Crusader engines

Martien · Nov 14, 2004

After waiting a few months, the engines finally arrived. We did some testing yesterday and both engines need quite some work. Not a big problem, just a new challenge and a nice winterproject. It are crusader marine engines (based on the chevy 350) with a Borg Werner velvet drive as7-71c (1.91:1) and a Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. The serial nr. of one the engines is 27756, the number of the other engine is 27766. (From the Crusader indentification plate). On the intake manifold, we found a casted nr. 346250. The number of one of the carburetors is 17059293. If there's anyone who can give me more information about these engines, you would make me an happy man if you would share it with me.

Regards, Martien. The Riviera project

Rainmaker · Nov 15, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Martein, These are the exact engines/transmissions I have in my boat. Recently rebuilt both engines and transmissions. I looked at the Riviera site. Very nice work. Are you planning to put both of these in one boat? I don't see heat exchngers on the engines. That could be bad news. What do you need to know? mike

tommays · Nov 15, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

martien you are the wood man that is realy nice the movie really makes it come alive http://www.kabel.netvisit.nl/~velten02/boot.wmv http://www.crusaderengines.com/ i think the company would want to help you after seeing how there motors are going to be used tommays

Northern Eclipse · Nov 16, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Those Boats are fine artwork.. I like how you and your team have incorporated new world technology with old world craftmanship.

f_inscreenname · Nov 16, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Wow. I thought I kept a good scrapbook of my rebuild but yours is to cool. Just scratched the surface. I will have to check it out more later. I am sure you do good work just by looking at your homemade motor stands.

Martien · Nov 17, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I send an email to the Crusader people. I had been thinking about this but didn't think that they would take the time to answer my questions. After you suggestion Tommays I decided to send them an email anyway. To my surprise I got an answer within a few hours. My compliments!! They told me the engines are build in 1978. Mike, What kind of boat you have with those engines? And how do they perform? What's the best manuel we can use when we start to rebuild these engines? Regards, Martien The Riviera project

tommays · Nov 17, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

martien follow up with crusader while a chevy is a chevy they do a very good job of building a marine motor and will be the best sorce to find what mods they made from standard i have a 4.3 crusader powering a water chiller which now has 10000 loaded hours and 20000 total over a 7 year period (60Hr per week times 7 years) a crusader division takes care of the service and does a great job tommays

Rainmaker · Nov 18, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Martien, My boat is a 29' Phoenix Sportfisher. The boat weighs about 11,000 fully gassed up. When I bought the boat the motors were in stock 270 HP form. The boat performed very well, until the port motor swallowed a valve. With the old motors the top speed was 39 knots at 4000 RPMs and they cruised at 22 - 23 knots at 3200 RPMs. The boat got up on plane very quickly, but I never timed it. The current motors have been upgraded significantly. Vortec heads, Crane roller-lifter cam, .040" oversized 9.4:1 compression hypereutectic pistons, and more. I'm estimating about 320 horsepower with all of the torque available around 2500 RPMs. I kept the Quadrajet carbs because they have superior fuel economy at low RPM operation (trolling and partying). Top speed is 33 knots at 4400 RPMs, but I never go there. Cruise speed is 24 knots at 3200 RPMs. With the 1.91:1 reduction transmissions and the 17" x 17" props, the boat gets on plane in less than 5 seconds (honestly). So I'm real pleased with the performance of the motors since rebuild. The best source of info for rebuilding those engines is a good book on rebuilding small block Chevy engines, augmented by a book called "Small Block Chevy Marine Performance", by Dennis Moore. The transmissions are easy to rebuild if you are mechanically inclined and have a some experience. But you'll need a manual. However, the best manuals are the ones produced by Borg Warner years ago when they built the transmissions. Velvet Drives are now built by a company called Velvet Drive (really), and their manuals are not as good. I don't know where to find the old BW books, I borrowed from a friend, but the job is not impossible with the VD books. Just take a lot of photgraphs during dis-assembly. Try this site for transmission questions and to purchase manuals: http://www.marinegears.com/techboard/index.html Also, if you bought the motors as a pair, one may be reverse-rotation. Is that true? That should be enough to you started. Again, beatifull work!!! mike

Martien · Nov 20, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Thanks again for the information. We did buy the engines as a pair and one of the engines is reverse-rotation. The people from Crusader have been very helpfull. I already ordered a manuel of the engine and have a copy from the transmission manuel. Is that 1,91:1 transmission together with a 17" prop suitable for a boat like our Riviera? Normally they use a 1:1 - 1.5:1 with a smaller prop. Regards, Martien The Riviera project

tommays · Nov 20, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

martien my bother in law owns a 1975 correct craft which is a mid engine ski boat with a V-8 velvet drive trans they go through the water very in a very clasic way and will be close to what you are doing all there current models use a trans from 1.23:1 to 1.46:1, props are one of the hardest things to do with out just trying them it sounds like the trans was from a much bigger boat it will move your boat but may not be the best combo but you really wont no with out trail and error http://www.correctcraft.com/ tommays

Rainmaker · Nov 22, 2004

Re: Crusader engines

Martien, Yes, the 1.91:1 transmissions were used to swing a bigger prop at slower prop RPMs in order to keep the props nearly square. 17" in my case. You would most likely want to swing a 14" square or maybe a 15" square for a boat the size of the Rivera. So a 1.91:1 transmission would make your engine rev too high. 1:1 with a 14" square prop would probably be close. As Tommays stated, it will be trial and error with prop pitch. The reduction housing is the rear part of the transmission. However, I don't believe you can just remove the reduction unit to convert the 1.91:1 to a 1:1. Consult the forum provided in an earlier message to confirm that. mike

Crusader engines

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