New 4.3 Engine Help

[tylerdale101]

Hello, I am 17 and found a 2003 bow rider boat, it is a 4.3 MerCruiser says has spun bearing and blown head gasket, water in engine. I am considering getting it, I just need estimates on replacing the engine my self. I am going to replace the engine with a remanufacturd long block. My question is where is the best place to buy one? Thanks for your knowledge, Tyler

 

[Scott Danforth]

your general motors dealer, you can get new for under $2k

or talk to your local engine rebuilder. your probably looking at $1500 to reman yours

here is some reading

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/engi...asting-numbers

 

[tylerdale101]

Online websites?

 

[Rick Stephens]

I bought a trashed boat with a 4.3L and an outdrive that I ended up rebuilding and installing in my older and smaller boat. I had to rebuild the newly rebuilt motor that came in the rotted boat because the previous owner let the motor fill up with rain water from an open carburetor and a leaky tarp. When I hauled it into a local machine shop, a one man operation, the owner was kind enough to give me a bunch of options. He had sitting around several 4.3L blocks of various vintage that I could cheaply purchase as the base for a new rebuilt, or I could chance that the one I had didn't have any cracks. I decided to stick with what I had and the rebuild was under $600 with reboring, new pistons rings and heads gone through since the seats had rusted as well. The risk of course was a crack would mean wasted money and time, but I lucked out and it all came out perfectly

A good machine shop guy can make your project fun and fairly straightforward. A bad one can make life miserable. In my opinion, that is the place to start if you know someone who knows someone. Yes, you can pick up a long block from GM or SummitRacing, you still need the heads gone through and the right gaskets and core plugs.

 

[porscheguy]

Are you sure that’s all that’s wrong with it. Bare minimum, it’ll cost a couple of grand to get it up and running, which assumes the outdrive is in good working order. If the out drive has issues, the price keeps going up.

A bow rider with a blown engine is worth the price of the trailer and the outdrive (if it works). Keep that in mind when discussing price.

 

[tylerdale101]

This is the boat, I want to do it right, I would like the warrenty that comes with a remanufactured block.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Warranty only comes if they do the work. That ads about $3k to the motor

 

[Rick Stephens]

I'd do it in a second if the price is right. Grab a long block and go to work on it. My personal preference would be to build it, not buy it, even if it cost more. That's me though, I love building, modifying, wrenching on it, almost as much as using.

 

[porscheguy]

$2K will get you a reman 4.3. $2800 will get you a brand new 4.3. These are base engines. You’ll have to move just about everything from the old engine to the replacement. At the opposite end of the spectrum a brand new 4.3MPI is $8800. That’s a drop in assembly. Drop it in, hook up the wires, water and gas. Tighten the four nuts and bolts that hold it in the boat, install the drive and go. There are more options in between.

Add $1000 to the cost of engine for ancillaries.

 

[tylerdale101]

$2K will get you a reman 4.3. $2800 will get you a brand new 4.3. These are base engines. You’ll have to move just about everything from the old engine to the replacement. At the opposite end of the spectrum a brand new 4.3MPI is $8800. That’s a drop in assembly. Drop it in, hook up the wires, water and gas. Tighten the four nuts and bolts that hold it in the boat, install the drive and go. There are more options in between.

Add $1000 to the cost of engine for ancillaries.

Any suggestions on where to buy the long block

 

[harleyman1975]

Rapido marine or Michigan Motors are both reputable options with good tech support.

 

[porscheguy]

Where to buy from is largely dependent on your location IMO. Engines are heavy and shipped by freight carriers, or you have to go get it from the source.