Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350 Chevy
OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the same engine
in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser engine. I don't know
if he's referring to the fact that they're both 350 Chevy's or Mercury
built the OMC also. I haven't gone to see the boat yet. The picture of
the engine shows that it's definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim

On 11/4/2014 5:35 PM, James wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350 Chevy
OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the same engine
in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser engine. I don't know
if he's referring to the fact that they're both 350 Chevy's or Mercury
built the OMC also. I haven't gone to see the boat yet. The picture of
the engine shows that it's definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim


If you are asking for general opinions on the boat, here's mine:

That's a pretty old boat. A lot depends on how it was maintained, how
many hours are on the engine, the condition of just about everything,
and on and on and on.

IIRC a marine gas engine, well maintained is good for about 1,000 to
1,500 hours of operation before a rebuild or repower typically becomes
necessary. Do you know if it has been re-powered? How many hours are
on it?

Same with the outdrive. They need maintenance and rebuilds from time to
time.

Engine and outdrive rebuilds/replacements aren't cheap.

Boats are money pits to begin with. Older ones with lots of hours on
them are even more so. Don't ask how I know.

Only other comment is that a Bayliner of that vintage isn't worth much.

On Tuesday, November 4, 2014 2:35:36 PM UTC-8, James wrote:
Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350 Chevy
OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the same engine
in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser engine. I don't know
if he's referring to the fact that they're both 350 Chevy's or Mercury
built the OMC also. I haven't gone to see the boat yet. The picture of
the engine shows that it's definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim

Mercury and OMC ar3e two diffreent inteties. The engine is a GM v-8 in both applications, and should serve you well. There were minor differences in the applications that really didn't have to do with the engine[s]. Like water manifolds, altrnator, etc. but the engines are about the same. I believe OMC did use the volvo outdrives for a while which is also a good lower unit.. . This is a far better choice than the old OMC stringer drives by far. In fact the Volvo outdrive is probably better built than the merceuisers. Parts availability is much easier for the Volvo than OMC, but they are pricey if parts are needed.

Understand that you're looking at at cose to a 40 year old boat, that though it may have been maintained well, it could still have some hull/structure issues in which repair issues may be way more than the boat is worth.

Not to be insulting, but just saying you need to be very cautious about it. If I was going to buy something like that, it's have to be just about scrap price and I'd have a very experienced boat mechanic look it over. It may cost you a couple hundred, but the mechanic can address some issues that you might not be aware of.

Good luck!

On Tuesday, November 4, 2014 3:18:47 PM UTC-8, Mr. Luddite wrote:


Boats are money pits to begin with. Older ones with lots of hours on
them are even more so. Don't ask how I know.

Only other comment is that a Bayliner of that vintage isn't worth much.

I absolutely agree! One thing about the 70's Bayliners is that they were a lot better built then they were in the 90's when they started cutting corners and using substandard materials and went to heck in the proverbial hand basket.

On Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:35:34 -0600, "James"
wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350 Chevy
OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the same engine
in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser engine. I don't know
if he's referring to the fact that they're both 350 Chevy's or Mercury
built the OMC also. I haven't gone to see the boat yet. The picture of
the engine shows that it's definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim

===

Jim, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to find a bargain boat
but trust me when I say that the purchase price is just the tip of the
iceberg. When you buy a boat of that type that is 30 or 40 years old,
it is a project boat at best, and without doubt a money pit. I owned
a 1978 Winner 24 for a while that I bought back in the 90s. It had a
350 cid Mercruiser engine and outdrive. I got a few good years out
of the boat and had a lot of fun with it, but eventually had to get
rid of it because of perpetual maintenance issues.

You can buy these boats for pennies on the dollar because their best
years are behind them, and the current owner is no longer happy with
their investment. Unless you are a marine mechanic with good access
to old, obsolete spare parts, I'd look for something easier to
maintain - maybe an outboard in the 17 or 18 foot range.

Wayne.B wrote:

On Tue, 04 Nov 2014 16:35:34 -0600, "James"
wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350
Chevy OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the
same engine in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser
engine. I don't know if he's referring to the fact that they're
both 350 Chevy's or Mercury built the OMC also. I haven't gone to
see the boat yet. The picture of the engine shows that it's
definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim

===

Jim, I appreciate the fact that you are trying to find a bargain boat
but trust me when I say that the purchase price is just the tip of the
iceberg. When you buy a boat of that type that is 30 or 40 years old,
it is a project boat at best, and without doubt a money pit. I owned
a 1978 Winner 24 for a while that I bought back in the 90s. It had a
350 cid Mercruiser engine and outdrive. I got a few good years out
of the boat and had a lot of fun with it, but eventually had to get
rid of it because of perpetual maintenance issues.

