Hey, I just bought a '62 Century Coronado with what appears to be a brand-new 1980 Mercruiser MIE 330HP/454 CID (ser# 5369405) installed in it. It also has a Velvet Drive Model 10-18-002 transmission (ser # 1786). And it has no battery.
The story is that the previous owner pulled it out of the water one Fall, had the new engine put in it, and then he died. So the engine has never been run beyond testing. Three hours, they said.
The story, also, is that this occurred in 2004, but that would question the "new" 1980 engine. However, a new 1980 Mercruiser brochure, with the 330 model circled, came in the paperwork with the boat.
Anyway, whatever the date of installation, the engine appears clean as a whistle, as does the oil on the dip stick, as does the bilge and engine box, as does what I can tell from peering under the valve covers through the oil fill holes. Also, the distributor cap and rotor have almost no wear.
I haven't tried to turn it, manually, yet. Nor have I removed the plugs nor done a compression test. But I did replace the cooling system drain plugs and pet-cocks that were in a neat pile on top of the block, so I'm assuming that it was properly drained for storage and doesn't have a cracked block.
So, if I pretend that the story is true as far as it being a new 1980 engine that's never been run (whenever it may have been installed), beyond buying a battery for it, where do I go from here?
Also, any impression of, or history of, or experience with that particular engine would be great. I was surprised to find that it's a GM and not a Ford.
I have a brother-in-law and nephew who build race cars, who are coming this weekend to look it over, so your advice will be very much appreciated.
I'm pretty new to marine engines, so thanks for your patience, especially with my next dozen or so questions.
Jack
FYI, the boat was originally powered with a 260 hp Interceptor, though both a 300 hp Chrysler or 300 hp Interceptor were options. Later models of the same Century hull had 454s installed. And a recent marine survey has deemed the hull planking, battens, frames and stringers to be in good condition, so I don't think that overpowering is a concern.
The story is that the previous owner pulled it out of the water one Fall, had the new engine put in it, and then he died. So the engine has never been run beyond testing. Three hours, they said.
The story, also, is that this occurred in 2004, but that would question the "new" 1980 engine. However, a new 1980 Mercruiser brochure, with the 330 model circled, came in the paperwork with the boat.
Anyway, whatever the date of installation, the engine appears clean as a whistle, as does the oil on the dip stick, as does the bilge and engine box, as does what I can tell from peering under the valve covers through the oil fill holes. Also, the distributor cap and rotor have almost no wear.
I haven't tried to turn it, manually, yet. Nor have I removed the plugs nor done a compression test. But I did replace the cooling system drain plugs and pet-cocks that were in a neat pile on top of the block, so I'm assuming that it was properly drained for storage and doesn't have a cracked block.
So, if I pretend that the story is true as far as it being a new 1980 engine that's never been run (whenever it may have been installed), beyond buying a battery for it, where do I go from here?
Also, any impression of, or history of, or experience with that particular engine would be great. I was surprised to find that it's a GM and not a Ford.
I have a brother-in-law and nephew who build race cars, who are coming this weekend to look it over, so your advice will be very much appreciated.
I'm pretty new to marine engines, so thanks for your patience, especially with my next dozen or so questions.
Jack
FYI, the boat was originally powered with a 260 hp Interceptor, though both a 300 hp Chrysler or 300 hp Interceptor were options. Later models of the same Century hull had 454s installed. And a recent marine survey has deemed the hull planking, battens, frames and stringers to be in good condition, so I don't think that overpowering is a concern.
