1995 Volvo Penta 5.8 FSI

[Splashman16]

Once again I am having issues and I’m sure many of you are aware that finding parts or anyone willing to work on it is about as close to impossible as you can get. I don’t want to get into the issues, i want to be done with it. I am considering changing the engine into a good ole carbureted motor but not exactly sure what I need to do that. I Understand I lose in performance and burn more fuel but I believe it will be easier to find aftermarket parts when I need them and I will take theses cons in exchange for my frustration with the current system. I welcome any information as it pertains to this change over. I am also open to other suggestions as long as they are not related to saving the current system, I’m done with it. There are many on here with a wealth of knowledge and I certainly appreciate your feedback. I apologize for my harshness, I’m just pissed as it appears I will not be on the water for opening day dungenous crab season next Saturday.

 

[bruceb58]

You can just remove the EFI and put on a carb and intake manifold. No need to change the engine. While you are at it, you may need to change the distributor.

 

[Lou C]

These engines were also used by OMC and came with Holley carburetors, you'd have to find a Ford 4bbl cast iron intake manifold for the 5.8, a mechanical fuel pump (although a low pressure electric pump could be used) and as Bruce said you might have to change the distributor. Look the engine up in OMC parts catalogs and you'll see what the intake looks like, I believe the Holley carb used was the model 4160, you should look on their site to see if they sell one that is already set up for that engine.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you wont loose any power and you wont burn more fuel. EFI does not do magic. you actually get a higher HP peak with a carb, however for the most part, the combustion mix (compression, cam, heads, valves, etc) determines the power and economy. your fuel consumption will remain at 0.4#/HP/hr

get a good edelbrock marine intake, the carb of your choice and a mallory YLM distributor

Summit racing and Jegs boat deliver next day. you can order today, have the parts tomorrow, work on it on Wednesday and be on the water on Thursday if you really wanted to.

 

[Lou C]

Holley # 0-80319-2 600 CFM is calibrated for the Ford 5.8 liter (351 cu in) V8

 

[Splashman16]

Once again I am having issues and I’m sure many of you are aware that finding parts or anyone willing to work on it is about as close to impossible as you can get. I don’t want to get into the issues, i want to be done with it. I am considering changing the engine into a good ole carbureted motor but not exactly sure what I need to do that. I Understand I lose in performance and burn more fuel but I believe it will be easier to find aftermarket parts when I need them and I will take theses cons in exchange for my frustration with the current system. I welcome any information as it pertains to this change over. I am also open to other suggestions as long as they are not related to saving the current system, I’m done with it. There are many on here with a wealth of knowledge and I certainly appreciate your feedback. I apologize for my harshness, I’m just pissed as it appears I will not be on the water for opening day dungenous crab season next Saturday.

I want to thank you all for your replies. I have another question and perhaps someone may have some insight, has anyone have any knowledge of the Holley Sniper Marine Fuel Injection System ?

 

[Lou C]

I don’t know anyone who’s tried to use this system, I’ve seen a number of installs on classic muscle cars on the internet that are interesting. I think in terms of cost, complexity and availability of spare parts for boats carbs are superior. Just take a look at the complexity of wiring harness you’d have to add if you look at a few automotive installs on you tube. Holley has support forums where people ask questions on issues that may come up in installation etc. If you have a Holley or Edelbrock 4 bbl carb parts are everywhere and inexpensive and mechanics who work on classic cars and hot rods can easily clean and rebuild either one. Even better is if you can use an inexpensive & reliable mechanical fuel pump.

 

[Splashman16]

I don’t know anyone who’s tried to use this system, I’ve seen a number of installs on classic muscle cars on the internet that are interesting. I think in terms of cost, complexity and availability of spare parts for boats carbs are superior. Just take a look at the complexity of wiring harness you’d have to add if you look at a few automotive installs on you tube. Holley has support forums where people ask questions on issues that may come up in installation etc. If you have a Holley or Edelbrock 4 bbl carb parts are everywhere and inexpensive and mechanics who work on classic cars and hot rods can easily clean and rebuild either one. Even better is if you can use an inexpensive & reliable mechanical fuel pump.

