Car engine in sailboat?

[JPA Cate]

I think the OP's long gone, now, but I just wanted to say that we lived with a gasoline Universal Atomic Four in Jim's Yankee 30.

Problems to solve with a marinization include the "blower", the spark proof fan to evacuate any fume accumulation from the boat prior to starting the engine. The ignition system and electrical systems issues have been addressed above.

I agree that the OP's engine does not sound ideally suited to his plan. Might be better to put it in a hot rod and have some fun with it. Or sell it for that purpose.

Ultimately, I think one is better off with diesel for a motor-sailer.

Ann

[Shrew]

There are thousands upon thousands of boats out there with gasoline engines. It is silly to ignore that fact. Agreed that a standard car engine is not marinized and the cost effectiveness of properly marinizing a used engine would be prohibitive. But to say there is no such thing as gas engines or automobile engines in boats is simply ridiculous.


Mercruiser starts with the same GM block as GM does.

[sailersteve]

The garden shed could have used the front wheel drive motor & 4 speed trans. That way it could have climbed over the waves faster than 2 knots ? That my friends, sounds like a plan to me .

[Dollydagger]

Please don't try to prove anyone wrong.get a nice marine engine way less HEADACHES.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

Mods please move this to the joke forum I think it was posted here by accident.......

Now to answer the question on the slimmest of chances that it is actually a real question.

No!

Even if you could get it mounted and working which will need lots of custom fabrication. Like previously mentioned the starter does not have spark preventers and the ignition system wont like salt water. Most importantly the engine isnt designed to withstand the torque needed at the rpms needed to propel a boat without grenading. Even chevy 350s which are almost identical to mercruiser 5.7L wont work because they arent built to take that kind of beating. Same overall design, made by the same company, but definitely not boat worthy.

It is a Chevy truck engine with a four bolt the main. Fine for a go fast boat. I am in no way endorsing his idea.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by David M

Besides the problem with gasoline vapors being potentially deadly, car engines are not designed to be run at 70%, 80%, 90% of maximum load continuously. Marine engines are designed for this continuous high load....which is typical use for a marine engine.

Other than the diesel inboards and gasoline outboards you may be familiar with, thousands of boats are on the water with marinized automotive engines, typically GM blocks that have been modified by Volvo or Mercruiser to become "marine engines". Think Sea Ray, Bayliner, Maxim and dozens of other brands.

Safe if the instructions are followed and pretty reliable at near full throttle.

[Twilight 2]

I am A little angry at the nae sayers. You can put Petrol engines in boats.
Half a century ago there was no choice! 'Hartley Boats' has a manual for marine conversions.
The nae sayers are right in that gasoline vapours are explosive, so, you need to ventilate the whole boat very well. A morris minor engine would struggle to handle your proposed boat but the engine you have in mind will do it easily. The starter motor, ignition leads etc., must be protected as much as possible. CRC or WD 40 should be sprayed regularly. Finally, Hundreds of motor sailors had petrol engines and only a small percentage exploded. Usually because of accumulated petrol fumes.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by sailersteve

The garden shed could have used the front wheel drive motor & 4 speed trans. That way it could have climbed over the waves faster than 2 knots ? That my friends, sounds like a plan to me .

Could have left the half shafts in and added paddle wheels...

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Twilight 2

I am A little angry at the nae sayers. You can put Petrol engines in boats.
Half a century ago there was no choice! 'Hartley Boats' has a manual for marine conversions.
The nae sayers are right in that gasoline vapours are explosive, so, you need to ventilate the whole boat very well. A morris minor engine would struggle to handle your proposed boat but the engine you have in mind will do it easily. The starter motor, ignition leads etc., must be protected as much as possible. CRC or WD 40 should be sprayed regularly. Finally, Hundreds of motor sailors had petrol engines and only a small percentage exploded. Usually because of accumulated petrol fumes.

If this is your only post and your already angry I'd suggest you need to read less on CF.

[Cadence]

The OP has abandoned the idea. Enough said. Lets not beat a dead horse.

[Cap Erict3]

Many an old Ford 300 6 cylinder engine was ripped out of a rusted hulk to push a duck boat in south Louisiana.




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Looking for another pretty place to work on the boat.

[Rustic Charm]

I suspect there are a lot of AS people who follow CF, because whenever an OP posts a quite specific post, there are quite a number that seem to ignore the OP's post and go off on adding context that was never there in the first place.

"A text without a context is a pretext."

Everyone who is referring to professionally marinised vessels with gasoline engines have moved far away from the OP's question. It takes a very informed person, to convert a common auto gasoline engine and safely put it in a sail boat, in a confined place and if the OP is that skillful, then he wouldn't be asking on here.

Thankfully he gave up on the idea on the first page of this thread.

I personally would not have even a professionally marinised petrol engine. There is a reason authorities in Australia discourage petrol engines in enclosed spaces which have been clearly identified as fire hazards. In addition, the cost of fuel alone should be enough to discourage their use, if the dangers don't.

[Ex-Calif]

A guy who gets a free abandoned hull and bodges a car engine into it, makes sails out of old tarps and goes cruising for $12 is an inspiration.

When he blows himself up, sinks and is lost at sea he becomes a warning...

Either way he is useful to the community.

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

A guy who gets a free abandoned hull and bodges a car engine into it, makes sails out of old tarps and goes cruising for $12 is an inspiration.

When he blows himself up, sinks and is lost at sea he becomes a warning...

Either way he is useful to the community.

I like that.

[weinie]