2013 Stingray 198lx engine options

[Amyrick]

I have a 2013 Stringray 198lx with a Mercruiser 4.3 TKS. I bought the boat with a cracked block thinking it would be simple enough to source a used engine. Most the engines around me are early 2000's, I haven't been able to find any used newer ones. I've read that the only years that work with mine are 2008 and up. Is there really that much difference with the 96 and up vortecs and am i able to use them.

 

[Scott06]

I have a 2013 Stringray 198lx with a Mercruiser 4.3 TKS. I bought the boat with a cracked block thinking it would be simple enough to source a used engine. Most the engines around me are early 2000's, I haven't been able to find any used newer ones. I've read that the only years that work with mine are 2008 and up. Is there really that much difference with the 96 and up vortecs and am i able to use them.

No any 96 and up 8 bolt intake vortec will work. I did the same project on a 2004 sea ray the 090M block casting 4.3 uses some metric fasteners . The side motor mounts, starter, and flywheel cover bolts are M10 vs 3/8-16…just had to buy about $40 worth of bolts. shouldnt Be an issue if staying with 96 and up 4.3 s . Just be aware pre 96 4.3 will say vortec on the valve cover but not actually have the 96 and up vortec heads with 8 bolt intake.

you can even get a truck engine strip it to the long block and maranize it. are you looking at complete used marine engines? If so they should drop right in complete plug and play

another option is a reman from a place like Michigan motorz

 

[Amyrick]

No any 96 and up 8 bolt intake vortec will work. I did the same project on a 2004 sea ray the 090M block casting 4.3 uses some metric fasteners . The side motor mounts, starter, and flywheel cover bolts are M10 vs 3/8-16…just had to buy about $40 worth of bolts. shouldnt Be an issue if staying with 96 and up 4.3 s . Just be aware pre 96 4.3 will say vortec on the valve cover but not actually have the 96 and up vortec heads with 8 bolt intake.

you can even get a truck engine strip it to the long block and maranize it. are you looking at complete used marine engines? If so they should drop right in complete plug and play

another option is a reman from a place like Michigan motorz

Originally I was going to go truck engine, Yesterday i found a 2000 or 2001 4.3 Jasper EFI marine engine that came with new exhaust manifolds, comes with out drive and all the controls. Guy wants $1500 for it. I've looked at some remans from marine engines 4 less. I'm just trying to get it going a little sooner.

 

[Scott06]

Originally I was going to go truck engine, Yesterday i found a 2000 or 2001 4.3 Jasper EFI marine engine that came with new exhaust manifolds, comes with out drive and all the controls. Guy wants $1500 for it. I've looked at some remans from marine engines 4 less. I'm just trying to get it going a little sooner.

Jasper seems hit or miss In reviews. truck engine stripped to long block swap head gaskets core plugs (some are brass or stainless already) and marine circ pump. Then swap all your accessories over, you should check your intake and exhaust for cracks. My 4.3 had roached exhaust from freez damage

 

[Amyrick]

Jasper seems hit or miss In reviews. truck engine stripped to long block swap head gaskets core plugs (some are brass or stainless already) and marine circ pump. Then swap all your accessories over, you should check your intake and exhaust for cracks. My 4.3 had roached exhaust from freez damage

I've read the marine cam is different too, is this correct? I believe the exhaust manifolds are good. I believe it was all the guy drained over winter. Intake is also good i checked it. I pulled manifold and found the cracks in the valley. I JB welded them to try to get it on the water before the end of the season, but i must have an internal crack too. The milky oil was already 3/4 the way up the dipstick with 2 hours of idleing.

 

[Scott Danforth]

V6s crack internally and externally, you can't save them with jb weld

If you get a motor from a truck, you need to swap head gaskets to marine and core plugs to brass (note, some automotive engines have stainless core plugs)

Plenty of base Silverados out there with V6s

Check car-part.com

 

[Scott06]

I've read the marine cam is different too, is this correct? I believe the exhaust manifolds are good. I believe it was all the guy drained over winter. Intake is also good i checked it. I pulled manifold and found the cracks in the valley. I JB welded them to try to get it on the water before the end of the season, but i must have an internal crack too. The milky oil was already 3/4 the way up the dipstick with 2 hours of idleing.

you cant really jb weld the internal valley cracks, may also be one in the bottom of the bores/ crank area

generally what we have seen here is the stock truck cam is close enough to work just fine. in the old days cam manufacturers would have a class of cams called towing/RV/marine all ground for low end torque with very little overlap.

the exhaust you can fill with acetone as that will wick through cracks more so than water into the exhaust side.

When I bought mine the water had filled the crannk case and blew out the valve cover vents and went all over. had to pressure wash the bilge with hot water and Bon Ami. was a thick paste all over so good you caught it.

If you can find a good running take out from a wrecking yard that is generally the cheapest way to get their. Reman and new long block are cost step ups from there. As long as you are doing the work it can be done cost effectively. If you are paying a mechanic $150/hr you are not saving any money vs complete bobtail.

