348 marine

[kevymco]

new guy! Don't know much about 348-409. Just picked up a rebuilt 348 marine engine that I was thinking about installing in my dragboat project. No sure of the horse power this would make?
kevymco@yahoo.ca

[Fran Preve]

348 marines were relatively rare, no make that VERY rare!. My production numbers show no marine engines for the 348 through 1962, marines first show up in 1963 an amount to 500 or so a year for 63/64/65, various marine manufacturers as buyers. They also don't show if any were 348's or 409's. I suggest you check if it's a 348 or 409, could be a '09.If it's complete with marine exhaust manifolds I'd be temped to keep it as is or try and find someone who would buy it for display purposes only. A restored W block marine is worthless for anything but that, or a RESTORED boat from that era. Basically it's a lo po truck motor with brass freeze plugs (unless an opposite rotation). With the low compression notch in the bore you haven't even got the help of the extra cubes a 409 truck motor would give if in fact it's a 348.
A side note, they made 348's thru 1965 for trucks.

In 1966 my production records show many more marine engines and that was the first year for the Mark IV marine motor. Because they're End Product engines I list manufacturers but not engine size or Mk IV vs W. I can only assume that beginning in 1966 the marine motors were all Mk's. The Mark IV became a significant marine motor, we built a whole lot of those.

Question, does the motor have a cast aluminum valve cover?. I saw a pair of cast aluminum Mercruiser W valve covers in Florida a few years ago.

[kevymco]

no, they are not cast aluminum valve covers. Would the numbers off the engine help determine what it is? I will try to post the numbers tomorrow.

Thanks for the info:)
Kevin

[brisbane47]

Fran, do any of your shipping invoices mention Bertram Yacht Co. in Daytona Beach?? TS

[Fran Preve]

Brisbane: wish I had shipping invoices, but here are some of the marine manufacturers we built engines for, to their specific specifications (individual assembly numbers).
1963
Crusader
Barr
Kiekhauefer
Daytona
1964 add: Aquanautics
1965 remove: Aquanautics

These engines were built both normal and opposite (but more normal).

All these engines are listed under "EP" user.

In 1966 I believe they changed over to Mark IV's but would have to break down the assembly numbers to see for sure.

Kevymco: If there's a suffix code it MIGHT help but I'd really have to scrounge around to find them.

[348NUT]

Here's a couple pics of Marine engines I've nabbed.:D The first is an 09 on EBay a while back and the second is a Mercruiser as Fran mentioned. It's behind the 6-2 engine. This is Schaefers display posted by Tom K I believe. Tony could tell you more about this engine. Are you looking Tony? :) NUT

[348NUT]

Lots of nice stuff here!

[Fran Preve]

Love that 4 two barrel manifold on the engine to the left. The back motor looks like it has Mercruiser valve covers. I'm not sure about the exhaust manifolds, are the iron or aluminum?. A marine conversion by a manufacturer should be iron, after market marine conversions would be aluminum. Nice photo's.

[bobs409]

Some production numbers for marine engines are listed in the book, "Chevrolet by the Numbers-1960/64", look on page 276.

What the heck is an irrigation engine??? That's listed too. :confused: Sounds like a very big water pumper. :D

[Fran Preve]

That's right Bob, just what it was. Made them in MK IV versions too.

[bobs409]

Wow, I wonder if anyone here has one? :D

That's the first time I ever heard of one.

[walkerheaders]

i'd like to hear more about your "dragboat project".
if yours is a resto project of a historic "W" powerd craft, then, go for it. many 09s churned water. The world would admire that creation. (i sure would)
if you have any intention of actually racing this boat, you'll need more power than 2 HOT 348s could make. sad but true. (example)
i built a 900 hp bigblock for my last (and final) dragboat, ( a HONDO lightweight runner flatbottom) (1992 world champion hull) showed up at the races expecting to mop up the place...... got spanked almost every round.
built a 1325 horse 602 inch big chief headed monster, went 7.40@147 and still got spanked by the bigger boys. but for luck, some skill, and showing up to every race, Wound up as the 1996 eastern division champion. (cost me $30000 for a trophy, bragging rights and some cool memories) you willing to go that far? let me know what boat you have?

[Fran Preve]

I shouldn't post, but I gotta.
1970, my wife and I went to Detroit looking for a cabin cruiser (on advice from her boss). Got to the "tunnel" crossed over from Canada, turned right and found more boats than we ever saw. Drove around for 4-5 hours, decided we could find something here and just drove around. Ended up on a divided highway in Inkster, Michigan. I looked across the way and saw what looked to be an old car dealership with a drag boat in the showroom. Crossed over and drove in the driveway. The service bay door ws open (Sat afternoon). Found out where the GM, Ford anad Chrysler engineers hung out!.

