Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

jimmoe

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
36
I was looking for parts for my 470 with serious coolant in crankcase issues and found a '79 470 that ran when last out, that the guy said had the Volvo head...that "they did some in '78 & '79 that ran quieter and smoother" than the Ford 460 head. :confused:
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

found a '79 470 that ran when last out, that the guy said had the Volvo head..

Howdy,


Mercury designed the 3.7L ("470") engine "in-house" and chose a 460 head and valve train for it.......there were never any real problems associated with the 460 cast iron head, valves, etc...... It's pretty much "bullet proof" .................just about all the problems were "below" the head!

Volvo (to my knowledge) NEVER used the FORD 460 in ANY marine application.

I really doubt Mercury would have went to Volvo for anything.


I am not really a 470 "guy", but ..............methinks the guy who is trying to sell you on this, just wants to "sell you" on his parts!


Cheers,


Rick
 

stonyloam

Vice Admiral
Joined
Mar 13, 2009
Messages
5,827
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

Mercruiser parts lists only 1 head for the 470, the ford 460.
 

Don S

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
62,321
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

Just another story of sellers saying anything to sell their stuff. The less they know about what they are selling, the stranger the sales pitch is.
 

jimmoe

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
36
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

Thanks for the interest, guys.
I still think there's a MYSTERY here.....this guy (young kid in his 30's, a bricklayer...(like I used to be)...I think he was sincere....bought it from a neighbor that always had it professionally serviced, still had all the service records, original manuals, etc) said that when it was running he and his (professional) marine mechanic had it out for a test run and the mechanic commented on how smooth it was running, the kid told him it had the Volvo head...the mechanic said ".... that's right, it's a '79".
He also had a collector/restorer/buyer asking about it...when he told him it had the Volvo head, the guy said he knew that and that's why he was interested in it.
I want to believe him....I think he believes it....he could be wrong.....or maybe he just saw me comin'.
 

vincechig1975

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
213
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

All the research I have done and questions asked people tell me the same thing .....then I started my restoration project, and found the 3.7l had a ford 460 head on it, they were a good runnin engine, but they also had a few issues based on what I have been told and researched. I dont believe that they would have used a volvo cyl head in place of the ford.
 

jimmoe

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Oct 25, 2011
Messages
36
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

All the research I have done and questions asked people tell me the same thing
Vince, did you mean that they told you the "same thing" as Volvo or Ford?
 

Bondo

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
70,465
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

All the research I have done and questions asked people tell me the same thing
Vince, did you mean that they told you the "same thing" as Volvo or Ford?

Ayuh,... Volvo has NEVER built a motor that had a head that'll bolt onto a 470 block,...

Period.....

There is No "MYSTERY here".....
Either the guy is talkin' bullship, or just plain ole Don't know what he's talkin' 'bout...
 

HT32BSX115

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 8, 2005
Messages
10,083
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

Either the guy is talkin' bullship, or just plain ole Don't know what he's talkin' 'bout...

Ahhh... YUP.....

Dude's talkin' BOTH!!
lolhit.gif
 

vincechig1975

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
213
Re: Anyone ever heard of a 470 with a Volvo head ?

sorry, they stated that the ford was the only head that ever worked on this engine, and that the block was a mercruiser inhouse design and that the ford head was the only option for this particular design. The marine shop that I spoke with locally stated this and that the 3.7 had some issues but yet was a good power plant. I was also told as long as you were careful with it, maintaining it, keeping it clean and serviced, you may have been able to avoid major failures....water pump, cam seals, oil pan gasket. I was able remove the balancer and alternator with minimal amount of work just a bit of muscle, this isn't always the case but none the less a good engine.
A word of warning though, don't overheat it as the head is cast iron and the block is aluminum, and they expand at different rates and you can cause serious damage if you do. I not only read this on here and other sites but also worked on vehicle engines in the past built similarly, so I can understand this too.
 
Top