I think @nola mike took a wrecking yard 4.3 and mixed and matched stuff to marinize it

 

[nola mike]

Yeah, $180 from the yard for mine (I had to pull it though). '01 blazer, at least 200k miles. Should have gotten it freshened up but didn't want to lose the whole summer. I swapped from an '89 non vortec non balance shaft which made it a bit trickier. The head gasket on the '01 was composite and would have been fine to use. I replaced it with a similar mahle (I think) gasket. Core plugs were I believe brass -- non ferrous and gold colored. I may have cut them to see what the inside looked like but don't remember. I replaced them because I already had new ones and it didn't take long, but probably not necessary. Half metric fasteners I didn't know about and is the stupidest thing I've seen in a while. Set me back 2 weeks trying to get the correct ones. I've never got a definitive answer on whether the cam is identical or just close, but certainly close enough. If you wanted to you could swap over your cam. The newer engines will all have roller cams and rocker arms. This would be about as straightforward as it gets. I'd stay far away from a 25 year old MPI.

 

[Lou C]

the best way to do this depends on what you have the ability to do yourself.
if you can pull and install the engine yourself then all the other options are OK depending on how much you want to spend.
I don't have that ability so my plan would be either a reman with a warrantee and have my local boat yard pull and install, or to get one done at a local machine shop same idea. I can remove/install all the accessories, oil pan, front cover etc but don't have room for a gantry, etc.

 

[Amyrick]

the best way to do this depends on what you have the ability to do yourself.
if you can pull and install the engine yourself then all the other options are OK depending on how much you want to spend.
I don't have that ability so my plan would be either a reman with a warrantee and have my local boat yard pull and install, or to get one done at a local machine shop same idea. I can remove/install all the accessories, oil pan, front cover etc but don't have room for a gantry, etc.

I'll be doing all the work myself. My brother has a tractor with a bucket or ill use my tractor with a boom pole. Either way it shouldn't be terrible. I'd love to get a gantry though.

 

[Scott Danforth]

remember, the drive comes off before the motor comes out.

 

[Amyrick]

V6s crack internally and externally, you can't save them with jb weld

If you get a motor from a truck, you need to swap head gaskets to marine and core plugs to brass (note, some automotive engines have stainless core plugs)

Plenty of base Silverados out there with V6s

Check car-part.com

Yea i found that out for sure, worked on my 3.0 figured id might as well try. I also did it so i could test the engine and accessories so i could get a list of what all wasn't working.

Do i need to swap the head gaskets even if its only in fresh water?

I know a guy with a 2008 Silverado with a 4.3 that is the same block number as mine. Supposedly the engine locked up going down the road, I've been thinking about getting it and doing a rebuild on it.

 

[Amyrick]

you cant really jb weld the internal valley cracks, may also be one in the bottom of the bores/ crank area

generally what we have seen here is the stock truck cam is close enough to work just fine. in the old days cam manufacturers would have a class of cams called towing/RV/marine all ground for low end torque with very little overlap.

the exhaust you can fill with acetone as that will wick through cracks more so than water into the exhaust side.

When I bought mine the water had filled the crannk case and blew out the valve cover vents and went all over. had to pressure wash the bilge with hot water and Bon Ami. was a thick paste all over so good you caught it.

If you can find a good running take out from a wrecking yard that is generally the cheapest way to get their. Reman and new long block are cost step ups from there. As long as you are doing the work it can be done cost effectively. If you are paying a mechanic $150/hr you are not saving any money vs complete bobtail.

I think @nola mike took a wrecking yard 4.3 and mixed and matched stuff to marinize it

Yea I'm assuming its somewhere internal. I got it running and let it run for a couple different times will i was trouble shooting the tks system. I believe maybe 2.5 hours of run time and its 3/4 of the way up the dip stick. Guy i bought it from said he winterized it, and when he started it in the spring it started blowing the oil out of the vents from the valve covers like you're talking about, pretty sure it inhaled some the carb is disgusting.

Good to know about the truck cam that helps a lot. I don't mind swapping the cam nut if i can get away without it that makes it much quicker.

I'll definitely be checking the exhaust manifolds too, i appreciate you telling me about the acetone trick. Do you know if the Sierra manifolds are worth buying or should i stick with OEM if i need them?

I'll be doing all the work myself, I don't trust other people working on my stuff, and i don't like paying people for stuff i know i can do. I've only been wrenching on boats for about a year, but I haven't ran into nothing major yet.

I've looked at a remanned long block from Marine Engines 4 Less, while that would be great I'm just trying to stay cheaper. So i wont run out of money for the other stuff i know my bellows, outdrive, and TKS system need attention too.

 

[Amyrick]

remember, the drive comes off before the motor comes out.

I appreciate it, i figured it would have to because of the drive shaft. I did watch someone do it the other day without pulling the drive, but it just seems like it would be easier to do it with it out. This will be my first time pulling an engine out of a boat so it should be fun.

