Car engine in sailboat?

[nimblemotors]

It can be done no problem, lots of people have done it.
It requires rules be followed for safety, which consist as ventilation and isolation of the engine compartment and nothing that creates sparks.

Sounds like you want to build a boat around this v6 engine, which isn't a good idea. Most sailboats use very small engines, not 180hp v6.

Get a small sailboat on a trailer, they use small 5-10hp outboards.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

When I was a kid growing up on Pittwater I specifically remember some guy putting a P&W radial (R985?) on a pickle fork boat. I remember the engine was on a tripod type mount. The power transmission escapes me but when fire it up day came many lookie loos came out including us kids.

Fired up great, all appeared fine. Throttled up and immediately turned turtle. Apparently that's a lot of rotating mass and torque - LOL...

Well you have just touched a nerve with that story...

When I was about 12, in a fit of boat building enthusiasm, I stripped the engine from my line control model aeroplane, put it on a tripod and attached it to a classic swamp-rat style hull I built for the task. I put a rudder in the slipstream controlled by a bizarre little DIY radio control kit from Tandy. I then jumped on a train with my mate, travelled all the way to Zone 2 (!) in Melbourne to a small lake in the suburbs, started the engine, put the boat on the lake and let it go. It travelled about two feet before flipping onto its side, sucking water into the intake and bending the conrod. It was two sad young lads who boarded the train home that afternoon, I can tell you. Still haunted by that failure.

Matt

[crazyoldboatguy]

The huge number of gas powered Atomic 4 engines built by the Universal Marine Engine Co and still in service would tend to contradict the idea that they are dangerous for enclosed hull. My particular model has been operating for 52 years in a Pearson Triton.

Having said that, I would suggest your idea is not practical as opposed to not doable. The problem is, as has been mentioned, that the starter, alternator and ignition system are not of a type that are robust enough and/or safe enough for a marine environment. You won't be able to buy such since they don't make them.

They size, horsepower, torque and power curve of a car engine do not lend themselves to the application in a sailboat. They are just not good engines to use. Can you fit it in the hull? Yes. Will the engine start up and turn the prop? Yes. Will you be happy with the results? If your expectations are quite low - yes. There are plenty of challenges when engaging in such a project. You won't lack for them. Doing it to prove a bunch of folks you don't even know is ill advised.

Good luck.

[autumnbreeze27]

this youtube video will help you with the design...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsMFqKDutoM

[autumnbreeze27]

In all seriousness it sounds like you have this motor and want to buy a boat that needs a repower for a deal and put this motor in it.

Option #1: If you want to sail, buy a boat with a diesel and go sailing.

Option #2: if you like working on boats, buy a project boat and repower it. It will cost a lot more than option #1, but if you like working on boats it will be worth it.

Gas in any boat is dangerous, unreliable, and expensive.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by raymus7a8

Thanks to all for constructive criticism. I have now abandoned the idea.

hey the good thing is that you asked.

These guys do an experiment with gas -lpg not petroleum. The end result, after several attempts, is the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxm3uMy6MPI

[Mirage Gecko]

Probably hundreds of thousands of car type engines still in boats today.
Nearly every inboard engine in ski boats was or is an automotive engine.
A lot of the Halvorsen Cruisers built North of Sydney had side valve dodge sixes.Bucket loads of pommie boats using some sort of BMC engine.Mercruiser was using the GM V6.Can remember a lot of the old fishing boats around Sydney with 6 cylinder Fords.
We had a 24 Ft Danish Coronet factory fitted with triple carbureted twin Volvo sixes.
Also had a couple of 21 ft Haines Hunter half cabs fitted with ford V8s.
Would I do it myself well I probably could but I would not be bothered.However I did put a wipper snipper attached to a prop in one of my Kayaks
Chris

[crazyoldboatguy]

Diesel is preferred.

