Fuel injection small block chevy
 

Group

I am building a 23 foot mahogany runabout to plans drawn by Ken Hankinson
(Tahoe 23). I am installing a small block chevy (reworked 350 cid)..I am
planning to use fuel injection on this boat and am wondering if an
aftermarket automotive injection system is suitable for a marine
application. Can anyone give me some guidance here?

Don Ellard

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

"DonE" wrote in message ...
Group

I am building a 23 foot mahogany runabout to plans drawn by Ken Hankinson
(Tahoe 23). I am installing a small block chevy (reworked 350 cid)..I am
planning to use fuel injection on this boat and am wondering if an
aftermarket automotive injection system is suitable for a marine
application. Can anyone give me some guidance here?

Don Ellard

While the automotive system will probably work, don't use it. Their
are fuel injection systems made for marine applications. Should you
have a serious problem, and it has anything at all to do with the
automotive fuel injection system, your screwed. Your insurance company
can back out of covering you because of the use of non Coast Guard
approved equipment, and if anyone is hurt, their lawyer is going to
have a field day with you. If you want fuel injection, spend the extra
money on the marine system.

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

I am building a 23 foot mahogany runabout to plans drawn by Ken Hankinson
(Tahoe 23). I am installing a small block chevy (reworked 350 cid)..I am
planning to use fuel injection on this boat and am wondering if an
aftermarket automotive injection system is suitable for a marine
application. Can anyone give me some guidance here?
Engineer, not Lawyer answer:

There are several working examples of "home built", "aftermarket" and
"Cooperatively designed" fuel injections systems. Two a
http://efi11.sourceforge.net/
and
http://www.bgsoflex.com/megasquirtright.html

There is some cooperative open-source type effort that has many running
engines, and, I believe some marine engines, but you'll have to Google a
bit to find it. I am considering it for my 350 GM in the boat I built in
1978 and is still going strong. Sorry, I can't find the link immediately
here...

Wether you "Marinize" a carburetor or FI you'll have to be careful,
right??

Mainly be careful about being afraid to actually do anything.

--
Regards, Terry King ...In The Woods In Vermont

The one who Dies With The Most Parts LOSES!! What do you need?

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

I'm trying to visualize what at USCG approve FI might be. For a carborated
engine the alternator is spark proofed and the carb has a flame arrestor on
it. You might be required to wedge shim the carb so the float functions
properly and doesn flood. Oh yah! you need a marine fuel pump if you go with
mechanic..

Ok now let's see, with a FI, were talking about throttle body for the 350.
Pretty standard, no floats, no mechanical fuel pump and the alternator could
just be a marine version.

So what do we have left? Ah! the flame arrestor air cleaner.. Shouldn't be a
big deal to fit one on the throttle body.

I've seen so many dead or dying Bayliners around with rusted out raw water
cooled 350 I/O these parts should be readily available.

Soundn't be a problem..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

"Steve" wrote in message ...
I'm trying to visualize what at USCG approve FI might be. For a carborated
engine the alternator is spark proofed and the carb has a flame arrestor on
it. You might be required to wedge shim the carb so the float functions
properly and doesn flood. Oh yah! you need a marine fuel pump if you go with
mechanic..

Ok now let's see, with a FI, were talking about throttle body for the 350.
Pretty standard, no floats, no mechanical fuel pump and the alternator could
just be a marine version.

So what do we have left? Ah! the flame arrestor air cleaner.. Shouldn't be a
big deal to fit one on the throttle body.

I've seen so many dead or dying Bayliners around with rusted out raw water
cooled 350 I/O these parts should be readily available.

Soundn't be a problem..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

If you think the only diferance in a marinized carb is the flame
arrestor, you haven't looked very hard. Granted, the differance in the
cost of manufacturing one vs. the other, is probably nothing, yes you
are being gouged. But, unless your the only one using the boat, keep
it CG approved. If something happens, and someone gets hurt in the
process, some lawyer is going to take you for everything you have now
and ever will have. A good surveyor will spot your "handy work" when
he's called in to investigate what happened. Your just going to make
the lawyers work that much easier for him. It's cheaper in the long
run to keep it all CG approved. And it might just save your life in
the process.

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

I've owned twin engine Chris Craft, with OEM engines (chev 283) and OEM
carbs.

Rebuilt both and never noticed any difference between them and the carbs
I've seen on those engine in cars. I know the rebuild kits were the same,
including the jets, float level gage, etc.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but I'm still wondering what other
difference there is..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

The biggest difference is that the fuel will overflow into the engine if the
float valve sticks. Or so I've been told.

Mike
**************

I've owned twin engine Chris Craft, with OEM engines (chev 283) and OEM
carbs.

Rebuilt both and never noticed any difference between them and the carbs
I've seen on those engine in cars. I know the rebuild kits were the same,
including the jets, float level gage, etc.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but I'm still wondering what other
difference there is..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

The only difference besides the flame arrester that I noticed on a boat I
once had was the float bowl vented and overflowed back to the top of the
mecanical fuel pump.

Paul
"MIDEMETZ" wrote in message
...
The biggest difference is that the fuel will overflow into the engine if
the
float valve sticks. Or so I've been told.

Mike
**************

I've owned twin engine Chris Craft, with OEM engines (chev 283) and OEM
carbs.

