Chevy 350 engine question

Did he also put a marine cam in it? If not change it out now. Does it have the correct exhaust manifolds on it? Most of the marine ones are water cooled. How is it cooled? If it uses fresh water make sure the intakes are large enough.

You are basically buying a boat with 'no' engine. You do have an extra boat anchor thrown in though.

If the boat is priced the same as one with no engine, then fine otherwise run fast.

The same holds true for any vehicle one might buy. If the engine is in the shape described, it is considered junk or worse a failed project.

Normally those are cheaper just to toss the junk and start new.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile... Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

I agree with Mike on this one. You are buying a boat with no engine.

Anytime a seller tells you "all it needs is" you can pretty much count on it needing a ton more stuff too. If these four things that a mechanic could do in one hour would turn this in to a great running boat why would the seller not have had it done already? Easy answer.. 'cause when those four things are done this jerry rigged contraption is going to run like crap and overheat. I would run away from this one unless, as Mike said, it is priced like a boat with no motor.

Steve B.

I am not sure what kind of cams he put in it. but according to nada guides i am buying the boat under the cost of it running or not by about 5000...and 9500 including the trailer. it has the right manifolds on it. but it used to be fuel injected now it is carburated...it worked fine so i am sure he has the right cams in, until he put the wrong tubes on and blew rubber chunks in the engine...i took it to a marine mech and he said i would be better off buying a new engine....he said a couple things about it but then backed up on some of it. i don't know if he was more just like it would be better all around to replace it then it would be to fix it.

dave

A lot of the shops around here that build race motors also build boat motors. A good shop can turn what you have into a more stout piece than a new motor for less money.

I would believe the marine mechanic.

I have seen a 'lot' of failed projects over the last 40 or more years and in 99% of those cases it is better to toss the failure in the trash and start off fresh. Usually 'Way' cheaper too.

In your case, if he filled the engine block with rubber and water, the engine is pretty much a boat anchor like I mentioned. Especially if it was salt water, but even fresh water in all the oil passages is bad news and rubber bits are bearing killers by blocking oil passages, let along blocking water passages.

This also leads to the question of how smart was the guy? If he couldn't even get the basic plumbing correct how bad did he mess up everything else? Where did these mystery chunks of rubber come from?

The person put a 'marine' cam in the engine or the engine just 'has' a street cam in it? Big difference.

Good Luck!

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile... Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)