Gas is fine. Literally 10s of thousands of boats have had gas engines installed and they have worked just fine for decades. It just requires some attention to the fuel system - not hard to do for folks with some common sense.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Mirage Gecko

Probably hundreds of thousands of car type engines still in boats today.
Nearly every inboard engine in ski boats was or is an automotive engine.
A lot of the Halvorsen Cruisers built North of Sydney had side valve dodge sixes.Bucket loads of pommie boats using some sort of BMC engine.Mercruiser was using the GM V6.Can remember a lot of the old fishing boats around Sydney with 6 cylinder Fords.
We had a 24 Ft Danish Coronet factory fitted with triple carbureted twin Volvo sixes.
Also had a couple of 21 ft Haines Hunter half cabs fitted with ford V8s.
Would I do it myself well I probably could but I would not be bothered.However I did put a wipper snipper attached to a prop in one of my Kayaks
Chris

Not one of those is a sailboat. Ginormous petrol engines arent in sail boats for a variety of reasons. Over kill just being one of them.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by crazyoldboatguy

Diesel is preferred.

Gas is fine. Literally 10s of thousands of boats have had gas engines installed and they have worked just fine for decades. It just requires some attention to the fuel system - not hard to do for folks with some common sense.

marinising a diesel truck engine is going to involve exactly the same process,parts and expense as a petrol engine,cant see the point really

[Rustic Charm]

Originally Posted by crazyoldboatguy

Diesel is preferred.

Gas is fine. Literally 10s of thousands of boats have had gas engines installed and they have worked just fine for decades. It just requires some attention to the fuel system - not hard to do for folks with some common sense.

'Gas', 'gasoline', 'petrol' is not fine and havnt worked 'fine' for decades. They have 'blown up' and/or caught fire 'fine' for decades. Which is why marine authorities recommend against having gasoline engines in boats where they are enclosed.

It's true there was a time when gasoline engines were common in 'enclosed' vessels, but they were dispensed with due to the danger associated with them.

Even in places like Vietnam, China, Indonesia and Taiwan where they are experts at converting car and truck engines to boats, they still don't put gasoline engines in 'enclosed' boats. The gasoline engines you see in use in those countries are all external conversions much like an outboard. Because being external any fumes are readily dispersed in the open air.

Let's cut to the chase. Don't do it and live longer. Go to a wreckers and by and old diesel and convert that instead.

[Dulcesuenos]

Wow 26 answers in 8 hours, on a subject where the first one or two was sufficient, yet some one asks a serious intelligent question these days and gets 1 or 2 answers. I have been slow keeping up with the Armchair Admiral plaques....😉

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Dulcesuenos

Wow 26 answers in 8 hours, on a subject where the first one or two was sufficient, yet some one asks a serious intelligent question these days and gets 1 or 2 answers. I have been slow keeping up with the Armchair Admiral plaques....��

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

such is the beauty of the internet...........you get what you pay for,thanks for your 2 cents,admiral

[valhalla360]

With proper precautions, gas engines are perfectly fine. The vast majority of boats use gas engines. If you do something stupid, yes, you can get in trouble. People saying you can't use gas engines is like saying fire is dangerous so you shouldn't cook your food.

From a safety perspective there is not significant difference between a sailboat and an inboard powerboat. Ventilation and non-sparking pieces and parts.

Had Chrysler 360's in our old boat. It was over 30yrs old when we sold it and it hadn't blown up yet. It did have marine alternators, spark arrestors and a couple blowers among other features. I believe the crank shaft supports were beefed up.

Trying to reuse an old car engine is a poor idea unless you just like fabrication projects. The cost to marinze the engine will likely be more than just buying a marinzed engine to start with.

[a64pilot]

I'd say that if done correctly, gas is safe, look at all the little run about ski boats with inboard-outboard engines, they are all gas engines and enclosed, and almost always bought by inexperienced people, and yet, when was the last time you heard of one blowing up?
Way Lawyers sue at the drop of the hat now anything that can be considered hazardous I'm sure has a lawsuit against it, and as far as I know, gas boats don't.

Course now, just maybe if a few Jet-skis started blowing up, I might could live with that

Just kidding