Car motor for my Evinrude, how would I do it?

[Switch_knuckles]

I am goin to look at an Evinrude that was listed on C-list. It is basically a shell no windshield. No motor, and no seats. I have always wanted to put a car motor into a boat. How would I go about doin this?

Here is kinda what the boat looks like.
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/Switch_Knuckles/-EVINRUDE--photo-1.png

[codertimt]

Not sure what boat working experience you have, so I'll pretend you have none and say beware the cheap boat project. :) If you're wanting to do this for the fun and experience, then go for it. If your hoping to cheaply get into a boat, well take how much you think it will cost, multiply by 3 and that's a good starting point. :smiley-scared002: I just made that up of course, but a known good running used boat is almost always a better bet. If your a top notch mechanic and can work with fiberglass and wood then maybe it's for you...

Anyway, I'm not an expert, but except for the exhaust manifolds/risers, I think everything is pretty much the same as a car motor for an inboard/outboard. You'll want a cam profile that brings in the power pretty quickly to get you planed out decently. And I think there are marine specific carbs...with flame arrestors or something like that.

For a boat that vintage, I would first be concerned about the OMC outdrive. It might be difficult to source parts and I don't think they have that stellar of a reputation. Of course transom/stinger condition need to be checked carefully as well...

I would say for this kind of conversation, the iboats.com forums would be your friend...

[Switch_knuckles]

I am goin to look at it tomorrow. Not sure what the transoms look like. The owner said the glass was all good, but i will see for myself. I can do the glass work as long as the hull is mostly sound. I am just not to sure about the engine parts. Thanks for the info!!

[bluedragon436]

I have thought about picking up a similar build once my Jeep makes it a bit further... I would def. say see if you can find out what model Evinrude it is... that way you can look on forums such as the one mentioned above and see what others have done..

Looking for just a few minutes... looks like the one in the pic if that is the one you are going to look at is a 65-66 either Playmate or Sportsman.. and either way it will have an engine stock that looks like this:
http://www.ultimate.com/omc-boats/forsale/neal/evinrudeXphotosX003.jpg

So if nothing else you might be able to get a Rotary out of an older RX7 or something and that thing would be a beast... only thing you would have to do then is look into the adapters, which I know are made for this conversion, and maybe replace the outdrive with a bit newer one.. but would be an awesome boat for sure... def. something others wouldn't expect to see on an older looking boat like that..

[OrangeXJ]

There's alot of fiberglass and wood work that needs to be done. To support the weight of the engine and out drive the transom needs to be beefed up and engine mounting rails glassed in the bottom of the boat to mount the motor to and build a engine cover. I took a car engine out of a boat and mounted outboards on it and it was a lot of work to do that.

[LizardRunner]

get some pics and post them so I can assess the condition. At that point I can tell you what it will take to get her into shape. If you want, I can go through the whole process with you on rebuilding a fiberglass boat from the hull inward, motor mounting, outdrive and everything else involved in getting a boat sea worthy. I've done three complete rebuilds from the stringers up, replaced engines in a 75 foot Hatteras (cut the side out to get to them then put it all back together), and even put a 140 hp rated transom in a boat that was originally built for a 50 hp motor.

[Switch_knuckles]

The Evinrude I was lookin at is free, but I have no trailer to get it home on. So I would have to borrow or ent one. Don't have the money for that. But this one has a trailer.300.00 for the boat and trailer.

1968 17 Ft Sidewinder Boat & Trailer. It is clean and in very good shape. The boat is gutted, primered and ready for paint. The trailer has brand new cable and post jack.

http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/Switch_Knuckles/3kb3me3o85V05O35S0b3439f1da764c841bfc.jpg
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/Switch_Knuckles/3n93o83la5X45S45R0b34458d8044870715d0.jpg
http://i913.photobucket.com/albums/ac335/Switch_Knuckles/3k03o43lf5Y15Z25T2b344da6132edacf1c6e.jpg

[LizardRunner]

Nice find! those tri hulls are good riding too.

[Switch_knuckles]

It is more expensive but it comes with the trailer which I think beats a free boat with no trailer. I would still like to drop something with a lil power in it though. I am goin to check it out later on in the week. I have worked with glass before but not boats. What should I look for and what would be total deal breakers? Besides rotted wood and holes in the hull.

[4.3LXJ]

One thing about car motors, they have no provision for boat type cooling. Marine heads on many engines have the water jacket vent into the exhaust. Others use a heat exchanger in the water, similar to a radiator. You need to check this out first before deciding on an engine. Also, you will need to see how much horsepower your out drive will handle.

[Firemanray]

I worked in the marine industry for almost 20 years. I restored many old boats for myself, the last being a cabin cruiser. The right project can be fun, however, nothing marine is cheap. If the boat your looking at did not have an I/O (inboard outboard: automotive style engine) you really don't want to change it over, put the outboard back on it. If it was an I/O and it has a Johnson or Evinrude outdrive keep in mind most parts for the gearcase and transom assembly or no longer available. Converting an engine from an automobile to be used in marine application is costly and not for the novice. There are some things that may get you hurt on down the road if not set up correctly at the beginning. I you move forward with this I will be happy to provide you with insight I've gained from years of messing with this stuff.

:popcorn::popcorn:

[Firemanray]

I have thought about picking up a similar build once my Jeep makes it a bit further... I would def. say see if you can find out what model Evinrude it is... that way you can look on forums such as the one mentioned above and see what others have done..

Looking for just a few minutes... looks like the one in the pic if that is the one you are going to look at is a 65-66 either Playmate or Sportsman.. and either way it will have an engine stock that looks like this:
http://www.ultimate.com/omc-boats/forsale/neal/evinrudeXphotosX003.jpg

So if nothing else you might be able to get a Rotary out of an older RX7 or something and that thing would be a beast... only thing you would have to do then is look into the adapters, which I know are made for this conversion, and maybe replace the outdrive with a bit newer one.. but would be an awesome boat for sure... def. something others wouldn't expect to see on an older looking boat like that..

That right there is a rare breed. That power head was used on the 85-115 h.p. Johnson / Evinrude. It was nearly bullet proof, drank lot's of gas. I've seen that power head used on a small 2 seat production helicopter.I don't remember what kind. Parts for the powerhead are still available.

[ice_cold]

If its a O/B..your going to have to reinforce the stringers and anything the engine hooks to. Big work, been there, have the t-shirt. The transom will most likely need beefing up. Maybe I missed it, but are you looking at v-drive, I/O or jet drives? We built a high revving small block, with a jet drive. was a blast till we tore the stringers up doing bunny hops.

[Switch_knuckles]

I wa thinking jet drives