Repowering questions....

Hello, I hope Im putting this in the correct forum....I bought a 1975 John Allmand 28 foot boat a couple months back.....I was told it had mercruiser drives and engines in it.....currently It has no engines or drives, but by the shape of the holes in the transom I believe the mercruiser theory to be correct.....however.....I can't find anyone or anywhere that can tell me if it had 350 chevy's or 351 fords in it.....and also i assume it had the pre alpha drives on it because of it's year model....NOW, the question.....my cheapest alternative looks to be finding a wrecked or burned vessel with good power.....say I find one with 5.7 mercruiser's and alpha 1 drives in the 1st or 2nd generation....what if any are the differences in mounting these? Can I use the holes in my transom? Motor mounts I'm not too concerned with but I need to know if a gen. 1 or 2 alpha drive will work with my boat???
Thanks for any help,
DK

Re: Repowering questions....

Without seeing the hole in the transom I doubt if anyone here will be able to tell you what type of drive will or will not fit for sure. If it had pre alpha's in it then an alpha 1 or bravo should fit the hole (may need to drill additional stud hole).

Re: Repowering questions....

That is the same cutout as all Alpha and Pre Alpha drives (Ford or Chevy doesn't matter), including the new Alpha I gen II drive, also the same for Bravo drives, all Cobra drives, and the Volvo SX/DP-S drives
You have a lot to choose from.

Re: Repowering questions....

Ok, so I've been doing some digging over the last several hours, and what I have came up with is my boat most likely had mercruiser 888 drives with 351 ford engines when it was built.....seeing as the remenants of those are long gone will I have any issues installing a newer engine drive combination? I'm worried about wiring and cable hookup on the newer units....anyhelp would be greatly appreciated, and if there happens to be some literature somewhere I could purchase that would help with my retro fit I would be greatly appreciative....I have a beautifully restored boat begging for some power....thanks!
DK

Re: Repowering questions....

depending on your budget..... a pair of merc 350/260hp along with some good used freshwater transom assemblys with SEI drive would probably be the most economical way to go....

Re: Repowering questions....

If your transom cutouts look something like the following pic...You won't have any problem putting another Mercruiser in it....Check the transom for rot, moisture, etc and check the engine mounting points for the same. You may have to relocate your engine mounts

Re: Repowering questions....

I'm worried about wiring and cable hookup on the newer units....

Click to expand...

Ayuh,....

It probably won't be as simple as Plug,+ Play,...
No Refit ever is....