Rebuild or sell?

[RiverRatJason]

1978 Sea Ray Runabout with Mercruiser 470.
Boat was overheating earlier this summer, flushed out and that fixed it. Last Saturday went on river and had a backfire through carb just every now and then. Sunday went out, lots of backfire, took boat out of water and went home. Sunday evening nearly burnt down the boat up by leaving key on. Coil, dist., and a few crispy wire ends.
Thinking of 3 different options, sell it as is, rebuild motor, or transplant newer style V6. I did install a alternator kit last year.
What are your guys opinions.
Thanks

 

[solar7647]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

Put in a V6 you will be happy with it, rebuilding the 470 is hard because parts can be hard to find, and it will be hard to sell the boat like that and make any real money.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

I don't think the boat was in danger with the key left in the run position except for maybe a dead battery.

Seems like an extreme ultimatum.

How did it run the beginning of the year? It sounds like the classic lean backfire, or too much advance. Most likely lean backfire.

How old are the fuel filters?

 

[Volphin]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

It overheated AND backfired? Take a peek inside for a dead lifter, bent pushrod or cam lobe gone south.

V

 

[RiverRatJason]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

The boat has run fine all summer till the river started to warm up then started to overheat. It was not overheating at the time all the backfire was going on. Fuel filter was changed late last summer about this time. I think the coil melted down because of old shadetree rigging, no resistor after I traced wires back. So at the moment coil and dist. are burnt up. Leaning toward rebuilding or selling. Swapping in V6 could be a bigger hasle than I want to deal with at the moment.

 

[Eric 3.7LX Alpha 1]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

The boat has run fine all summer till the river started to warm up then started to overheat. It was not overheating at the time all the backfire was going on. Fuel filter was changed late last summer about this time. I think the coil melted down because of old shadetree rigging, no resistor after I traced wires back. So at the moment coil and dist. are burnt up. Leaning toward rebuilding or selling. Swapping in V6 could be a bigger hasle than I want to deal with at the moment.

You know there is no acutal resistor but the wire itself to the coil from the coil provides the "resistance" is a purple wire and drops voltage down to the coil. At least that is what it should be.
Have a look:

 

[Volphin]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

How did you wire up the alternator? Just curious.

V

 

[RiverRatJason]

Re: Rebuild or sell?

To V. I bought a conversion kit off ebay with bracket and 1 wire GM alt, I think after shipping it was right at $400.