Holley 550-510 Sniper EFI System Silver, $1039.95
Weiand 8023WND Stealth Dual Plane Intake Manifold, $270.95
Mr. Gasket 5834 Ultra-Seal Intake Manifold Gasket Set, $26.47
Earl's 100187ERL 100 PSI Mechanical Fuel Pressure Gauge, $34.36
Earl's AT100199ERL -6 AN Male-To-Female Gauge Port Adapter, $15.72
ESP SNITEE EFI System Pro Sniper T-Shirt, $9.95 FREE W/PURCHASE
(Available in black or gray, Small through XXXL)

This will give you the major components you need to be successful
installing this EFI system on the 351W in your boat. There are some
challenges with installing EFI in a boat which you may have covered
since it was already fuel injected. I will provide a link below with a
lot of that information. If you'd like to add ignition timing control in
the future, then you'd want to consider adding these components:

Holley 565-302 HyperSpark Distributor 351W, $257.95
(Also available in Black, same price)
Holley 556-151 HyperSpark Ignition, $205.95
Holley 556-152 HyperSpark Coil, $39.09

 

[Splashman16]

That is list I received from Holley for the change over, system has built in regulator. Does not include fuel pump but the Sniper requires min of 60 psi depending on hp trying to achieve. Includes all harness.

 

[Lou C]

Approx $1390 less the fuel pump, not bad for what it is. The carb conversion could be done for about 800 or so depending on what you have to pay for the carb, those prices can vary if Holley runs sales. I wonder if they can find a local dealer with tech support if you have any issues with the EFI. That, and any concerns with getting parts in the future would be my concerns....

 

[Scott Danforth]

Im building a custom 950HP carb for under $400 that flows 950 CFM and is set up specifically for my boat... and in 15 years I can still service it when the sniper parts are NLA

 

[Lou C]

Yep that was my thought process I can still get parts for a 30+ year old Quadrajet, and a mechanical fuel pump is like $85 depending on where you buy it...

 

[Scott Danforth]

Yep that was my thought process I can still get parts for a 30+ year old Quadrajet, and a mechanical fuel pump is like $85 depending on where you buy it...

$49 on summit and jegs if you watch the sales

 

[QBhoy]

Agree with @Scott Danforth idea that going carb is probably the best solution, being it an efi originally. Are these engines not used in Ford trucks over there ?? Not a thing here at all really.
Disclaimer about going carb...disagree going carb. From an multi point injection motor. Scott and I have a thing about this. Haha. Totally get his thinking though.

 

[Lou C]

Agree with @Scott Danforth idea that going carb is probably the best solution, being it an efi originally. Are these engines not used in Ford trucks over there ?? Not a thing here at all really.
Disclaimer about going carb...disagree going carb. From an multi point injection motor. Scott and I have a thing about this. Haha. Totally get his thinking though.

The Ford family of small blocks starting with the 260, 289, 302, 351 both W (Windsor) and C (Cleveland) were as common as Chevrolet small blocks in the USA and were in just about everything Ford built for literally a generation. From Mustangs to F250 pick ups .The simple reason to go carb:
PARTS! when the boat gets older (like 10+ years) look at parts for OMC EFI engines, gone, some parts for Volvo Penta, gone (as in this case) even for some older Mercruiser EFI systems, gone, NLA.

Now here in the USA because of our healthy classic car/restoration hobby/business, carbs will never go away. As I said, I can get all the parts I need for a 32 year old Rochester Quadrajet, these carbs have not been built since 1990, most parts I could still get from AC/Delco or a number of aftermarket suppliers. Holley carbs, are the most popular carbs for hot rods and their parts are literally everywhere. Same with Edelbrock. You want rebuilt carbs you can easily find them. You want brand new same thing any number of a wide range of Holleys and Edelbrocks. In fact Holley's Demon division just came out with a totally new design carb which is a 3bbl, built kind of like a Carter Thermoquad but with the small primaries and large secondaries of a Quadrajet. I suspect that these new design carbs will eventually be available in marine versions, they appear improved over traditional Holley designs. There you go, brand new product available and parts everywhere. Rebuilds can be done by a reasonably competent back yard mechanic in a few hrs. Like here on the back of my boat lol....
Do I want to be searching for an NLA engine ECM or an NLA vst chamber for a V/P when the boat's 10-15 years old? I think not. Gimme the parts so I can get working....

 

[QBhoy]

The Ford family of small blocks starting with the 260, 289, 302, 351 both W (Windsor) and C (Cleveland) were as common as Chevrolet small blocks in the USA and were in just about everything Ford built for literally a generation. From Mustangs to F250 pick ups .The simple reason to go carb:
PARTS! when the boat gets older (like 10+ years) look at parts for OMC EFI engines, gone, some parts for Volvo Penta, gone (as in this case) even for some older Mercruiser EFI systems, gone, NLA.

