Repowering 97 crownline. Best options?

[JoeStetor]

Hello my name is Joe. I just joined the forum. I'm hoping some of you can help me with my issue. I bought a 97 crownline 202 cuddy a few years back. It has a 5.7 in it. Serial# K038195. It ran decent and I put a little over 100 hours on it. This year at WOT at about 4400RPM it put a rod through the block. I figured the engine would fail at some point being how old it was. My question is what is the best solution for a repower? I intend to buy an engine and have a local boat mechanic install it for me. I just want the most cost effective straight forward solution. Thank you for your help in advance.

 

[nola mike]

Hello my name is Joe. I just joined the forum. I'm hoping some of you can help me with my issue. I bought a 97 crownline 202 cuddy a few years back. It has a 5.7 in it. Serial# K038195. It ran decent and I put a little over 100 hours on it. This year at WOT at about 4400RPM it put a rod through the block. I figured the engine would fail at some point being how old it was. My question is what is the best solution for a repower? I intend to buy an engine and have a local boat mechanic install it for me. I just want the most cost effective straight forward solution. Thank you for your help in advance.

Usually the more straight forward, the less cost effective and vice versa. Most cost effective would be to get a similar vintage 5.7 from the junkyard and swap your components over. Straightforward would be to buy a complete drop in replacement. In between would be various trims of reman engines. @Scott Danforth will be along soon to tell you that the best solution is to buy an auto 5.7 block and have it rebuilt into a 383...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Joe, welcome aboard

being a 1997 is not that old. generally the motors in boats are usually murdered, only very few wear out (4000+ hours)

is your boat carbureted or fuel injected?
Alpha or Bravo drive
are you looking for stock reman or more power?

you will need to determine the cause of failure. if it was fuel system related, you will need to correct that or your new motor will suffer.

Usually the more straight forward, the less cost effective and vice versa. Most cost effective would be to get a similar vintage 5.7 from the junkyard and swap your components over. Straightforward would be to buy a complete drop in replacement. In between would be various trims of reman engines. @Scott Danforth will be along soon to tell you that the best solution is to buy an auto 5.7 block and have it rebuilt into a 383...

Nah, best solution is build the stroker long-block yourself from new block, heads and SCAT forged rotating assembly if you want more power

best solution for a stock power swap is as you indicated, pull a truck long-block from a pull-a-part yard, add bronze core plugs and marine head gaskets and then swap over the marine bits (all accessories, water pump, intake, rotating electrics, etc.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,..... Welcome Aboard Joe,.......Or buy a long block crate motor, 'n swap over all the accessories,.....

A 383 stroker in a 20' boat would be a real neck snapper,.....

 

[JoeStetor]

Joe, welcome aboard

being a 1997 is not that old. generally the motors in boats are usually murdered, only very few wear out (4000+ hours)

is your boat carbureted or fuel injected?
Alpha or Bravo drive
are you looking for stock reman or more power?

you will need to determine the cause of failure. if it was fuel system related, you will need to correct that or your new motor will suffer.



Nah, best solution is build the stroker long-block yourself from new block, heads and SCAT forged rotating assembly if you want more power

best solution for a stock power swap is as you indicated, pull a truck long-block from a pull-a-part yard, add bronze core plugs and marine head gaskets and then swap over the marine bits (all accessories, water pump, intake, rotating electrics, etc.

Alpha drive. My engine is carb. It has the Weber 9781s. When I bought the boat the fuel psi was 9 so I got a deadhead regulator and bumped it down to 5 psi. The RPM at WOT was 4000 so this year I dropped to a 17P prop from a 19P which enabled me to get to 4400 RPM. I'm assuming this boat was ran at 3500 to 4000 RPM alot due to the previous owner said he never even trimmed the drive up at all. His top speed was 35mph. I reached 50mph trimming the drive with a 19P at 4000 RPM and reached 45 mph with when I dropped to 17P at 4400 RPM. I rebuilt the carb as well, new plugs, wires, coil, cap and rotor, ignition switch ect. Always changed oil and did what maintenance I knew how to. The motor seemed a little tired. I think it had alot of blow by. The flame arrester was always clogged with oil residue from the breathers. I had to clean it constantly. I never did a compression test tho. Is it possible that I just was asking too much out of it since it was propped wrong possibly for a long period of its life?

 

[Scott06]

Alpha drive. My engine is carb. It has the Weber 9781s. When I bought the boat the fuel psi was 9 so I got a deadhead regulator and bumped it down to 5 psi. The RPM at WOT was 4000 so this year I dropped to a 17P prop from a 19P which enabled me to get to 4400 RPM. I'm assuming this boat was ran at 3500 to 4000 RPM alot due to the previous owner said he never even trimmed the drive up at all. His top speed was 35mph. I reached 50mph trimming the drive with a 19P at 4000 RPM and reached 45 mph with when I dropped to 17P at 4400 RPM. I rebuilt the carb as well, new plugs, wires, coil, cap and rotor, ignition switch ect. Always changed oil and did what maintenance I knew how to. The motor seemed a little tired. I think it had alot of blow by. The flame arrester was always clogged with oil residue from the breathers. I had to clean it constantly. I never did a compression test tho. Is it possible that I just was asking too much out of it since it was propped wrong possibly for a long period of its life?

Maybe the oil was never changed by previous owner . Simplest way is to order a long block either new or reman from a place like michigan motorz and have your mechanic swap all the externals Over.

 

[Paintman1960]

Michigan Motors is great to deal with !!

