Raw water cooled 440's?????

[danshat]

Well since Obama won't give me a bailout I have to settle for rebuilding my Chrysler 440's. The guy rebuilding them has a lot of experience with workboats in NY and has recommended that I go back to a raw water cooling system. I am missing one heat exchanger and the other has a hole in it. total replacement cost of the exchangers and hosing is almost as much as the rebuild. I understand the shortening of the lifespan of the engine due to the use of the salt water. However is there anything else I need to consider?

Since we are rebuilding our relationship with Iran I figure our economy is on the way up and I'll be able to repower to diesel in a few years

As always thanks for the help!

 

[bostonhatteras]

those engines must be quite old to begin with and corrosion has already started long ago in the water jacket. so its not like your starting with a new clean block. how much less life are you willing to tolerate? you're in salt water? the mechanic has no vested interest in the longevity of your engines, but you do.

 

[yachtsmanbill]

On the lakes, most are raw water cooled...but then again its not seawater here. I'd just rig up a hose connection for a fresh water flush when youre done for the day. ws

 

[krush]

You could also look for alternative heat exchanger solutions: translated, find something off the shelf that is cheap!

 

[Boatsb]

I got a Onan replacement for my genny for about half the factory cost. Brand new. heat exchangers should not be that much compared to the engine rebuild.

 

[MikeP]

Why the H3ll would anybody recommend a RW cooling system? It's insane in salt water. Especially if I understood correctly that it has a HE at present ("go back to raw water") FIX the HE system or, as K says, find something else - though personally I don't know what that would be.

Further, PERSONALLY I wouldn't bother with diesels in that size boat. They will provide NO usable benefit at all over the gas engines. Diesels are great where they belong and gas engines are great where they belong...

 

[Boatsb]

That boat will run great with diesels and will do it efficiently. I know of a bunch of 34's with cummins 330 and they run far more efficiently than gas. That said the cost is a big jump but not so bad for long term and high use.

If you need parts for the old engines give me a shout. I may even have a deal on a pair or rebuilt 454's that would give you better parts availability in the future.

 

[MikeP]

Here's a good article ref gas/diesel that might be helpful as you consider this for the future: http://www.yachtsurvey.com/GasDiesel.htm

 

[danshat]

Ok to add insult to injury the guy want's $16000 to rebuild the two 440's. And that's with raw water and no exchangers.....to which I replied.....GFY! So now I'm back to square one. Are oars out of the question

 

[jim rosenthal]

For that much, couldn't you just buy reman (or new) FWC Crusaders? (which, if I were buying gas marine engiens, are what I would get) You could reuse your old gears, couldn't you?

 

[sammidog]

Just off the top of my head I would say you could get pretty nice used 3208's or inline 6 diesels for $16,000. If not, you could get 2 used 454's for $5000 and buy long blocks for $10,000 and parts would be easy to get. What is your fuel tank situation with the gassers?

 

[MikeP]

That's an insane amount of money for a shop to rebuild a pair of 440s. Maybe I'm way out of touch but as recently as just a few years ago a rebuild to standard specs - not performance work - would have been around 2k per engine or less. Heck, you can buy performance 440 crate engines directly from Chrysler for less than he's quoting for a rebuild. SOunds to me like he's pricing it specifically because he does NOT want to do the work or wants to sell you something else.

You any good at doing that sort of work? Parts shouldn't cost you more than 6-800 per engine assuming nothing major is damaged, Maybe 1.2k if you need new carbs. Hell, if I was in your area, instead of in Mexico, I'd offer to help you do it. I can build gas engines in my sleep and MOPARS are what I did at least 50 percent of all my performance/competition building work on. I realize that's no actual help at all...

 

[SportFishCruising]

Here's a good article ref gas/diesel that might be helpful as you consider this for the future: http://www.yachtsurvey.com/GasDiesel.htm

Thank you Mike for linking to that article. Your timing was perfect as I was just sitting here wondering exactly that.

 

[danshat]

I've found a pair of 400hp 383 stroker engines for 1/4 the price this clown wants for the rebuild of the chrysler 440's. My 12 yr old knows more about engines than I do so please any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Our 36' Hat has gas engines. They are much cheaper to operate and maintain than diesels. The fuel cost is higher but that can be minimized by running slow. Ours get 1mpg at 9 mph. That is the good news. The bad news is that they use 34 to 38 gph. at normal cruising power. The net result is .48mpg at any speed above 9mph. Resale is a problem with gas engined boats except in the Great Lakes. There are very few diesel powered boats under 43ft. on the Great Lakes. The new boat buyers rarely opt for the 80K diesel option as they know that they will only use the boat for about 30 hrs./ year.

 

[67hat34c]

I vote for Heat Exchanger.