Boats For Sale:
Ford to Chevy Swap |
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sam57 
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Joined: December-07-2007 Location: North Canton, O Status: Offline Points: 360 |
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 Topic: Ford to Chevy SwapPosted: May-16-2014 at 12:05pm |
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Hi guys,
My 77 Southwind 20 with a 351 PCM has some engine issues and will need rebuilt. I have a chance to buy an indenticle boat with a bad hull but a strong running rebuilt Chevy 350 Merc with a velvet drive. How difficult of a engine swap would this be? Sam |
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baitkiller
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Joined: October-11-2011 Location: SW Florida Status: Offline Points: 1693 |
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Posted: May-16-2014 at 12:49pm |
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Piece of cake but everybody will talk you out of it.
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Jesus was a bare-footer.............
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Posted: May-16-2014 at 4:29pm |
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I'd be curious to see pictures of the swap project if you do it. Was the Merc on the donor boat a retrofit, or was it original to that boat?
The main thing you're likely to get heat for on this site, is if you're changing the direction of the prop rotation on your boat after you switch. |
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JoeinNY
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Joined: October-19-2005 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 5698 |
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Posted: May-16-2014 at 5:00pm |
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Are you sure the merc is a 350 and not a 305? Either way if you are getting the whole boat the swap should be relatively trivial, move everything over, the transmission mounts will line up in the same wholes, drill new ones for the engine if required where ever it takes to line up with the transmission. The wire harness from the boat to engine might plug right in ... either way it wont be rocket science with the whole boat avaiable. Even without the boat it is still not difficult you just might need a few more dollars for parts.
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DrCC
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Joined: April-12-2004 Location: at home Status: Offline Points: 2868 |
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Posted: May-16-2014 at 9:55pm |
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I would doubt the Merc and PCM harness would be similar. Just trace and mark every wire. That should be the only time consuming part of the swap.
and, don't assume both color codes have the same function. I would probably use the PCM harness plug on the engine instead of Mercs round harness plug. Merc plug can be problematic. |
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8122pbrainard
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Joined: September-14-2006 Location: Three Lakes Wi. Status: Offline Points: 41045 |
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Posted: May-16-2014 at 10:01pm |
I'm still trying to figure out what an "indentical" boat is??  
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sam57
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Joined: December-07-2007 Location: North Canton, O Status: Offline Points: 360 |
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Posted: May-17-2014 at 12:08am |
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OK Pete,
The donor boat is the same year, model, and color as my Southwind except for having a Chevy engine instead of a Ford, so I guess that doesn't make them IDENTICAL. For what I paid for this I Pad, you' think the spell check would have worked. Sam |
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sam57
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Joined: December-07-2007 Location: North Canton, O Status: Offline Points: 360 |
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Posted: May-17-2014 at 12:40pm |
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I was wrong!
I hadn't actually seen the donor boat so I went to look at it last night and it has a PCM Chevy, not a Merc like the owner told me. Would that make the swap easier and the wiring a non-issue? Sam |
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4947 |
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Posted: May-17-2014 at 1:57pm |
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I'm thinking it being a PCM Chevy makes it a little more likely to also be Right Hand.
Curious about the wiring. Probably more likely to be the same. I would think PCM would keep a similar convention whether it's a Ford or Chevy. I recently learned on here, one think that would make the wiring run from engine to dash a little different, is whether or not the boats have a Voltemeter or Ammeter. I'd say if they are both volt or both ammeter, you have a good likelyhood of similarity. |
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Florida Inboards
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Joined: December-27-2012 Location: Panama City, Fl Status: Offline Points: 265 |
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Posted: May-20-2014 at 12:41am |
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Reminder: Pleasure Craft Marine has adapter mounts that will allow the Chevy to go in the exact same holes the ford was mounted into. No Brain-er engine swap!
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Money Talks! BS Walks! and loose change rides the bus!!!
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sam57 wrote: