All boat engines GM?

[cruisertech]

I 3.8 L Merc may have been a Buick V6 but the 3.0 is a 4 banger.
Originally Posted By: dwendt44
The Merc 470 was an aluminum block with the 460 Ford head (shaved to increase compression IIRC).
That mix of metals maybe part of the problem with that engine; I know GM had it's share of problems with iron/aluminum mixed engines.
The 3.0 L Merc engine was a Buick V-6.

 

[cruisertech]

The inline 6cyl was a 194 inch 140 hp engine in 1963.1964-1966 it was a 230 inch 150 hp engine.1967-1981 it was a 250 inch 160 & 165 hp engine.The Merc built engine was a 4 cyl used from 1976-1989.It came in a few variations over those years.470-485-488-165-170-180(4bbl)-190(4bbl).
Originally Posted By: JTK
Hmmm.. The Mercruiser 470 I/O that I'm familiar with was actually an inline 6cyl. A fine I/O at that.

Joel

 

[dwendt44]

Not sure what engine you are referring to but the Merc 470 is a big four cylinger aluminum block engine that used a Ford 460 head.

http://marineengineparts.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/page403.html


170-190 horsepower.

 

[JTK]

Sorry! Got my Merc I/O's mixed. It's been a long time since I've seen one. I remember it being a large(ish) Inline and azzumed it was an I6. That is one big [censored] gas 4 banger at 3.7L. A 4bbl carb on a 4. Awesome.

Joel

 

[Nick R]

I remember when we lived in New York last time, MWR (Moral, Welfare, Recreaction) center for the military had a good size Bayliner ski boat, it had I think a 120 (or 125) HP Mercury Marine 2-stroke engine. That thing had power, we could kiss 55 on the water with that thing. Was that a straight Mercury built engine, or something else?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I remember when we lived in New York last time, MWR (Moral, Welfare, Recreaction) center for the military had a good size Bayliner ski boat, it had I think a 120 (or 125) HP Mercury Marine 2-stroke engine. That thing had power, we could kiss 55 on the water with that thing. Was that a straight Mercury built engine, or something else?


You are confusing Mercury (outboard) with Mercruiser (Inboard and Inboard/Outboard, referred to commonly as I/O).

Mercury makes their own outboards.

Growing up on the lake, I've seen a LOT of different engines over the years. Far more than I can possibly remember.

During the 30's and 40's, common engines were Chrysler, Chris-Craft, Gray....etc. These were almost ALL inline engines; large displacement for the most part with low power output. It was rare for them to have air or oil filters.

Our 22' Chris-Craft Sedan was a late 40's boat and had a big Chris I6 in it. It had a copper "screen", which was just a collection of copper "blades" that were close together to form the "air filter". It had no oil filter.

Our Chris-Craft cabin cruiser had a big Chrysler straight-8.

Our '31 was originally fitted with an I6, probably the same that was in the sedan. However, we never had the original power plant to my knowledge.

Our 18' Seabird, also 30's vintage IIRC had a small (for the time) Gray 4-cylinder that was ~50HP.

Our '42 18' Chris-Craft had a Chris-Craft I4. My grandfather had planned to put a hopped-up Flathead in it. He died before he could.

Our 38' Chris tripple-cockpit had a Lincoln V12 in it (flathead).


We also had two dispro's with the common 1-lunger.

We had a decapitated Tug boat that had a tired Ford 312 in it.

As well as about 20 outboards from this era.

We had a Minette Shields Ventnor (finless) with a Chrysler Fury 190 in it (318) though that was not the original power plant.


Moving into the 50's and later, Chrysler was VERY common, as were the Ford Y-block engines. The 312 with side-drafts was commonplace in the engine bays of woodies of that time frame and there was a decent aftermarket for them.



We had a 60's boat with a Volvo Penta I/O in it. IIRC, it is the oldest I/O I recall seeing on the lake.

I have a '78 Glasstron with a Mercruiser 888 I/O, which is a Ford 302. 2BBL carb, and a set of 351 heads on it. It was rated for 188HP.

Our '72 Century Coronado had a 440 Chrysler. 3" dual exhaust and no mufflers. I'm not sure the logic behind that one..... It was LOUD.


Chrysler also made outboards, of which we had a few as well; a 20HP, 35HP and a 55HP (IIRC).

They were by far the dominant force in marine engines during this time frame.

As I/O's became more common and displaced inboards, Mercruiser seemed drawn to GM engines, probably due to the cost. The SBC was cheap to build.


The only GM engine we had on the property was on the bottom of the lake, used to moor a floating swimming dock. My grandfather was not a GM fan.

 

[moklock]

Mercruiser also still offers small Isuzu or Cummins diesels but they are very rare and rather pricey for the output IIRC.

