Ford 302 V-8 Volvo Glasstron in bad shape--HELP, HELP

I wrote in to find out some steps in getting my 1974 302 Volvo/Glastron boat going again. It had been in storage for 9 years. I found some good suggestions from the participants and launched myself into the project.

After draining the gas out I put some Kreen rust inhibitor in each cylinder and thought I would turn it over slowly with spark plugs removed. To my surprise I found that it was totally seized.

In looking closer I found that two of the freeze plugs were laying in the bilge. I always drained the block but it looking back I remembered a death in the family had messed up all of the things I usually did.

Now I am wondering which way to turn. I talked to a local engine rebuilder and he told me that the 302 Ford blocks are pretty thin and can collapse on the pistons or leak into the cylinder and may cause the lock up. He told me that I was probably looking at a new block and complete rebuild to the tune of up to $2000. They don't remove or replace engines and so I would be on my own.

I asked him if it would be better to replace it with a 351 and he advised me that it would add additional weight and change the boat characterstics.

I need some help on this one. Is the engine very tough to get out? If I take it out should I remove the stern drive first? Or is it even worth it on a boat of this age?

I need some help on this one.

Thanks,

Jim Thats too bad that your engine is seized up. I don't understand what the mechanic means by the block collapsing in on the pistons. You could rebuild the engine yourself to save money if the block is salvageable. You can also buy remanufactured engines if you are looking for a warranty. Sticking it with a 351W wouldn't really increase weight. There is only a 25 lbs difference between a 302 and the 351W. You might have to do some slight exhaust modifications because the Windsor has a taller deck height. The only characteristic it may change is an addition to power output. It was a real downer, especially since I had taken such good care of the boat until this happened. It was a good performer with only 350 hours on it.

I think the 351 might be something to look into unless it causes a lot of problems matching up to the volvo drive. I do know that for a car the two engines have the same bellhousing bolt patterns. Both the engines are externally balanced which means that you will have to make sure that the lower end is balanced for whatever type of flywheel they use in your boat. Most people don't know this and take Windsors that had an automatic behind them and slapped on a flywheel and manual tranny. The result was vibration problems that shortened the life of the engine. Engines such as the small block Chevys are internally balanced so it didn't matter what you stuck on the back of it. A lot of Mopar engines were externally balanced also. The reason some engines were externally balanced is because externally balanced engines run smoother with a lot less vibrations compared to an internally balanced engines. Thanks for the balancing and other tips. I would have never thought of that. I have expanded my set of questions on this repowering in another post.

Thanks,

JimCar Repair Talk's forum.