Twin 4 Cylinders to Twin V8s Conversion Help

I'm thinking about purchasing a 1986 27 foot Phoenix Tiara with twin 4 cylinders. I would like to remove the two 4 cylinders and put two chrysler 360 v8's in their place. the biggest concern i have is the transmissions. Do i need a total swap or can i use the old ones. Any other implications i might come across? Any idea's on this plan? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Please email me at cahooneao@aol.com

thanks,
tom

 

What type of trannies? Velvet drives will work with the V8s. Why Chrysler? They haven't had marine engines for quite a while, so parts are becoming scarce. Chevys get better fuel economy, parts are readily available, and cheaper to boot. I suppose you're looking for more speed, but since you're replacing 4 bangers, consider 4.3 liter V6s. Plenty of power, and reduced fuel consumption. At a cruising RPM around 3000, Chevy 350s burn about 7 or 8 GPH each. Will your existing fuel tankage be adequate? What about shaft size? You need 1 1/4" shafts for V8s. Finally, ensure there is enough space for this conversion, not only room to install the engines, but room to maintain them later on. This is another plus for Chevy, they're smaller than Chryslers by a bit. Check out the Crusader engines web site, they have the dimensions and weights posted there.