You can buy these boats for pennies on the dollar because their best
years are behind them, and the current owner is no longer happy with
their investment. Unless you are a marine mechanic with good access
to old, obsolete spare parts, I'd look for something easier to
maintain - maybe an outboard in the 17 or 18 foot range.

Actually I'm a pretty good boat mechanic having owned and maintained a
28' sailboat which we trailer sailed. It had a Volvo-penta in it and no
one around here could work on it so I learned how. Got to be a bit of
an effort to step the mast as we got older so we decided to switch to a
cabin cruiser. Chevy's are defiantly easier and there are a lot of
boats with Volvo outdrives around here and several good dealers and
mechanics. We're land locked so it has to have a trailer and will live
at our house. I'm well aware that it depends on upkeep and maintenance.
In some cases the boat is being sold because of too many boats, the
owner moved up or down or has to move out of the area. Besides I like
old boats and if I could afford it I'd buy a classic wooden Chriscraft
runabout or similar but I'd hate to hang downriggers and rod holders on
it. Jim

Mr. Luddite wrote:

On 11/4/2014 5:35 PM, James wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350
Chevy OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the
same engine in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser
engine. I don't know if he's referring to the fact that they're
both 350 Chevy's or Mercury built the OMC also. I haven't gone to
see the boat yet. The picture of the engine shows that it's
definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim


If you are asking for general opinions on the boat, here's mine:

That's a pretty old boat. A lot depends on how it was maintained,
how many hours are on the engine, the condition of just about
everything, and on and on and on.

IIRC a marine gas engine, well maintained is good for about 1,000 to
1,500 hours of operation before a rebuild or repower typically
becomes necessary. Do you know if it has been re-powered? How many
hours are on it?

Same with the outdrive. They need maintenance and rebuilds from time
to time.

Engine and outdrive rebuilds/replacements aren't cheap.

Boats are money pits to begin with. Older ones with lots of hours on
them are even more so. Don't ask how I know.

Only other comment is that a Bayliner of that vintage isn't worth
much.

Actually I was asking if Mercury had built or acquired OMC. I think
what the owner was referring to was that both his boats had 350 Chevys.
One is a OMC and the other is a Mercuiser. I also know that B.O.A.T
means break out another thousand or Boat is a hole in the water
surrounded by fiberglas. We're looking for a cabin cruiser that will
fill our requirements and not brake the bank. A little work is ok. I've
pass up several that need engines and major work. I'm looking for a
happy medium and it's out there somewhere. I'm not in a major hurry.

On 11/5/2014 10:56 AM, James wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

On 11/4/2014 5:35 PM, James wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a 350
Chevy OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has the
same engine in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser
engine. I don't know if he's referring to the fact that they're
both 350 Chevy's or Mercury built the OMC also. I haven't gone to
see the boat yet. The picture of the engine shows that it's
definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim


If you are asking for general opinions on the boat, here's mine:

That's a pretty old boat. A lot depends on how it was maintained,
how many hours are on the engine, the condition of just about
everything, and on and on and on.

IIRC a marine gas engine, well maintained is good for about 1,000 to
1,500 hours of operation before a rebuild or repower typically
becomes necessary. Do you know if it has been re-powered? How many
hours are on it?

Same with the outdrive. They need maintenance and rebuilds from time
to time.

Engine and outdrive rebuilds/replacements aren't cheap.

Boats are money pits to begin with. Older ones with lots of hours on
them are even more so. Don't ask how I know.

Only other comment is that a Bayliner of that vintage isn't worth
much.

Actually I was asking if Mercury had built or acquired OMC. I think
what the owner was referring to was that both his boats had 350 Chevys.
One is a OMC and the other is a Mercuiser. I also know that B.O.A.T
means break out another thousand or Boat is a hole in the water
surrounded by fiberglas. We're looking for a cabin cruiser that will
fill our requirements and not brake the bank. A little work is ok. I've
pass up several that need engines and major work. I'm looking for a
happy medium and it's out there somewhere. I'm not in a major hurry.



The GM 350 is a very popular marine engine found in many boats of that
size regardless of who manufactures the drive system.

Based on past experience though, I'd never even consider on that has a
carburetor. Fuel injection is the only way to go. If that is the
original engine, most likely it has a carburetor. Just my opinion based
on experience.

My comment on engine hours still stands. Good engine but like all, it
eventually needs a rebuild or replacement. You really don't want to
find out while cruising with the family 5 or 10 miles offshore.

One of my first boats that I bought back in mid 1990's was a 27' 1982
Century Express Cruiser. The engine had just been replaced with a
rebuilt GM 350 and it had an Alpha One (Mercury) outdrive.

Despite the rebuild, the engine was always problematic, mostly involving
the Rochester "QuadraBog" 4 barrel carburetor. Despite several attempts
at cleaning and rebuilds, it never ran right for very long.

Then the rebuilt engine starting ****ing water out of one side. One of
the plugs they use when casting rotted completely through. These things
are usually discovered while underway.