 

[Scott Danforth]

you have to take teh drive off to align it. so why fight removing the motor by leaving the drive on.

 

[Amyrick]

Yeah, $180 from the yard for mine (I had to pull it though). '01 blazer, at least 200k miles. Should have gotten it freshened up but didn't want to lose the whole summer. I swapped from an '89 non vortec non balance shaft which made it a bit trickier. The head gasket on the '01 was composite and would have been fine to use. I replaced it with a similar mahle (I think) gasket. Core plugs were I believe brass -- non ferrous and gold colored. I may have cut them to see what the inside looked like but don't remember. I replaced them because I already had new ones and it didn't take long, but probably not necessary. Half metric fasteners I didn't know about and is the stupidest thing I've seen in a while. Set me back 2 weeks trying to get the correct ones. I've never got a definitive answer on whether the cam is identical or just close, but certainly close enough. If you wanted to you could swap over your cam. The newer engines will all have roller cams and rocker arms. This would be about as straightforward as it gets. I'd stay far away from a 25 year old MPI.

Very interesting, while i probably won't go your route appreciate it. Mine is the roller rocker version and vortec. I'll stick with 96 up that way ill have some spare parts laying around the current engine only has 250 hours.

I'm thinking the same with the MPI, while id love to have fuel injection, the carb is much simpler and less stuff to go wrong on the water.

 

[Scott06]

Do i need to swap the head gaskets even if its only in fresh water?

yes as steel head gaskets will corrode in freshwater (rust). How long it will take ? not sure but doesnt make sense not to change gaskets if you are that far into it.

 

[Scott06]

I'll definitely be checking the exhaust manifolds too, i appreciate you telling me about the acetone trick. Do you know if the Sierra manifolds are worth buying or should i stick with OEM if i need them?

I've looked at a remanned long block from Marine Engines 4 Less, while that would be great I'm just trying to stay cheaper. So i wont run out of money for the other stuff i know my bellows, outdrive, and TKS system need attention too.

Cant comment on sierra but they are known as a better aftermarket. Most of the time you hear OEM and Barr are the best. I have Barr on mine no issues for over 10 years in fresh water. Barr does some OEM casting for Merc and I thought edlebrock but they are not much of a savings vs OEM. Might save money on used OEM fresh water manifolds if you can find them on ebay or from a boat part out place.

While you are this far in it ditch the TKS. get a 4 bbl manifold and put an edlebrock 1409 on it . The 2bbl vortec was rated at 190 hp, 4 bbls were 220 or 225 if I recall, (merc reman 4.3 with a 4 bbl).

Cheapest is a low mile running truck engine converted over. Any running 4.3 bobtail take out will probably be listed for more than a reman long block. All really depends on how long you want to keep it. I went back and forth when I did mine, just bit the bullet and put in a new base engine. That was winter 2015-16. Been trouble free since then so in hindsight was worth the extra couple $k

 

[Lou C]

I have used Barr here in the salt pond and they held up as well as any OEM. A set of these is about $1200 brand new. I'm now on year 7 will probably change this fall if I see anything questionable.
The Edelbrock 1409 is a good choice but keep in mind it's probably jetted for the 5.7 so some experimentation will be needed. I have one of those too in case my Quadrajet acts up again.
IIRC Fel/Pro makes marine head gaskets for the 4.3, I used them in my Pre-Vortec, not sure if they are the same for Vortec.

 

[Amyrick]

Cant comment on sierra but they are known as a better aftermarket. Most of the time you hear OEM and Barr are the best. I have Barr on mine no issues for over 10 years in fresh water. Barr does some OEM casting for Merc and I thought edlebrock but they are not much of a savings vs OEM. Might save money on used OEM fresh water manifolds if you can find them on ebay or from a boat part out place.

While you are this far in it ditch the TKS. get a 4 bbl manifold and put an edlebrock 1409 on it . The 2bbl vortec was rated at 190 hp, 4 bbls were 220 or 225 if I recall, (merc reman 4.3 with a 4 bbl).

Cheapest is a low mile running truck engine converted over. Any running 4.3 bobtail take out will probably be listed for more than a reman long block. All really depends on how long you want to keep it. I went back and forth when I did mine, just bit the bullet and put in a new base engine. That was winter 2015-16. Been trouble free since then so in hindsight was worth the extra couple $k

I'll look into the BARR manifolds if i end up needing new ones. I've never heard of that brand before. I appreciate it.

I haven't looked into the 4 barrel, I have thought about it though. I wasn't sure if the MPG loss was worth the extra 20 or 30 horse power. How hard is it to adapt to the throttle cable and choke? Is it and electric choke or manual? I'd defiantly be interested, i know these TKS units don't have many people that like them.

I plan on keeping the boat indefinitely as of now. If i could get it on the water for under $2k and it last me a few seasons thats what im after right now. Wouldn't mind doing a new base engine later down the road, after i get rid of some of these projects that are bleeding money.