carby or fuel injection

[Steve in SoCal]

Oop's pressed the wrong button;

I see not many are fans of EFI on boats, the advantages that EFI offer just don't amount to much and a carburetor is not a second choice. The areas that EFI are better in pertain to start up and warm up emissions to a large degree. Unless your boat has to meet a smog regulation I see no need to go to EFI and as I said you will not see any fuel saving with EFI and the cost would buy a lot of gas to putt around in your boat. Spend your money where it will be enjoyed.

Steve

[kmg3356]

Krush.. i am in the same boat as you were in . no pun intended..i have twin 350 crusaders in my boat and they came with cutler injection systems. They dont seem to be working well and are alway displaying errors. Were you sucessful in replacing it carbs ? If so what do i need.

Thanks

Keith

[fasteddy106]

I can rebuild my carb in my sleep, even coax the boat home in a fix. When an injector clogs, or there is an electrical issue, rolls and waves make it tough to fix out of port.

A boat environment plus all the added electronics of modern injection systems are in my view a bad mix. Plus retro-fitting new systems on old technology always makes for an entertaining adventure most of us could live without.

[krush]

Holy thread from the dead.

Anyway, I swapped over intake manifold, mechanical fuel pump (had to buy a pump pushrod because the guy removed them), carbs, and fuel water separator that bolts on the engine. Cleaning the damn gasket surfaces took the longest.

Once I get it all together the boat ran better than with the carbs than it ever did with fuel injection. Somebody spent a pretty penny on the cutler, but it was just not advance enough at the time.

[powerabout]

Ajbale
Is it a stock Mercruiser or a custom?
If its a stocker I would spend the money on a better rebuild.
You can run higher compression than a stocker as fuel in Australia is of a higher octane than the US.
Plenty more to do to a BBC to make then run better than a stocker in a recreational/commercial use;
float the wrist pins,
use the smallest port version of the heads you can find and get them ported, use roller rockers, a cam button,
balance it
Use aftermarket inlet manifold as the stock cast iron makes several cylinders run lean
etc.
I would only do all this on a heat exchanged engine though.
( start with a roller cam block would be the preferred version as well)

[boatmech]

ive got a 70 slickcraft with twin 350 crishcraft engines the port motor is locked up the starboard is week im going to have to pull them both and rebuild them is there any advice

[fasteddy106]

I'm sure the 1st thing you are going to do is figure out what made the engine lock up, then go from there. You can do the rebuilds yourself with the help of a good machine shop that knows boat engines. It is not that tough, mostly time consuming, but you can save a few thousand in the process and you will know the job was done right and what you have vs. the uncertainty of a box engine and the prospect of warranty problems.

Seeing as how you are yanking the engines, be sure to have the manifolds cleaned and pressure tested. Good time to check out the rest of the drivetrain also and replace what is marginal.

Good Luck!

[boatmech]

Thanks Fasteddy Ive Rebuiltlots Of Car Engines I Send It Out To Have My Boring Taken Care Of. The Motor Locked Up Because The Idiot Owner That I Bought It From Let Water Run From The Deck Into The Carb I Sucked 2 Gallons Of Water And Oil From The Dip Stick Tube Believe It Or Not The Top End Is Clean

[fasteddy106]

Okay now so it off to the parts store for the engine kit, best of luck. Last time I used a Sealed Power Master Kit, worked out great.

[The Substitute]

I don't what these people who are coming out against fuel injection are doing to their engines. <removed> Trust me, the next time you are sitting on the ramp with a boat full of screaming kids who wonder why its 105 degrees and we're not moving because my piece of crap carburated engine has once again sucked another battery dry trying to start up; you will then pray to Jesus that the next time the boat is in the water it has fuel injection.

[whitepointer23]

Originally Posted by The Substitute

I don't what these people who are coming out against fuel injection are doing to their engines. <removed> Trust me, the next time you are sitting on the ramp with a boat full of screaming kids who wonder why its 105 degrees and we're not moving because my piece of crap carburated engine has once again sucked another battery dry trying to start up; you will then pray to Jesus that the next time the boat is in the water it has fuel injection.

good one, you should move this to the boat jokes page.

[fasteddy106]

Originally Posted by The Substitute

I don't what these people who are coming out against fuel injection are doing to their engines. <removed> Trust me, the next time you are sitting on the ramp with a boat full of screaming kids who wonder why its 105 degrees and we're not moving because my piece of crap carburated engine has once again sucked another battery dry trying to start up; you will then pray to Jesus that the next time the boat is in the water it has fuel injection.

Never had that happen at the boat ramp with my small boat or the larger one. Of course I make sure the engine starts at the house using a fake lake before I even leave and a minor nuisance called maintenence helps out a lot. I make sure I don't have carb issues in advance. Plus even if I were to have carb problems, I can rebuild a carb in my sleep, fuel injection and the ecm that comes with it, not so much.

[powerabout]

when did your EFI car last breakdown??

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by powerabout

when did your EFI car last breakdown??

My EFI car does not get sea water on it.

It boils down to what you know. Mechanics today just dont know carbs and if you dont know you will be scared of it.

Carb for me too and if your changing the manifold go Edelbrock or Holley on a high torque manifold.

[The Substitute]

You might qualify as a word smith if you could figure out how to properly capitalize a sentence. As far as rebuilding carburetors in my sleep is concerned, during sleep is when I would have to do it because I actually have a life outside being an around the clock grease monkey. Even when my carbureted boat was new it would not stay running in neutral and no matter how many times it was tuned up or adjusted it would always lope. When I converted it to TBI all of these problems disappeared and I have been a much happier boater since. Tell me, do you guys listen to LPs while you rebuild your carburetors?