Then the Alpha drive started leaking with the oil becoming mixed with
water. Rebuild time.

Then the hydraulic lines that raise and lower the drive started leaking.
If the engine's carburetor happened to be cooperating, I'd get the
boat up on plane, trim the drive but it would slowly start to lower
again due to the leak resulting in some scary and dangerous bow steering.

Didn't have it too long. Gave it to my brother. If it happened to
start, he'd just putt-putt around the harbor with it. Most of the time
it sat at his slip as a floating bar.

James, I'm liking your approach to this and it sounds more encouraging that you're up for the task and not a novice.

Again the OMC and the Mercruiser are the same engines that you'd find in a comparable 3/4 ton Chevy pickup with the exception of a different cam shaft, steel stead of cast iron crankshaft. The freeze plugs are a non corrosive metal due to usually a raw water application as well as the water pump. The diffrence between an auto and a marine pump is the boat pump has special sealed bearings and usually powder coated inside to prevent water damage to the bearings and also prevent rust corrosion. The alternators and starters have spark resistant shielding as well. If a guy is handy with tools you shouldn't have any problem with maintainance.
If you decide to persue. this project. It'd be worth getting a mercruiser shop manual. The book is extremely thourough and great to have around. You can get a complete shop manual for 20 -30 bucks on eBay.
Keep us informed. Btw there's a lot of great archives in rec boats that a person can look up as well.

Mr. Luddite wrote:

On 11/5/2014 10:56 AM, James wrote:
Mr. Luddite wrote:

On 11/4/2014 5:35 PM, James wrote:

Hi Group, I'm presently looking at a 1977 28' Bayliner with a
350 Chevy OMC engine and Volvo 270 drive. The owner says he has
the same engine in his tournament ski boat which is a Mercruiser
engine. I don't know if he's referring to the fact that they're
both 350 Chevy's or Mercury built the OMC also. I haven't gone
to see the boat yet. The picture of the engine shows that it's
definitly a Chevy and OMC. Jim


If you are asking for general opinions on the boat, here's mine:

That's a pretty old boat. A lot depends on how it was maintained,
how many hours are on the engine, the condition of just about
everything, and on and on and on.

IIRC a marine gas engine, well maintained is good for about
1,000 to 1,500 hours of operation before a rebuild or repower
typically becomes necessary. Do you know if it has been
re-powered? How many hours are on it?

Same with the outdrive. They need maintenance and rebuilds from
time to time.

Engine and outdrive rebuilds/replacements aren't cheap.

Boats are money pits to begin with. Older ones with lots of
hours on them are even more so. Don't ask how I know.

Only other comment is that a Bayliner of that vintage isn't worth
much.

Actually I was asking if Mercury had built or acquired OMC. I think
what the owner was referring to was that both his boats had 350
Chevys. One is a OMC and the other is a Mercuiser. I also know
that B.O.A.T means break out another thousand or Boat is a hole in
the water surrounded by fiberglas. We're looking for a cabin
cruiser that will fill our requirements and not brake the bank. A
little work is ok. I've pass up several that need engines and major
work. I'm looking for a happy medium and it's out there somewhere.
I'm not in a major hurry.



The GM 350 is a very popular marine engine found in many boats of
that size regardless of who manufactures the drive system.

Based on past experience though, I'd never even consider on that has
a carburetor. Fuel injection is the only way to go. If that is the
original engine, most likely it has a carburetor. Just my opinion
based on experience.

My comment on engine hours still stands. Good engine but like all,
it eventually needs a rebuild or replacement. You really don't want
to find out while cruising with the family 5 or 10 miles offshore.

One of my first boats that I bought back in mid 1990's was a 27' 1982
Century Express Cruiser. The engine had just been replaced with a
rebuilt GM 350 and it had an Alpha One (Mercury) outdrive.

Despite the rebuild, the engine was always problematic, mostly
involving the Rochester "QuadraBog" 4 barrel carburetor. Despite
several attempts at cleaning and rebuilds, it never ran right for
very long.

Then the rebuilt engine starting ****ing water out of one side. One
of the plugs they use when casting rotted completely through. These
things are usually discovered while underway.

Then the Alpha drive started leaking with the oil becoming mixed with
water. Rebuild time.

Then the hydraulic lines that raise and lower the drive started
leaking. If the engine's carburetor happened to be cooperating, I'd
get the boat up on plane, trim the drive but it would slowly start to
lower again due to the leak resulting in some scary and dangerous bow
steering.

Didn't have it too long. Gave it to my brother. If it happened to
start, he'd just putt-putt around the harbor with it. Most of the
time it sat at his slip as a floating bar.

I'm with you on Quadjet. Won't even make a good anchor. I used Holleys
on my Chevy trucks except for the last one whiich was a 454 when I used
an Edelbrok.That's mostly why I have a Ford diesel now about 3 times
the milege. Jim