It makes sense that boat engines are made to withstand wet conditions, unlike a car engine which is built on the assumption that the car will be in a much drier environment. Because of the consistent resistance the water provides, marine engines are built to be stronger than a car engine.
Is a marine engine different from a car engine?
Drag-boat engines aside, a marine engine, for all its similarities to a car engine, has completely different parameters.
Can you use a car engine in a boat?
But many people don’t take their boat out nearly as often as they drive their car, so it makes sense that marine motors are not built to be used the same way as car engines. This is why you can’t simply use a car engine in place of a boat engine. Marine Motors Come in a Few Varieties
What is the difference between a boat and a truck motor?
Basically, a truck motor has four to six gears, and a marine motor has one. It only makes matters worse when a boat engine isn’t properly broken in. A car engine has an advantage in that it gets run every day, and engineers say hours are good. Think of it in terms of physics. Things in motion stay in motion.
What are the different types of boat engines?
Popular engine types for boats include Outboard engines, Inboard engines, Inboard/Outboard (Sterndrive), Jet propulsion, Surface drives and Pod drives. Why are outboard engines so popular? Outboard engines are self-contained units mounted to the transom. The location and accessibility makes maintenance easy.
What is the difference between a marine motor and a truck motor?
An automotive engine kicks down to a lower rpm at top speeds. In contrast, a marine engine's sustained speed only increases with sustained rpm. Basically, a truck motor has four to six gears, and a marine motor has one. It only makes matters worse when a boat engine isn't properly broken in.
Is a 350 boat motor the same as a 350 car motor?
The mechanicals are identical. Rust free head gasket and freeze plugs are used. GM uses a marine spec cam, but it is not very different from a stock cam. Both engines use stock single valve springs, and are not designed to run at high rpms constantly.
Can you swap a car engine into a boat?
if they can row a barge with an excavator, then you can put a car engine in a boat. In all seriousness, change the oil pump , cam. head castings will be different but you can use them on the boat. If the heads are good swap them over.
How do you convert a car engine to a boat engine?
0:442:34Tip of The Week: Marinizing a Boat Engine - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipCool enough for marine. Operation that's a must up here we've got a catalytic converter in theMoreCool enough for marine. Operation that's a must up here we've got a catalytic converter in the exhaust manifold. And this is one of the first applications of a catalytic converter.
How much horsepower does a 350 marine engine have?
300-hpThe 350 MAG MerCruiser is called a 350 MAG and typically is rated at 300-hp. As you can see the engines are pretty much the same, except for the 15% difference in displacement and horsepower.
Is MerCruiser a GM engine?
And where there is MerCruiser, there is GM. But how did this come to be? To approach an answer to that question, let's look at what boat builders — and boaters, for that matter — need from an engine.
Is there a difference between marine gas and regular gas?
Re: Auto Vs Marine Gasoline The difference is about 4% better performance and economy in the marina gas due to 4% more BTU's in the ethanol free gasoline. Price is about 19 cents more per gallon at the marina.
Are outboard motors better than inboard?
Inboard motors generally last longer than their outboard counterparts. You can squeeze roughly 1,500 hours out of an inboard before necessary maintenance. Outboards, on the other hand, last about 750 hours on average. So, the inboard option means less maintenance (nearly half) even though they cost more initially.
What is the difference between marine diesel engine and regular diesel engine?
Diesel engines are all fuel injected and are designed for ignition using compression. Automotive gasoline marine engines that use a carburetor have a strengthened body to prevent fires.
What does it mean to Marinize an engine?
Basically, the conversion process involves adding, deleting and changing parts, many of which are external or "bolt-on" in nature. A typical marine conversion "kit" may consist of: Water cooled exhaust manifolds. Marine water pump.
What does fully Marinized mean?
Marinisation (also marinization) is design, redesign, or testing of products for use in a marine environment. Most commonly, it refers to use and long-term survival in harsh, highly corrosive salt water conditions.
How does a marine engine work?
engine are as follows: Suction stroke for taking the fresh air inside the chamber – which is the downward movement of the piston. Compression stroke to compress the air-fuel mixture – which is an upward movement of the piston. Power stroke – in which the explosion takes place and the piston is pushed downwards.