Now here in the USA because of our healthy classic car/restoration hobby/business, carbs will never go away. As I said, I can get all the parts I need for a 32 year old Rochester Quadrajet, these carbs have not been built since 1990, most parts I could still get from AC/Delco or a number of aftermarket suppliers. Holley carbs, are the most popular carbs for hot rods and their parts are literally everywhere. Same with Edelbrock. You want rebuilt carbs you can easily find them. You want brand new same thing any number of a wide range of Holleys and Edelbrocks. In fact Holley's Demon division just came out with a totally new design carb which is a 3bbl, built kind of like a Carter Thermoquad but with the small primaries and large secondaries of a Quadrajet. I suspect that these new design carbs will eventually be available in marine versions, they appear improved over traditional Holley designs. There you go, brand new product available and parts everywhere. Rebuilds can be done by a reasonably competent back yard mechanic in a few hrs. Like here on the back of my boat lol....
Do I want to be searching for an NLA engine ECM or an NLA vst chamber for a V/P when the boat's 10-15 years old? I think not. Gimme the parts so I can get working....
View attachment 328609

Brilliant

 

[bruceb58]

Agree with @Scott Danforth Are these engines not used in Ford trucks over there ??

Not in 24 years!

Agree with @Scott Danforth
Disclaimer about going carb...disagree going carb.

And what multi port FI that is Coast Guard approved would you recommend?

 

[Scott Danforth]

@QBhoy the ford small block or (windsor motors) were being phased out in 1991 with the release of the 4.6 modular motor. why Ford ever tried to enter the marine market with a product they were stopping production for the 1996 model year, no one will know

with minimal support for the marine product when the motors were new, in this case 1995 to zero support for the marine product after 1996, there is little to no means of repair of the ford EFI

however since that time, Ford has abandoned the Gen 1 and Gen 2 4.6 modular motor and all it 2-valve/3-valve/4-valve variants and gone to the latest "coyote" variant or Gen 3 in 2018.

the requirement for both ford and VP in this case is to keep parts available for 7 years after date of manufacture. and they have done so. Parts support ended at the beginning of this century

Mercruiser and Volvo loosely based their GM EFI motors over the years with what was available from GM industrial engines which also came out of the same plant as the GM truck motors. the venerable small block last was used in a truck variant in 1999 switching to the LS motors. however the plant continued to manufacture the Gen 1 small block until just a few years ago.

Mercruiser continues to build certain motors out of the GMPP bin (the 502 for example) since these motors were never offered in a truck

Mercruiser and Volvo were required to develop their own marinized EFI system as GM only provided exactly what was on the truck motors. this is why there are variations in the hardware used depending if its VP or Merc.

even early EFI sytems such at TBI or the gen 1 MPI are no longer available from either VP or Mercruiser. again, going back to the 7 year requirement on support

yet, as @Lou C indicated, we can still get parts for a carburetor, even a carburetor that is over 100 years old, or a complete, brand new carb.

 

[QBhoy]

@QBhoy the ford small block or (windsor motors) were being phased out in 1991 with the release of the 4.6 modular motor. why Ford ever tried to enter the marine market with a product they were stopping production for the 1996 model year, no one will know

with minimal support for the marine product when the motors were new, in this case 1995 to zero support for the marine product after 1996, there is little to no means of repair of the ford EFI

however since that time, Ford has abandoned the Gen 1 and Gen 2 4.6 modular motor and all it 2-valve/3-valve/4-valve variants and gone to the latest "coyote" variant or Gen 3 in 2018.

the requirement for both ford and VP in this case is to keep parts available for 7 years after date of manufacture. and they have done so. Parts support ended at the beginning of this century

Mercruiser and Volvo loosely based their GM EFI motors over the years with what was available from GM industrial engines which also came out of the same plant as the GM truck motors. the venerable small block last was used in a truck variant in 1999 switching to the LS motors. however the plant continued to manufacture the Gen 1 small block until just a few years ago.

Mercruiser continues to build certain motors out of the GMPP bin (the 502 for example) since these motors were never offered in a truck

Mercruiser and Volvo were required to develop their own marinized EFI system as GM only provided exactly what was on the truck motors. this is why there are variations in the hardware used depending if its VP or Merc.

even early EFI sytems such at TBI or the gen 1 MPI are no longer available from either VP or Mercruiser. again, going back to the 7 year requirement on support

yet, as @Lou C indicated, we can still get parts for a carburetor, even a carburetor that is over 100 years old, or a complete, brand new carb.

Amazing info there Scott. Love it.

 

[QBhoy]

Not in 24 years!

And what multi port FI that is Coast Guard approved would you recommend?

The one that’s in most petrol boats from 2003-2010 ish or just after...of course
Or the in house ones still currently coming out the factory in their thousands to present day..and dominating the V6 and short block v8 sector of all boats !