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Cuda
01-09-2002, 06:11 PM
Wow, swapping engines is just like the construction business, (which I am in), the only thing you can be sure of, is that it will take longer and cost more! redface.gif

I had to swap oudrives, which entailed another transom assemble, had to change to 4 inch risers. When I got the outdrive, several parts were missing or didn't fit. Luckily the mech took the outdrive apart, and found it didn't have a water pump in it.(guess they had a different way of cooling). Then the fuel fill hose was right up against the exhaust manifolds, so we have to rerout it. Then yesterday, the engine was finally installed, and when they went to put the outdrive on, they found that one of the ears that stick out (some kind of thrust support) was bent and the outdrive wouldn't go on. He didn't want to try to bend it back, in case he broke it,(I don't blame him), so today my dad and I went down and bent it back with an iron block, a wedge and a goodly sized ball peen hammer. You know the saying, "don't force it, use a bigger hammer!" I am glad we got it back in shape, otherwise the engine and transom assembly would have had to come back out, not to mention the gimbal would have to be purchased too, and I am already probably three times over budget!(sounds like a goverment project doesn't it). Now I am quite sure that the engine box won't fit back on due to the high rise intake. I figure I will have to build a new box, but I was kind of planning on building it into a sundeck type anyway.

On the good side, the mech said he had fired up the engine before he installed it and it sounded very good. I sure hope the performance warrants all this time and money I have put in it.

If I had to do it all over again, I believe I should have just bought a boat that was powered the way I wanted it in the first place. biggrin.gif

Shouldn't be long now. Now I just have to deal with the prop issues. I was also thinking of putting FWC on it before I put it in salt water. I don't think the aluminum intake would last long in the salt environment.

Of course the weather dropped into the 30's last night, and the wind will probably howl until May!

Donzigo
01-13-2002, 09:48 AM
I have 2 1989 Donzis. One with FWC and one without. If you are going to do FWC, do it before you ever dip the boat in salt. If it has been operated in salt previously, the FWC is of marginal value to add it after the fact. I have a Z-25 w 454 MPI FWC and Z-33 w 2 454's not FWC. In 2 years, when the Z-33 engines puke, I'll definitely go back with FWC engines. It's worth it.

Just my 2 cents.

Richard (Donzigo from St. Pete.) cool.gif

Cuda
01-14-2002, 05:47 PM
This engine and outdrive has never been in salt, that is why I am thinking of FWC now.

Cuda
01-20-2002, 08:07 AM
Finally got it back Friday. We took it to lake Seminole for the shakedown cruise. The engine ran flawlessly. I am trying out different props. Yesterday, I tried a 24 inch Turbo prop. It seemed to give a good overall performance. I never did open it all the way up, I wanted to run it, then check everything before I let the big dog eat. Of course, I left the gps at home, so I couldn't get a speed reading. All I know, it is a hell of a lot faster than it was. When we were making the runs, the boat was heeling pretty heavily to the port side. I was wondering if it was due to the prop, so I stuck on a 19" cleaver prop just to check. It still heeled pretty badly. It wasn't until I put it on the trailer that I figured it was because I had the swim step down on that side rolleyes.gif . We are headed to the St Pete boat show this morning, if I get back in time, I am going to go back to the lake with the gps and the swim step up biggrin.gif .