mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

[bwkkeller]

Im interested in what it will take to put a 1995 efi 302 and put it in my 888 mercruiser. changing it to carburetor. im only running this boat in freshwater. what will i need to do this?

 

[GT1000000]

Re: mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

Welcome,
One of the mods will move you shortly to one of the appropriate engine related forums...

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

do you have a 302 in your mercruiser now? if so change over the parts that are different including the intake and go to town. I am putting a Dodge ram 5.9L in my boat in place of the a 360 Marine just swapping over the marine parts.

 

[bwkkeller]

Re: mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

thats what im thinking-but the old engine is externally balanced and the new one is internally balanced guess i dont have to use my harmonic balancer? now from my understanding a mercruiser 302 has 351 heads. is that true if so can i still use a regular 302 intake-i do not have the mercruiser intake it was missing when i got the boat

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

Well regarding your externally balanced to internally balanced issue jut go have your externally balanced flywheel rebalanced to a neutral balance. Use the Harmonic Balancer from the new motor. I would use the motor heads and intake all from the new motor. There is nothing marine specific typically about them except the freeze plugs make sure you put in brass ones for all of them and if you use it in saltwater and use the water for cooling and it's not a closed cooling system then use proper marine gaskets which are made with stainless steel. I am not much of a ford guy so I don't know about the 351 heads on the 302. What I do know I didn't think they were compatible. If you are going with a 302 just use a truck 302 long block make sure to get a harmonic balancer. One thing to make sure on is if your motor is designed to run in standard rotation or reverse rotation. If it's reverse than you have some other issues to deal with.

I am having a different issue and that is my old motor (that is long gone before I got the boat) was internally balanced and the new motor is externally balanced therefore I am using the harmonic balancer from the new motor and modifying the flywheel for the external balance. Luckily for me I know exactly where and how much weight to make it externally balanced. For you it would be best to take it to a proper machine shop to have them neutral balance it unless there are weights on it that can be removed and even then would take it to double check it.

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

All ford 302's are externally balanced....
302's are imbalanced by 28oz...so you need a 28oz balanced harmonic balancer and flywheel
351w are imbalanced by 50oz (and so are the H.O. 302 EFI, also uses the 351w firing order)..so you need 50oz balanced harmonic balancer and flywheel

the merc888 (ford 302) uses 351w heads and 351w cam and 351w firing order

 

[TermytQQ]

Re: mercruiser 888 302 auto swap???

All ford 302's are externally balanced....
302's are imbalanced by 28oz...so you need a 28oz balanced harmonic balancer and flywheel
351w are imbalanced by 50oz (and so are the H.O. 302 EFI, also uses the 351w firing order)..so you need 50oz balanced harmonic balancer and flywheel

the merc888 (ford 302) uses 351w heads and 351w cam and 351w firing order

FFI : Anyone who reads this in the future , this is a correction!
351W are imbalanced by 28oz...so you need a 28oz balanced harmonic balancer and flywheel (always have been)
302s past 80/81 are imbalanced by 50oz (and so are the H.O. 302 EFI, also uses the 351w firing order)..so you need 50oz balanced harmonic balancer and flywheel
302s prior to 80/81 had a 28oz imbalance. so if you swap to a Ford Explorer 5.0L you need to purchase the 50oz, 158 tooth flywheel. Advance Auto Parts has them in stock (93 Mustang GT) ..made in china...

the merc888 (ford 302) uses 351w heads and 351w cam and 351w firing order

 

[Scott Danforth]

dude, old thread.