JC 266 tritoon 4.3 swap

[Lakeshore2016]

Looking to purchase a 1994 JC 266 tritoon with a 4.3 mercruiser and alpha one setup.

Not wanting to push the engine/outdrive to the limits by being crazy with hole shots or running top end.

I'd just like to put a V8 in it for some sound. I know may seem like a waste... But id like to have some headers for sound and have a hard hitting cam in it.

Anyone have experience with a setup like this?

Easy swap from a 4.3 to say a 5.7?

I'm assuming there is enough room for a 5.7 since that is an engine option I see on these boats.

But could you do marine headers with a captains call setup on that boat?

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,... The gearin' in the drive won't support a V8,....

Headers will cost ya the price of the entire boat,....

'n lumpy cams cause water in the cylinders from reversion,.....

 

[Lakeshore2016]

So you feel with the Alpha One, even if I'm easy on it on take off and being responsible otherwise.... It would still not support it?

Is there any chance to change cam shafts at all and not have reversion?

I could scrap the headers, and just have some "through-hull-exhaust"

 

[harleyman1975]

The v-6 gearing is deeper than the v-8 ratio if you want to think in car terms it would be like 3.73 vs 3.23. You will be over-reving at top end. While you may be able to prop for this.(i.e if boat has a 17-19 pitch on it now the v-8 would be needing a 23-25 pitch) Trust me nobody is going to be impressed with all the noise but you. I have found that folks (women) want to be able to talk during a boat ride. After they figure out it is too loud to carry on a good conversation they will abandon ship and you'll be left as the skipper of the ss sauage party. As for the lumpy cam the reason it is lumpy is due to the intake and exhaust valves being both open at the same time (overlap) and if you have wet exhaust you will have reversion at low rpms.

 

[Lakeshore2016]

Is there a way to tell the gear ratio on my alpha one by the serial number? I know they put alot of V8's in these JC 266 tritoons.... maybe the outdrive may be already geared? I swore I've seen some for sell with a 350/alpha one.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... The serial number will tell ya the original ratio, Yes,....

If ya had a 1.5:1, V-8 ratio, you'd be runnin' a 15" prop, tryin' to find an 11" or 13" prop to get the rpms up to the hi-40000s,...
In other words, yer hull would be a dog, a slug, gutless,...
Btw,... there ain't no props smaller than 15" that fits our drives,... Been there, Tried it,...

Goin' the other way, yer gonna be buyin' custom ssteel props up in the hi-20"s to low 30" range,...