engine swap,rebuild questions.

[sully73]

hey all, new to the i/o game and need some advice. i posted this question in the sea ray catagory too, but think this area may get some more answers. heres the questions
1. i have a 72 19 ft searay, with a 302 ford,its gonna need a complete rebuild before it goes back in the boat. i also have a late 80s crown vic police motor that runs great.if i use the crwn vic motor as a donor motor, should i swap the cam or would this be a decent power plant.
2. i also have a 351w, what parts would i need to replace to make this fit in the boat(bell housing,mounts,exhaust?)
3. i have no idea what outdrive im looking at, it has 888 on it and thats all i can tell ya, any ideas?

im a single dad and would like to get this boat running again with as lil cash output as possible, but i dont want it to be a barge either. this thing has been sittin for several years and im wondering if im getting in over my head cost wise. i can do all the work myself, but dont want to spend a ton getting this thing going. also, since its sat for so long, what kind of prep should be dont to the outdrive to make sure its still good? can they survive sitting for years and still function properly? there doesnt seem to be any damage and im hoping maybe all thats needed is some new gaskets possibly or change out the oil. thanx all.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

The 302 from the Crown Vic would work, but a new cam would be necessary to get you in the correct powerband. The 302 from the auto probably has a different flywheel/dampener since it is a late-80s model (they used a 28.2oz counterweight on the early 302's and switched to a 50oz. unit on the mid-80's+. Other than that, the parts will probably swap over just fine.

The 351w is another good option, and most of the parts will swap over. Howver, the cam/firing order for 351w is different from the 302's (except the 302HO) so you'll have to make a few adjustments there. All 351w's used a 28.2oz harmonic balancer/flywheel. The intake for the 351w is wider than the 302 as well due to the increased deck height, so you'll need to get an intake for it if you don't have one. I would go to a 4bbl if I were you just because it adds about 30HP to either engine's top end.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

The 888 outdrive is a 1.50 gear ratio pre-alpha. It can handle up to 300HP, so don't worry about it. I would probably have the impeller/water pump replaced and have it pressure tested before putting it back on.

The exhaust manifolds and risers/bell housing will all match up for a 302 or 351w. I would take a hard look at the risers to see if replacment is needed, and at least replace the riser gaskets.

 

[carcraze]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

I have done the 302 to 351 on an 888 I had a long time ago. The change is pretty straight forward. Just follow Haulnazz's advice. Make sure the cam is appropriate as you do not want water reversion issues as well as you want to keep the cam in the right power area for a boat.

 

[sully73]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

so why wouldnt i be able to use the newer flywheel and dampner off of the crwn vic motor? i believe itd be matched for the crank and for balance. wouldnt putting the older flywheel and dampner on cause balance issues with the motor? i have no problem tossing in a marine cam and degreeing it for the vic motor. is there a difference in the flex plate and dampner for marine apps?

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

I didn't say you couldn't use it, I was merely specifiying the differences in the motor should you feel the need to swap the parts. The crown vic uses a flexplate, not a flywheel since the Vic is an auto tranny. I don't know what, if any, issues that causes.

Make sure to put in brass freeze plugs in the heads/block to keep from having them corrode through, even with non-salt water.

 

[180shabah]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

Don't forget bellows, gimble bearing and u-joints....

Also engine alignment is a MUST!!!

 

[sully73]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

i see. im glad its gonna be a doable swap. the vic motor only has 70k on it and ran great when we pulled it. gonna swap the intake and exhaust over and drop in an apropriate marine cam. the frost plugs will be a piece of cake.
k, now tell me all about the engine alignment lol. i do lazer alignments on gear box motor setups at work, so i know how a few tho diff can cause a ton of vibes. is there a link you guys know of you can point me to? oh and shabah, they are all ordered lol. didnt see the use of tossing the old ones back on just to find a water leak later and have to pull again. taking the exhaust down to the machine shop and having a bubby do a pressure test on it to see if the crack is only external and weldable or if its just gonna dump water in the motor. hoping for the best.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

You just need to borrow/purchase an engine alignment tool which inserts from the outside through the u-joint bellows and allows you to center the engine (up/down) with the gimbal bearing. Very simple to use.

 

[carcraze]

Re: engine swap,rebuild questions.

When you have it out check the rear motor mounts not sure if that one uses the fibre and spring washers in the rear mount stack up (been a while). They shoud be shown in the manual but failure to put them in correctly or if the mounts have been damaged causes a lot of woes in the engine alignment procedure.