy a Chevy truck if you opened the hood and found a Ford engine in it? Just because that's all the seller could find cheap????????

If you upgrade the long block, and keep the Volvo accessories, it's the same thing as having a Volvo engine. The next owner would go crazy trying to find a manual to fix his Volvo Thunderbolt V ignition, since the TB5 was a Merc design and only used by Mercruiser.

 

[ashleygoodin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Don, that is a very good point. I guess that it is also a reminder of how much boating really costs. The whole purpose of this refurb/rebuild is to get me and and my family from a 17' bowrider into a 23' deck boat...but on a limited budget. I am trying to find the balance between getting the best performing boat possible, plan ahead to keep from having too many issues in the future, and get in the water this season. I am not really thinking of the resale, only the upkeep and maintenance for me over the next eight to ten years. I have to admit that I have always been a junkyard wars type of guy and I built my woodworking business by starting with equipment I rebuilt myself, so this type of project is familiar territory.

I have both motors out under the shed. I just need to start stripping and pulling and see what happens.

I think that the disadvantages of mixing are pretty evident. Is there a "best of both worlds" scenario by mixing the mercruiser ignition components and the Volvo drive components?

And back to my original question, can you change from the v-belt to a serpentine pulley on the raw water pump?

 

[ashleygoodin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Well, after a month or so of tinkering, finding the right water pump, a new starter, and a great boat mechani who has been very patient and thorough in working through the process and seeing the motor for what it is, a motor, regardless of what nameplate it wears, I should be ready to hit the water at the end of next week. Project total- $950 for the hull, outdrive, and bad motor, $1500 for an all- aluminum trailer, $1200 for the fully dressed mercruiser, $1950 for a brand new interior all the way around, $700 for mechanic's labor, $300 for parts, and -$490 for parts sold/scrapped in the process, I have a 22' deck boat for a little over $6,000 that we will enjoy for years to come!

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

now we need pics......

sounds like you will be enjoying it all summer.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Well, after a month or so of tinkering, finding the right water pump, a new starter, and a great boat mechani who has been very patient and thorough in working through the process and seeing the motor for what it is, a motor, regardless of what nameplate it wears, I should be ready to hit the water at the end of next week. Project total- $950 for the hull, outdrive, and bad motor, $1500 for an all- aluminum trailer, $1200 for the fully dressed mercruiser, $1950 for a brand new interior all the way around, $700 for mechanic's labor, $300 for parts, and -$490 for parts sold/scrapped in the process, I have a 22' deck boat for a little over $6,000 that we will enjoy for years to come!

Ayuh,.... Glad to hear it,... What did the motor end up with for components,..?? Merc, or Volvo,..??

I 2nd the Pics,..??...

 

[Maclin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Yes, PICS or it didn't happen.

 

[ashleygoodin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Pics will be coming when I get it back from the mechanic next week - waiting on a shift cable to come in before buttoning up the outdrive. I will be doing a good scrubbing before reinstalling the interior. I have some before pictures as well that I will add.

I ended going mostly Volvo with a new crank mount water pump. However, I kept the quad ramjet carb and the thunderbolt ignition from the Merc. (I still have the Volvo components and harness if needed for a "complete" conversion. Everything bolted up nicely and is behaving as it should. The lake run will be Thursday of next week if all goes well.

 

[ashleygoodin]

Re: Mercruiser motor Volvo drive project

Make that quadrajet carb. Darn autocorrect.