Would like to replace 1989 5.7 OMC - Help!

[kakidsdsu]

I am looking for any advice on replacing a 5.7l OMC Motor in a 1989 Seaswirl Corsair 22' (its a heavy boat) with a Vortec 5.7l. I am new to this, and I have been doing research, but I am still in awe. I really don't know where to start. I have read about rebuilt engines, remanufactured engines and new engines. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am on a budget to some degree and will be doing whatever work I can on my own. I will be running this boat in fresh water only in Lake Tahoe at an elevation of about 6200'.

For starters, does anyone know of a quality marine remanufacturer on the West Coast? It seems that most remanufacturers I have found are located in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Next question, what is the best way to go, rebuilt, remanufactured or new and what is the difference between rebuilt and reman?

Next, what special considerations must I take with replacing an OMC (distributor engine interupt for shifting, fabricated bracket for shifter, fit, etc...) and what level of engine should I go for if I am value minded (Base, Crate)?

Finally, if I went with a base engine, including valve covers, timing cover and oil pan, how difficult is it to finish the engine off and do the reman companies usually provide directions? I would need a new or reman or rebuilt carb, mine is hurting and some other minor parts. How difficult is the tuning to get it complete?

Any advice would be greatly appeciated and I hope I am in the proper place.

Thanks - Mike in Tahoe

[marshmat]

I'm Great Lakes and so wouldn't know of any west coast dealers... sorry. Try the boating-magazine classifieds, online directories....

Rebuilt generally means a used motor that's been dismantled and all the worn parts either machined back to tolerance or replaced.
Remanufactured is a term that seems to be abused a lot. Ask the supplier what exactly they've done, what parts have been replaced, if it's been honed, bored, whatever.
New engines- this one's self-explanatory; pricier but usually better warranty.

If you're reasonably mechanically inclined you can get a fairly basic engine (make sure you get all the ancilliary parts though!) and put things together yourself with a good shop manual. Expect to shell out the $$ for the full shop manual.
You're talking about a carb induction Vortec 5700? Most Vortecs I've seen are computer-controlled EFI. Carb tuning's simply a game of trial and patience; keep working at it and you'll get there, bit by bit. Computer is a lot harder to deal with because you need the electronic tuning tools, but some computer controls will figure out how to tune themselves as you drive.

[gonzo]

For example, a new engine complete would be $5,400. Is your engine rebuildable? Take into account that with its age, you'll need new exhaust manifolds and risers too. This adds about $600 to the rebuilt price. A base engine has no exhaust, fuel system, alternator, starter, mounts, power steering or any brackets.

[yokebutt]

I think GM acually sells marine engines, they have a few important differences from the automotive type, but they are based on the same block (from 1955) as the car-engines. Building an engine for racing applications always involves rebuilding it to a higher standard than an engine for general use, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding a shop to do a good rebuild, there are a lot of good hot-rodders around.

Yokebutt.