Inside were about a DOZEN Ski boats, most all DRAG BOATS!. Power?. Shotgun Fords, L-88's and Hemi's!. No junk, all primo pieces!. I asked if we could come in, they said sure, asked about my car (a black Ford Ranchero with a 428 CJ, the Ford guys wanted it for a tow car). Anyway, they were all flatbottoms, carbed or blown, neat. I asked if I ould get in one, they said sure, I got in one and asked "(Why do you sit with your knees in your fact (one foot on the gas pedal, one on the cavitation plate pedal)?". "Oh, that's if it flips over you get thrown out instead of caught in it and break your legs". "Really, does that happen often?". "Often enough". So much for my plans for a ski boat!.

In the showroom was a blown alcohal hydro, the "Buntline Special". I asked why the PARACHUTE on the back. To slow it down, it's a drag boat (unsaid, stupid). This is where it gats foggy. The owners last name I believe was Buntline, his son had died the year before when his blown flatbottem blew over. He stilled raced boats however. The sign on the building said "Dooright Enterprises" and there was something about the sons name (fathers being Dudley) and it was a take off on the comic strip. Anyway....

They invited my wife and me to come back the next day and they'd take us to a drag boat race at Ford Lake, the local "drag strip". We did, and went, and they got us in for free. WHAT.....A.....HOOT!. The boats lines up at a platform with a christmas tree, tree came down, WHAM instantly a 30' high rooster tail and zip, thru the 1/4 mile. And then thru the traps and the chutes came out. Anyway I got to actually see a drag boat race, it was quite a sight. Nice guys, great looking boats
but you gotta be WACKED to do it?. No offense Walker but I got to see thses things get out of shape, not fun.

Just my 2 cents (by the way, I live on Grand Island, middle of Niagara River, 2 miles above the Falls, current boat a 30' Trojan flybridge).

[kevymco]

Sorry I took so long. I had to dig 3 feet of snow off the boat!
I was able to get some numbers off the engine. The seems to have been built by PACEMAKER MARINE ENGINES in New Jersey. The copper plate also had a model #LH280 and Serial #p7077.

The engine number is 3755011 and "1458"

Not sure what all these numbers mean but any info would be great.
Kevymco@yahoo.ca

[walkerheaders]

FRAN: you gotta be WACKED to do it?. No offense Walker but I got to see thses things get out of shape, not fun.

yes fran, i've seen some bad ones too. and it began to dawn on me that i was wearing a chute on my back, sooner or later, the odds will get you. but i was never able to sit home and worry about getting hurt. i got thrown from 2 of my 4 dragboats, did that stop me? (didnt occur to me to quit) did the scared wife stop me? not till i finally won the high points championship. i retired at the banquet after that final season. a guy rode here from long island to buy my boat, said he has a blown alky motor for it. my advise to him: keep the shiny side up.
Fran: theres a pic of my last boat in the members pic area if you care to see.

[Fran Preve]

Walker: you survived, congradulations!. You won big, congradulations again. I gotta tell ya, truthfully, being a boater, I AIN'T got the gonads to do it!. Nope, I'm chicken, an I'll ADMIT IT!. Nope buddy, not me, uh uh. Only thing uttier (in my mind) is taking a small tiny airplane, putting in a BIG powerful motor, then flying along at a 100 plus, then zooming STRAIGHT UP!, and up, and up, and up, until it stops going up, then dropping, down, down, down tail first then flipping it straight down and pulling back into level flight zoooooooooooooooooooM!. Then doing it all over again!. Or flying at a 100 plus UPSIDE DOWN at about 20 feet off the ground! WooooooooEEEEEEEE!. let's have MORE fun!.
Uh,uh, nope, not for me, nope I'm a chicken, but youse guys do your thing. I'll watch.

[dq409]

Fran,, I believe Bob asked not to be refered to as Walker,,,,,,

[Fran Preve]

To Walker I apologize, I just shortened his screen name so I wouldn't confuse it with Bobs409. Didn't mean anything by it. From now on I'll try and refer to him using BobW.

[walkerheaders]

thanx DQ, for bringing that up.
Fran: thanx for correcting it. no problem. I for one like it better when we all get along.

some people call me "2Stroke"
i picked that up in my bike racing days. Fran: do you know Paul Gast? i bought many a part for my dragbikes from him. i raced one of those 750 triple two-strokes went 9.70@140 back in the day, that was flyin. my family begged me to hang up bike racing. (i was riding a top fuel twin triumph dirt-dragbike) (2 800cc nitro burnin trumpets side by side with a truck tire cut into a knobby) anybody wants to see, i'll post a pic.
that got me a sponsorship from the local harley dealer and a new experimental XR-1000 soon set the national record in one of the stocker classes, and later, stuffed it under a guardrail at over a hundred.
since they begged me to quit bikes, i took up boat drags. showed them, huh?

[Fran Preve]

2stroke: ROTFLMAO!. Now that's FUNNY!. Do I know Paul Gast?. Fast by Gast?. No not really. BUT!, one of his former workers is one of my best friends, Earl DeGlopper. Earl was Gast's best worker, but he left to take a job as crew chief for Geno Scali. Scali won the Pro Bike Championship last year due in no small part because of Earl. I know Paul slightly thru my relationship to Earl. If you watch the NHRA drags this year watch for Geno Scali in Pro Bike, we're hoping he repeats.