I've been looking at a local tub. a badly neglected 18 ft. SeaRay. the
boat is junk, and possibly the engine is shot too!. But the alpha 1
turns well, seems the hydrolic pump is well sheltered, but thats about
it. I'd especially like to have the alpha seeing my Marquis is an
older MR drive, and, I beleive it's much more expensive to work on than
the alpha, and I'd be getting the whole thing. BTW, the owner said it
sat for about 7 years in the open and a year before, he had a mechanic
install a new gimble bering.

Now, this boat has an enclosed cooling system on its 5.7. Where every
boat I've owned is raw water.

I can get the thing for really cheap, about a hundred bucks. and haul
it off. The cooling systems is still full of antifreeze.

SO! I was wondering if there is any advantage to convert mine over to
enclosed? and what do you do with the lower end impeller, seeing that
on a raw system it pumps water up to the engine?

Another thing? is it a PITA to change one over?

Thanks!