Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

[IrishMist IV]

Fellow Boaters,
I have a 1996 Caver Santego with x2 454 MPI Crusader engines that is currently RAW WATER cooled and would like to convert these to FRESH WATER cooled. The reasons for wanting to convert are for easy of winterizing and possibly moving from the finger lakes region to the east coast.
Does anyone know who if anyone makes a kit to do this conversion? How much it could cost to have a marina (ball park)?? What the parts cost could be?? And should an engine rebuild be part of the conversion??

Captain Pat

 

[Bondo]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,.... San Juan Engineering makes conversion kits, 'n all the parts necessary,...

Who knows what Yer mechanic will want, to do the install,... Ask Him....

 

[jumpjets]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

I've been looking into this as well. I have a raw water cooled 350, and I take it out on the atlantic. I'm sure that the salt water has decimated my engines guts.

All the kits I've found online have been $900-$1400. I can't find a used kit anywhere. I found one on ebay a couple days ago, but the guy had the reserve set really high and it didn't sell. It was a really hot item. The price shot up by over $100 in the last 20 seconds of the auction.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

Fellow Boaters,
I have a 1996 Caver Santego with x2 454 MPI Crusader engines that is currently RAW WATER cooled and would like to convert these to FRESH WATER cooled. The reasons for wanting to convert are for easy of winterizing and possibly moving from the finger lakes region to the east coast.
Does anyone know who if anyone makes a kit to do this conversion?
How much it could cost to have a marina (ball park)?? What the parts cost could be??
And should an engine rebuild be part of the conversion??

Captain Pat

Does anyone know who if anyone makes a kit to do this conversion? I know, I know . . . just did my engines in October 2012 here is a link to my web page on the conversion. Linky: http://home.comcast.net/~tpenfield/F330/F330SS/Closed_Cooling_Systems.html

How much it could cost to have a marina (ball park)?? What the parts cost could be?? $2K per engine (the kits are about $1K per engine)

And should an engine rebuild be part of the conversion?? Noooooo (unless there are OTHER reasons for rebuilding it)

I recently bought a twin engine boat (1996) with Mercruiser 454 MPI engines from Lake Winnipesaukeee (NH) fresh water . . . and will be using it on Cape Cod (MA) Salt water. The engines are pristine from what I can tell by looking at the thermostat housing and various innerds that I could see during the FWC installation. So, similar to your plan, I want to keep them that way once the boat is used/kept in ocean waters.

I would recommend getting the FULL kit so you don't have to fiddle with replacing exhaust manifolds every 5-10 years. You will need to check with the reseller/factory on the proper kit, but mine was the San Juan Engineering "MC324" kit. Cost about $1K per engine . . . it looks like the crusader kits might be more like $1,500 per engine.

Keep in mind that the 454 engines are not made in quantity any more and are pricey to replace. So, protecting them is well worth it.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

... I'm sure that the salt water has decimated my engines guts...

Nah, more than likely just your exhaust manifolds, risers, and elbows.

That's why tpen is recommending the "Full" closed cooling kit, to the original poster.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

I know you have been in fresh water so far but the engines may have way too much corrosion in your existing blocks to convert now. You will be cleaning out your heat exchanger constantly.

When my 454 had 70 hours of salt water on it, San Juan engineering told me I was already too late to convert.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

I know you have been in fresh water so far but the engines may have way too much corrosion in your existing blocks to convert now. You will be cleaning out your heat exchanger constantly.

When my 454 had 70 hours of salt water on it, San Juan engineering told me I was already too late to convert.

Yup, salt water operation, even after a fairly low number of hours, will cause a bit of scaling inside the block and there will be sediment that could clog the exchanger. For fresh water, it would depend on the condition of the engine, but generally, it should be OK. Worst case, would be to pop the core plugs and flush any sediment out of the block.

I think the opinions will run the gambit about converting an existing raw water cooled engine that has seen only fresh water. It might be best to try it unless a peek inside the water passages would indicate otherwise.

 

[tazrig]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

I've been looking into this as well. I have a raw water cooled 350, and I take it out on the atlantic. I'm sure that the salt water has decimated my engines guts.

All the kits I've found online have been $900-$1400. I can't find a used kit anywhere. I found one on ebay a couple days ago, but the guy had the reserve set really high and it didn't sell. It was a really hot item. The price shot up by over $100 in the last 20 seconds of the auction.

Just FYI, General wisdom says not to put a fresh water cooled (FWC) system on an engine that has been used in salt water for more than a year. The reason being is that corrosion begins very quickly and as the salt and corrosion that has built up breaks free it will get stuck in the heat exchanger tubes as they are real small resulting in the engine overheating.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

By the way, a full system does nothing for risers and elbows. They can't get cooled by a closed system.

 

[jumpjets]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

Just FYI, General wisdom says not to put a fresh water cooled (FWC) system on an engine that has been used in salt water for more than a year. The reason being is that corrosion begins very quickly and as the salt and corrosion that has built up breaks free it will get stuck in the heat exchanger tubes as they are real small resulting in the engine overheating.

Thanks for the heads up. I have 2 years and probably 100 hours of brackish and straight up ocean water running through my raw water cooled engine. I guess the best thing to do is just run it till it dies?

 

[tazrig]

Re: Converting Crusader 454 V8's from RAW water to FRESH wate cooled.

Thanks for the heads up. I have 2 years and probably 100 hours of brackish and straight up ocean water running through my raw water cooled engine. I guess the best thing to do is just run it till it dies?

Yes, switching at this point would be more trouble than it's worth. If you trailer the boat than be sure to flush it with fresh water via ear muffs after each use for about 10 min once the engines are up to temp. If the boat sits in the water all season than just give it a good flush at the end of the season as most rusting only happens after you take it OUT of the water. I followed this regime with my last set of raw water cooled 350 Mercs and they lasted and were fine for 22 years. I sold them and as far as I know they're still going strong. Bottom line... don't worry about it.