 

[JoeStetor]

Maybe the oil was never changed by previous owner . Simplest way is to order a long block either new or reman from a place like michigan motorz and have your mechanic swap all the externals Over.

If I want to go to a fuel injected engine, is that possible?

 

[Bondo]

If I want to go to a fuel injected engine, is that possible?

Ayuh,.... Sure,...... For thousands of dollars, that you'll never recoup,....

 

[nola mike]

You:

I just want the most cost effective straight forward solution.

Also you:

If I want to go to a fuel injected engine, is that possible?

Yes. See your first post.

 

[Scott06]

If I want to go to a fuel injected engine, is that possible?

Youll need a complete bobtail like this https://www.michiganmotorz.com/mercruiser-350-mpi-alpha-complete-engine this is essentially drop in and has all the pieces required for fuel injection.

swapping a new base engine for your existing long block https://www.michiganmotorz.com/5-7l-350ci-vortec-base-marine-engine-1996-current-replacement

with the base engine there would be time to swap all the accessories from old to new. Maybe a day of labor

really just comes down to whats your budget.

 

[Scott Danforth]

• buy a running motor for $300 and swap it in ~ $1000 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• buy a complete long block for $3800 and swap it in ~ $4400 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• buy a complete stroker long block for $6000 and swap it in ~ $6600 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• built a complete stroker long block for $4200 and swap it in ~ $4800 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• buy a complete 5.7 carbureted bobtail for $8500 and pay to have a certified marine mechanic put it in (warranty reasons) ~ $11k-$12k
• buy a complete 5.7 or 6.1 EFI bobtail for $12k-$13k and pay to have a certified marine mechanic put it in (warranty reasons) ~ $15k-$16k

EFI is about $3k-$4k expense on top of a complete carbureted bobtail EFI does not get you any more power or any better fuel economy in a boat than a properly sized and tuned carb.

in post #1, you wanted the most cost effective solution. technically that is having viking slaves with long oars row your boat or add a sail. however a used motor or a replacement short block are the only two that are cost effective

you should have been able to spin the 19p to 4800 RPM all day long prior. need to find out what damaged the motor. definitely look at the fuel system in the boat and on the motor no mater what repower path you go down.

 

[Lou C]

One more thing to check is the exhaust system. If there is any doubt to it’s condition replace with new. Water intrusion can really damage engines over time. I kept my salt water run engine running as long as it has because I changed the exhaust system at regular intervals. Here every 5-7 years.

 

[JoeStetor]

One more thing to check is the exhaust system. If there is any doubt to it’s condition replace with new. Water intrusion can really damage engines over time. I kept my salt water run engine running as long as it has because I changed the exhaust system at regular intervals. Here every 5-7 years.

Manifolds and risers were in decent shape. I pulled them, inspected them and put new gaskets on them. I am leaning towards a turn key drop in. That way its all new and I can save myself some time swapping used parts.

 

[JoeStetor]

Ayuh,.... Sure,...... For thousands of dollars, that you'll never recoup,....

Understood.

 

[JoeStetor]

You:

Also you:

Yes. See your first post.

Ya I can see now why that is funny. lol

I should have said I just want to drop a turn key engine in it and asked how much and where to purchase it. That is what I am most likely going to do. I got the boat for a great price and got three years out of it. My friend is a mechanic and has a nice size shop. He is going to let me do it there.

 

[JoeStetor]

• buy a running motor for $300 and swap it in ~ $1000 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• buy a complete long block for $3800 and swap it in ~ $4400 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• buy a complete stroker long block for $6000 and swap it in ~ $6600 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• built a complete stroker long block for $4200 and swap it in ~ $4800 out of pocket (price of motor, gaskets, incidentals)
• buy a complete 5.7 carbureted bobtail for $8500 and pay to have a certified marine mechanic put it in (warranty reasons) ~ $11k-$12k
• buy a complete 5.7 or 6.1 EFI bobtail for $12k-$13k and pay to have a certified marine mechanic put it in (warranty reasons) ~ $15k-$16k

EFI is about $3k-$4k expense on top of a complete carbureted bobtail EFI does not get you any more power or any better fuel economy in a boat than a properly sized and tuned carb.

in post #1, you wanted the most cost effective solution. technically that is having viking slaves with long oars row your boat or add a sail. however a used motor or a replacement short block are the only two that are cost effective

you should have been able to spin the 19p to 4800 RPM all day long prior. need to find out what damaged the motor. definitely look at the fuel system in the boat and on the motor no mater what repower path you go down.

Most likely going to go with the 5.7 bob tail. My buddy is a mechanic and is going to let me use his shop to swap it. I rebuild the carb on the engine but I never changed the jets or metering rods. The plugs always looked good so I left it alone. The only thing I did was put a regulator in to keep the pressure around 5psi which is what weber carb called for. I never did a compression test but had my assumptions that the motor was worn and had a lot of blow by. The flame arrester always needed to be cleaned of oil residue and gunk constantly. Do you think the engine was so worn that it couldnt spin the 19P to 4800?

 

[achris]

.... My friend is a mechanic ...

'mechanic' and 'marine mechanic' are two very different animals... Unfortunately many 'mechanics' don't understand that...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Exactly, and most "marine mechanics" are not factory trained or qualified

 

[JoeStetor]

Thats funny. So if all goes well and I am able to source this complete turn key swap, I am assuming it is pretty straight forward to pull the whole unit out and put the new one back? I have done this in cars and trucks many times. Just not a boat.