mercruiser 5.7L swap into a 1982 Glastron ssv-177

[jwalsh66]

i recently puchased a glastron ssv-177 and trailer for $200. the hull is in pretty good shape but the interior needs to be redone and it is missing the original volvo penta I/O, drive, and gimble housing. I picked up a pre-Alpha drive for a 228 hp v8 along with exhaust manifolds and some other cooling and electrical parts. will this motor fit in this boat? is the hull strong enough? and how much hp can i put in that boat with it still being safe. i know the original volvo penta came with around 115 hp but i wanted to go 250+ if i can. also is it possible to build a 350 and put on the bolt ons i bought on the motor and drop that in?
sorry i have so many questions, im new to the whole boat thing... i come from a car backround.
thanks for any help you guys can provide.
Josh

 

[Howard Sterndrive]

Re: mercruiser 5.7L swap into a 1982 Glastron ssv-177

not sure why you posted a question about swapping a Mercruiser into a VP powered boat in the OMC forum, but anyways:

no- not a good plan

the Volvo cutout in the transom is larger than Mercruiser used, so the transom would require rebuiding with plywood and fiberglass etc.

all-in-all, you may be tempted at the entry price of $200, but by the time you build your dream boat...even with free labour (lots of it), you'll invest more $ than if you just held out for the turn key version at some marina with a 1 season warranty ready to go.

the 228 parts sound great... but what about steering?... and gauges/electrical... none of that will connect and work easily/properly....you'll be studying electrical diagrams for hours trying to criss-cross manufacturers