Originally Posted by SeaJay
Originally Posted by motor_oil_madman
He's like we can still fix this thing without jumping in the deep end. My thinking is that I want a piece of mind, not just fix one thing then let it be good for a year or two then you're in it again fixing something else.
If he can fix this thing and you get to use it a year or two before it needs another fix, well then you just hit the lottery with a 30 year old boat. I would suggest following the advice of your mechanic, it sounds spot on.
Never have I known anyone doing a new (or rebuilt or reman or whatever) engine swap end up just swapping the engine. Some of the engine bolt ons may not fit and new ones need to be purchased. Once the engine is exposed all sorts of things can be seen. Waterlogged transom or stringers. Engine mounts. Bad wiring. Rusted fuel tanks. The list goes on and on. Once the engine is out, and you see all of these potential issues, most folks tend to say it will be cheaper to repair or replace now while the engine is out, I better do this now.
On average of the folks I've known that went down this road, the final bill for the work done came in at about 50% higher than the initial estimate.
As they say with old cars of questionable reliability, drive it like you stole it.
I swapped out a Mercruiser 305 with a bare-block 350 that I built from the ground up in just this way. My only expenses were the bare block I bought and had machined, rotating assembly (purchased as seperate components), bearing set, gasket set, and assembly lube. I brought over everything from the 305 including the heads, camshaft, intake...literally everything. Everything bolted up and dropped in like a charm. It was a 4 bbl carb with minimal electronics...so quite simple.
Yes, I know I did not have the up-top horsepower I could have if I moved to new heads and cam, but I was after raw low end torque to pull skiers and tubers. She ran perfect for what I wanted, and would still top out at 59 mph in a 20' boat.
