Project Fuggly - No Longer Fuggly And Splashed!!!!!!

[yoboat]

Great thread!

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks, it has been an interesting build!

 

[GA_Boater]

561 pounds. Man that's one heavy sucker!

The block must be made of cast iron.

 

[Willyclay]

A bud had a 1970-something 21ft T-Craft cabin cruiser with the Chevy 250/I-6 by Mercruiser and I was very surprised at the power it had plus how well that big beast performed. Good luck with saving yours and some money. If you do have to replace the 250, I vote for the 4.3LX. My son's 1995 Ebbtide 192 bowrider has one with the Weber version of the Quadrajet and it will tickle 50mph with pretty good fuel consumption. Good luck!

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks for the thoughts Willy, I was originally looking for a 4.3 when I found this engine. I have had one before and they do run really well. At this point I really don't want to change over to a 4.3.....just all the changes to the boat to accommodate a V6 aren't worth it to me right now. If I do upgrade, it will most likely be a V8 at some point. But right now I just want to get the engine in, then wrap up all the odds and end. I'll run her a few seasons, and then maybe change if the inline isn't cutting it. Realistically this is just a cruiser, hauling everyone and the ice chest from beach to beach!

 

[archbuilder]

The hone showed up today, so I guess we will see what happens this weekend. If things clean up within reason, then it will be start ordering parts and putting things back together......I will most likely ship the head off to have the intake boss removed and have it ported, polished....hardened seats installed and maybe bigger valves. The power in these is in the head, I am thinking about springing the bucks on that. I can always put it on another short block if this one doesn't work out.

 

[chevymaher]

I got a ball hone like that. You are going to like this.

 

[Sea18Horse]

It's nice that you have the block in a proper shop where you can hot tank it if you choose to use it. That's something I wish I could have done. that way you can flush and brush out the oil galleys properly. Also I wish I'd have had a ball hone. When we did mine we just had a bar hone. It left a little bit of shadow in places. i'd have liked to have gone over it lightly with a ball hone after but oh well.

Good luck with it! I'm sure it'll turn out great no matter which way you choose to go.

Cheers.............................Todd

 

[Corjen1]

Well, Fuggly has come a long ways since I last checked on you!! Sorry to see the motor trouble. All the work looks great as usual!!

Boomer Sooner!!!!

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks Corr, Boomer Sooner!

 

[archbuilder]

Hope everyone is having a good week. Mine has been good, just busy with work! I did get the book I ordered, I have been reading that here and there. A lot of it is more drag racing oriented, but it does have a lot of good info on things relevant for this application. With my Sooners in the playoffs, the Saturdays will be freed up to make some more progress. I swear we have never had more 11am games than this year! I hate having the networks dictating that!

 

[archbuilder]

 

[mickyryan]

lil late on this post but the difference i have found with a car water pump is that it has outlets for the heater core where as boat don't, also car typically has a stamped steel impeller where as a marine might have cast iron, either way i wouldn't be afraid to use the automotive on fresh water. looking forward to the rebuild! btw one thing to consider is smaller displacement usually takes the rpm better but either case valve float will be the issue at higher rpm , look to doing some head work and it will sing at 5k all day long np i believe if i remember right press in studs were a issue with the strait 4 and 6 so look to add threaded studs if it can be in the budget.

 

[archbuilder]

Thanks Micky, I think I already have someone picked out to give the heads an overhaul. Spending money on them is certainly worth it in terms of power gains.

 

[archbuilder]

I have a quick update on the engine saga, lol! I honed the cylinders yesterday and they aren't perfect, but not bad all things considered. So at this point time to order some parts, start cleaning up things and ready to put back together.

I spent most of my day trying to shoe horn a little giant solvent pump into my Chinese parts washer. Not surprisingly the Chinese pump died shortly after I got it. Now that I think about it I spent most of the day looking at brass fitting thinking....ok this here, that there.....no that doesn't work either.......May have maxed out my credit card on brass today! I made progress, but looks like an ace run in the am! I did complete reinforcing the sheetmetal parts tray in the washer with some 1" angle. I am pretty sure anything heavier than a 4 cylinder camshaft would have folded it into taco. I also ordered a sealed switch tonight to replace the worthless rocker switch it came with.

I am going to work on starting to order parts tomorrow. Hopefully things start coming in next week so I can work on the short block while I am off Christmas - New Years. I am going to make a phone call on Monday, but I think I am going to ship the head out to have it overhauled. All of my research seems to keep pointing back to one guy. Assuming I am comfortable after talking to him, I think I will have him give it the big performance overhaul.....Guess we will see what he says!

 

[mickyryan]

those brass fittings add up dont they? when i was doing my closed cooling and the guy goes ok 220 plus tax i asked if they were gold , lol

 

[archbuilder]

The good news is I get to take about 70% of them back.....plumbing!

 

[archbuilder]

I woke up at 4 and couldn't sleep, some how I ended up thinking about my plan on venting the engine compartment. I haven't liked the current one, despite a LOT of thinking and planning. I had a new, sort of, idea this morning...I toyed with making my own cowl vents and having them chromed or breaking them out of stainless sheetmetal. But after searching for a long time, I found a couple of oddball sized stainless sheetmetal clam shells that I think I can modify. Should be interesting to see if modifying them will work and also look good. Yep, lets make it complicated......:bounce:

 

[mickyryan]

love re purposing! Check door handles too , they have some good sized clam shell ones that might work modified...
Sam still teased me about stealing the wife's wooden dining room chairs for the first wooden boat i did but they fit the look!

 

[sphelps]

Yeah you take your life into your own hands when you start using the Admirals furniture to finish your boat projects .. Better hide the frying pans if we see the porch furniture show up in the BW project ..