What is the difference between marine diesel engine and regular diesel engine?
Diesel engines are all fuel injected and are designed for ignition using compression. Automotive gasoline marine engines that use a carburetor have a strengthened body to prevent fires.
Is there a difference between marine gas and regular gas?
Re: Auto Vs Marine Gasoline The difference is about 4% better performance and economy in the marina gas due to 4% more BTU's in the ethanol free gasoline. Price is about 19 cents more per gallon at the marina.
Does Ford make marine engines?
In addition to their well-known car and truck engines, Ford has their hand in manufacturing boat / marine engines. And Ford has come to garner a reputation of being both dependable and strong in the marine market.
Are OMC and Mercruiser the same?
Mercruiser probably has a better parts network and track record as was stated above. Older OMC's had a big bellows on the transom that the outdrive went through. They were prone to a lot of problems. Mercruiser probably has a better parts network and track record as was stated above.
What is the difference between a marine engine and a car engine?
A car engine typically only uses a portion of its horsepower to maintain a decent speed on the road. On the other hand, a marine engine is essentially at full throttle all the time just to move it through the water, so it has to be pretty heavy duty to maintain this pace.
Why do boats have special screens?
In a marine engine, these all have special screens that can extinguish internal sparks so they don’t light the gas fumes in the boat’s bilge area after venting into the atmosphere. If you try using a motor that doesn’t have these screens, you risk damaging your boat and creating a dangerous situation for anyone nearby.
What are the differences between marine engines?
Marine engine builders are quick to point out that there are key differences in building a marine engine, including valve-seat design and width, valve materials, fuel delivery, engine operating temperatures, and internal clearances.
What happens when you run an engine in the ocean?
If you’re running in the ocean and you get seawater above 180 degrees, it starts desalinating and you end up with a block full of salt and all the ste am pockets. They tend to run these engines a lot colder, so the cylinder clearances have to compensate for that, and so do all the other clearances.
Why is the engine controller important?
It not only improves driveability, but also gives the manufacturers a greater measure of control over engine parameters. If temperatures spike or oil pressure plummets, the engine controller can limit engine output so a boater can limp home rather than be stranded.
Where is Ilmor Marine?
Ilmor Marine, an engineering company in Plymouth, Mich. , has successfully “marinized” the aluminum V-10 lifted from the Dodge Viper. Ilmor engineers were able to divorce themselves from their automotive mentality to create an engine that withstands the duty cycle of a high-performance boat.
Is it important to recognize the differences between car and boat applications?
It’s important to recognize the differences between car and boat applications. Once you understand the differences, you can separate the good deals from the bad. Editor’s Note: This article originally published in February 2016 and was updated in December 2017.
Is a marine engine colder than a car engine?
Most marine engines take their cooling water straight out of the medium they’re running in. Consequently, the engines are running quite a bit colder than a car engine.
What is the difference between a marine engine and an automotive engine?
An automotive engine kicks down to a lower rpm at top speeds. In contrast, a marine engine's sustained speed only increases with sustained rpm. Basically, a truck motor has four to six gears, and a marine motor has one. It only makes matters worse when a boat engine isn't properly broken in.
Is a boat a corrosive environment?
In contrast, a boat is always operating in a moist, corrosive environment and is typically cooled by the surrounding waters — and then there's the shakedown from high seas. The motor essentially takes a steam bath, if not a beating, every time out. Neglect.
What is the difference between a marine engine and a car engine?
A key difference between the way a marine engine and a car engine are built is the number of gears they have. While a car has four gears to cycle through to keep it at an appropriate speed on the road, a marine engine only has one gear to keep it at the constant full throttle ...
Why are marine engines built?
Marine Engines are Built to Withstand Corrosion. Since marine engines are used directly on the water, they need to be built to withstand the moisture and the salt that comes with that environment and could cause corrosion and rusting of the engine. It makes sense that boat engines are made to withstand wet conditions, ...
What are the components of a marine engine?
Different Engine Components. The marine engine has a different alternator, distributor, and starter from a car engine. Marine engines also have special screens that snuff out sparks to ensure nothing alights.
How to contact Clearwater Cylinder Head?
