Hello, I wondering if any on can help me. I have puchaced my first
boat. A 1986 Bayliner 2150 Capri Bowrider with a 350 penta and 280
outdrive. When I purchaced the boat, the ad said it had a rebuilt 350
and just needed exhaust manifolds. Not know much about boat motors, but
knowing about older 350s I thought it would be no prob. I then discover
many parts missing and find that the engine cast is a 1976 350 block
3970010. I know this is ment to be a project, but I have found out that
the previous owner never got it running and gave up. I now am awaiting
a starter as well as other parts and now I am concerned that the engine
will not work with the outdrive. Does anyone know if these motors are
very different form each other. Very frustrated new owner, but knew it
would be a project. Thanks

-T

Sounds like you have a real project on your hands. How can we help?
Jim
"T-Rav" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I wondering if any on can help me. I have puchaced my first
boat. A 1986 Bayliner 2150 Capri Bowrider with a 350 penta and 280
outdrive. When I purchaced the boat, the ad said it had a rebuilt 350
and just needed exhaust manifolds. Not know much about boat motors, but
knowing about older 350s I thought it would be no prob. I then discover
many parts missing and find that the engine cast is a 1976 350 block
3970010. I know this is ment to be a project, but I have found out that
the previous owner never got it running and gave up. I now am awaiting
a starter as well as other parts and now I am concerned that the engine
will not work with the outdrive. Does anyone know if these motors are
very different form each other. Very frustrated new owner, but knew it
would be a project. Thanks

-T

The early chevy blocks have the same rear bolt pattern as the newer ones.
You should be able to bolt up the outdrive bell housing with any problems.
There are some variations on flywheels so you need to have the right adapter
for the input shaft of the outdrive. If the adapter you have bolts up the
flywheel you're probably ok. Is the engine out of the boat? One other
thing that changed around the mid 80's was the angle of the two bolts in the
center of each side of the intake manifold. On the earlier heads all the
bolts line up the same. On the later heads the two in the center of each
side have a slightly different angle. You can use them anyway. If you're
worried about it cut a spacer in half at an angle to make an adapter and
wobble the hole out in the intake. I think some of the hotrod places like
jegs and summit make adapters. I have an early model intake on my 90 small
block. Does it already have an intake manifold on it? Other than that not
much changed on the small blocks until you get well into the 90's. Some
people think the castings were better on those older blocks. Supposedly
some of the later model blocks had thinner castings to try to save weight.

"T-Rav" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello, I wondering if any on can help me. I have puchaced my first
boat. A 1986 Bayliner 2150 Capri Bowrider with a 350 penta and 280
outdrive. When I purchaced the boat, the ad said it had a rebuilt 350
and just needed exhaust manifolds. Not know much about boat motors, but
knowing about older 350s I thought it would be no prob. I then discover
many parts missing and find that the engine cast is a 1976 350 block
3970010. I know this is ment to be a project, but I have found out that
the previous owner never got it running and gave up. I now am awaiting
a starter as well as other parts and now I am concerned that the engine
will not work with the outdrive. Does anyone know if these motors are
very different form each other. Very frustrated new owner, but knew it
would be a project. Thanks

-T