Rebuilt both and never noticed any difference between them and the carbs
I've seen on those engine in cars. I know the rebuild kits were the same,
including the jets, float level gage, etc.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but I'm still wondering what other
difference there is..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

I've 'marinized' a few engines and had many CG inspections. I've never
heard of a "Coast Guard Approved Carburetor". I have read the details of
the flame arrestor specs. etc. The only fuel-overflow protection I've
seen is on some older engines that have a tray below the carburetor at
the manifold-gasket level that has an overboard vent / drain.

If someone can point to more CG-specific regulation I'd appreciate it.

But my next conversion is going to be a VW Diesel anyway...

The only difference besides the flame arrester that I noticed on a boat I
once had was the float bowl vented and overflowed back to the top of the
mecanical fuel pump.

The biggest difference is that the fuel will overflow into the engine if
the
float valve sticks. Or so I've been told.



I don't mean to be argumentative, but I'm still wondering what other
difference there is..



--
Regards, Terry King ...In The Woods In Vermont

The one who Dies With The Most Parts LOSES!! What do you need?

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

I'd be interested in hearing about your conversion of the VW. I herd some
where that it could only sustain about 25 HP continually.

M ike
*********************

But my next conversion is going to be a VW Diesel anyway...

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

If we are talking about the original VW that came out in the early '80s, the
25 HP limit is probably true.

Been there done that.. That engine is just a converted Rabbit gas engine. I
think I remember that it only produced 40HP as a diesel. I blew-up two of
them in my '82 Vanigon. Never got more than 20,000 out of either engine.
Couldn't handle Calif. Freeway (80mph) speeds for sustained periods (hours).
These engines didn't have a tach but I suspect it was turning about 3k at 80
mph. Hole in the block both times. Too many broken pieces to tell which
broke first.

That VW block as a gas engine was teriffic. I had one in a early Plymouth
Horizon. Best little car I could have had for the price. However at
sustained high speed, the oil wouldn't run back from the head to the sump
fast enough. The valve cover would file with oil and the vacuum hose on the
cover would suck the oil into the air cleaner canister down beside the
engine. About a quart in an hour of sustained speed. I just moderated my
speed and drove the car for another 5 years.

Sorry for dragging this thread OT.

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

Steve wrote:
If we are talking about the original VW that came out in the early '80s, the
25 HP limit is probably true.

Been there done that.. That engine is just a converted Rabbit gas engine. I
think I remember that it only produced 40HP as a diesel.

Actually it was 50 hp, naturally aspirated.

I blew-up two of
them in my '82 Vanigon. Never got more than 20,000 out of either engine.
Couldn't handle Calif. Freeway (80mph) speeds for sustained periods (hours).
These engines didn't have a tach but I suspect it was turning about 3k at 80
mph.

Bad guess! Depending on tire size, 80mph in a Diesel Vanagon
(lower final drive ratio than the gas engine models) is about
4600rpm. The engine redline is 4200 rpm.

Hole in the block both times. Too many broken pieces to tell which
broke first.

Cruising long-term at 400+rpm above redline tends to do that :-)

A VW diesel in a sailboat would probably last forever, running
2500rpm, but by the time you 'marinized' it, it would probably be
more expensive (with more weight/hp) than a new marine engine.

Keith Hughes

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

A VW diesel in a sailboat would probably last forever, running
2500rpm, but by the time you 'marinized' it, it would probably be
more expensive (with more weight/hp) than a new marine engine.

Take a look at:
http://www.volkswagen-marine.de/
for the already-marinized VW's
and
http://www.ejbowman.co.uk/products/index.htm
for a supplier of marinizing parts (Exhaust manifolds etc) for VW diesels
and
http://www.lancingmarine.com/dieseliz.html
for a number of diesel conversions, and
http://www.lancingmarine.com/sdieselb.html
(See right columns for two types of VW diesel marine conversion parts).

There are a LOT of boats in Europe, the Eastern Atlantic, and the
Mediterranean, and many of them have smaller diesels.

The US seems to think a Bayliner with raw water cooling is a great
idea...

--
Regards, Terry King ...In The Woods In Vermont

The one who Dies With The Most Parts LOSES!! What do you need?

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

Try to find a Mercruser 320EFI. This engine was offered in the late 80's to
early 90's. All electronics and control modules were mounted on the block.
Instalation should be easy drop-in and wire up. 320 hp out of a Base 350 Chevy
should be a great starting point!

John

Fuel injection small block chevy
 

block chevy
From: Terry King
Date: 3/20/04 9:25 PM Eastern Standard Time
Message-id:

I've 'marinized' a few engines and had many CG inspections. I've never
heard of a "Coast Guard Approved Carburetor". I have read the details of
the flame arrestor specs. etc. The only fuel-overflow protection I've
seen is on some older engines that have a tray below the carburetor at
the manifold-gasket level that has an overboard vent / drain.

If someone can point to more CG-specific regulation I'd appreciate it.

But my next conversion is going to be a VW Diesel anyway...

The only difference besides the flame arrester that I noticed on a boat I
once had was the float bowl vented and overflowed back to the top of the
mecanical fuel pump.

The biggest difference is that the fuel will overflow into the engine if
the
float valve sticks. Or so I've been told.



I don't mean to be argumentative, but I'm still wondering what other
difference there is..



--
Regards, Terry King ...In The Woods In Vermont

The one who Dies With The Most Parts LOSES!! What do you need?

Terry, there is a book called "Small-Block Chevy Marine Performance" by Dennis
Moore that covers small block chevie maring engines, with part numbers, etc.
www.pengulnputnam.com

What are you doing these post IBM days? I'm still cranking on the chips,
myself.

Frank Thoma