Please contact Clearwater Cylinder Head Inc. toll-free at 1-800-572-1963 for assistance with the purchasing process. If you are ready to buy a replacement cylinder head for your boat online, then click here to check out these high quality marine cylinder heads. Post navigation.
When did Ford leave the marine engine market?
Ford Marine / Boat Engines. Ford left the marine engine market for 20 years, and it wasn’t until 2013 that they jumped back into it. Ford partnered with marine engine giant Indmar Marine Engines to create a few engines that are built “Ford Tough.”. They created the:
Does Ford make boat engines?
In addition to their well-known car and truck engines, Ford has their hand in manufacturing boat / marine engines. And Ford has come to garner a reputation of being both dependable and strong in the marine market.
What is an outboard motor?
An outboard motor is a self-contained unit that includes the engine, gearbox and propeller, mounted on the boat’s transom sitting outside the hull at the back of the vessel. In addition to providing propulsion, outboard engines also provide steering control by pivoting and controlling the direction of the thrust.
Why are boat engines important?
Boat engines are an important topic whether you are buying, selling or maintaining a boat. Like the type of the boat and the amenities it offers, boat engines are an important consideration when thinking through your various boating use cases and when examining initial and long-term costs. In this article, we will go over the various types ...
What is the difference between sterndrive and outboard?
Architecture & Aesthetics - Typically sterndrive boats will offer a full sunpad and come with the option of a swim platform whereas the outboard powered boat may have twin swim platforms that flank the outboard engines.
Why use sterndrive on a boat?
Sterndrive systems can be advantageous for shallow waters due to the ability to trim up the drive unit and the absence of running gear at the bottom of the boat. Compared to an inboard, there are more components of the sterndrive engine exposed which can lead to damage or corrosion.
What is Torqeedo boating?
Torqeedo is a German company that specializes in alternative propulsion systems including electric outboards, electric inboards, electric pod drives and hybrids.
What is an I/O boat?
Stern drive engines, also called inboard/outboards (I/O) are a combination of the inboard and outboard engine. The motor is in under the transom of the boat and the drive unit is tucked beneath the swim platform. The motor, like most inboards, is a marine adapted automobile engine mounted inside the boat.
What is straight shaft inboard?
In this system, the rear facing engine is connected to a driveshaft that comes straight out of the bottom of the boat. The direct drivetrain can result in minimal loss of power from the engine, and the simple setup results in a high degree of reliability.
What is the difference between an inboard and an outboard motor?
The main difference between an inboard and an outboard engine is their placement in the boat. An inboard is hidden within the boat and an outboard is 100% visible. The boat on the left has an inboard or sterndrive motor and the boat on the right has an outboard motor. When you initially purchase your boat you will have to select ...
How does an outboard motor work?
The outboard engine steers the boat itself by moving left or right. This means the entire engine unit moves and acts as a rudder. Outboard motors are more common in boating because they are slightly less expensive, allow more flexibility, more seating capacity, and are easier to maintain.
What is an I/O engine?
An I/O engine is considered a mix of an inboard and an outboard because the engine is inside, but the propeller/rudder is outside . This type of engine is advantageous because the propeller actually steers the boat itself and you can lift it up to avoid shallow water or obstacles.
How much does an inboard motor cost?
Inboard engines can cost anywhere from $8,000 all the way up to $25,000 and potentially above. For example, on a boat builder of a popular bowrider brand, with an inboard motor, the cost fluctuated by almost $20K just by changing the engine.
What is an inboard motor?
An inboard engine, sometimes referred to as an inboard motor or as sterndrive, is a boat propulsion mechanism that sits inside the hull of the boat permanently. The inboard engine is connected to a driveshaft, which controls the direction of the propeller, steering the boat.
What does it mean to buy a boat without an engine?
This is good and bad. It means you need to budget above the MSRP of the boat and plan to pay more for an engine (or two). It also means you have some room for customization and can choose exactly which engine you want.
Can you customize an outboard boat engine?
Some boats allow you to customize the engine and with others, you will likely need to go with the manufacturer’s recommendation. For outboard engines, you will need to budget for buying one or more engines in addition to the cost of the boat. For I/O and inboard engines, the cost of the engine is baked into the total MSRP when buying a boat.