GM has also advertised a version of the 2.4L Ecotec as a marine engine. Would be interesting to know how it does but probably costs quite a bit more than using someting like the simpler 4.3.

 

[Ike_Clanton]

Mercruiser was selling the "Vazer," a 1.something liter Ecotec with a drive smaller than an Alpha One, but they quit selling it already. Seemed like a good idea because they had the engine layed way over on it's side to allow more room in the small boats it would power. I wonder what became of it...

 

[JTK]

I don't think GM ever made an industrial/marine engine out of an Ecotec. Vortec yes. The Vortec 1.6L > http://www.gm.com/experience/technology/gmpowertrain/engines/specialized/marine/marine_engines.jsp

Joel

 

[Ike_Clanton]

Yep, you were right on: http://www.mercurymarine.com/engines/inboards/sterndrives/vazer.php

 

[JTK]

That is cool! They do have that baby leaned way over on it's side for space saving. I bet that I/O is as fuel efficient as they come.

Joel

 

[eljefino]

I photographed an unknown marine V8 from a shipwreck that this BBS ID'd as a ford 351 (forget W/M).

Nice old lady I knew had a gorgeous all wooden boat with a chrysler 318 inboard. Thing sounded AWESOME idling.

Interesting thing about marinized motors... the cam profile is completely different. On cars the torque curve rises quickly to 2k RPM then falls off... marine motors just keep going up and up b/c it's just one prop speed and they need the top end.

 

[dwendt44]

How does the 50° tilt of that engine compare to Chrysler's slant six?

 

[Ike_Clanton]

Originally Posted By: dwendt44
How does the 50° tilt of that engine compare to Chrysler's slant six?


Wiki says the Slant Six is canted at 30 degrees.

 

[JTK]

Speaking of which, how cool is this? The good old days.

Joel

 

[ledslinger]

Growing up on the lake, I've seen a LOT of different engines over the years. Far more than I can possibly remember.

OVERK1LL- It sounds like you and your family have had a lot of boats. The brass fins on the Chrysler flatheads in Chris-Crafts are probably flame arrestors, not air cleaners.

What lake are you on? My Grandfather had cabins on Lake of the woods from the 40's to the 80's. Near Sioux Narrows. He ran his 1936 Chris-Craft 19' racing runabout until about 1975. It had a Chrysler L6 with triple updraft carbs on it. It went 40 MPH.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ledslinger
Growing up on the lake, I've seen a LOT of different engines over the years. Far more than I can possibly remember.

OVERK1LL- It sounds like you and your family have had a lot of boats. The brass fins on the Chrysler flatheads in Chris-Crafts are probably flame arrestors, not air cleaners.

What lake are you on? My Grandfather had cabins on Lake of the woods from the 40's to the 80's. Near Sioux Narrows. He ran his 1936 Chris-Craft 19' racing runabout until about 1975. It had a Chrysler L6 with triple updraft carbs on it. It went 40 MPH.


Yes, they were flame arrestors (mandatory AFAIR) but they also caught the odd bumble bee, leaf and whatever else was too big to slip through the fins. True filters, they sure were not

We were on lake Rosseau until recently. We had 45 boats (including canoes, sailboats, dingies...etc) at one point. We'd been on that lake since the 1860's. When my grandparents passed away, the cottage was sold, as were most of the boats.

Old pic of me driving our 18' Chris. Stock I4 in it (this was the flathead candidate) with boathouse #2 in the background:

My uncle in the 425HP 312-powered 22' Chris:

She'd do over 70Mph. Though you had not much in the way of steering at that point, as she was walking on the transom. Planing (and that speed) was only something you did on a FLAT lake. Original 1931 hull. Never designed to handle that kind of power.

One of my grandfather's best friends, and classic boat restoration expert Norman Stripp. This is one of the boats he restored that is on the lake. This is at the Port Carling boat show.

Here's the 440-powered Coronado:

A shot of the 18' Chris before she saw water (and some God-awful bumpers hanging on her before she got a proper toned bumper string setup) with an old Johnson head in the background:

Our 31' Lincoln V12 powered girl that burned to the water line in storage (whole place went up, stored across the lake at the time):

The 1931 Chris and the Ventnor:

This was taken before the front boathouse was built.

I spent most of my childhood and adolescence up there. I miss it terribly.

 

[JTK]

That is just awesome. Pics like that bring back memories for me as well. My family has been visiting the 1000 Islands region pretty much yearly since the 1940's. Great pics!

Joel

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: JTK
That is just awesome. Pics like that bring back memories for me as well. My family has been visiting the 1000 Islands region pretty much yearly since the 1940's. Great pics!

Joel


Thank you. The time on the lakes seems to be one that is not being replicated by future generations, at least not in the same manner. I don't feel dragging a Seadoo to a random piece of water and blasting around on it is "time at the lake".

 

[Ben99GT]

Those boats are gorgeous.