Engine Options on (39)81 3270-gctid343159

[Guest]

Hello all,

I'm new to this forum but am already grateful for the wealth of information available here! I just purchased a 1981 3270 explorer in not very good shape and plan to restore it. It lacks both motors (amongst many other things) and I'm trying to figure out some info about them. From what I understand this year didn't have the diesel available yet so i assume it was a gas originally. does anyone know what motor originally came in this boat?

I'm trying to learn more about the options i have on what motors to put in. I've done enough research about gas vs. diesel and decided on gas because of the low entry cost combined with the fact that i plan to sell the boat. I'll be buying the motors secondhand and need to spend as little as possible. I'd like to spend up to 5k for the pair or (much) less preferably. Another 3270 owner mentioned he put a pair of Chrysler 318's in his Explorer and they worked well. Does anyone have experience with these?

Another question i have is about the engine size. My understanding is that it's better to buy an engine larger than what the boat needs to run at optimum speed so that way the engine isn't pushed too hard. Is this also ideal for fuel economy?

I'm new to the inboard world but i do have some sterndrive experience.

Thanks for the help!

-Justin

[Guest]

I think the Explorers were a semi displacement hull so with that in mind .....too much power will make it unstable at higher speeds I would look at maybe a couple of six cylinders or even 4 cyl, for great economy, or a couple of older rebuilt volvo dieselsrod, they can be found at quite reasonable prices round here,op

[Guest]

I had an 83 model with the the 3.9L (165hp) early version of the 4.3L GM V6 (215hp) and they are the same block and weight. They will both fit the transmissions and are very compact for the performance. The 318's take up every inch of the bay and don't add that much power when the weight difference is taken into consideration.

The used 4.3's are available in every wrecking yard. I would go with a fuel injected electronic ignition model as late as possible then upgrade the systems to marine grade. I suggest replacing the cams in both engines to make them torquers and the left engine will need to rotate left so the existing transmission and prop will work out. You will need a left cranking starter as well for it. Just make sure everything electrical is marine grade. That engine bay is tight and gas isn't very forgiving around sparks.

The 165's would plane the boat at high RPMs but the later 4.3L engines should allow you to tweak the props for better performance.

[Guest]

Randyzon wrote:
I had an 83 model with the the 3.9L (165hp) early version of the 4.3L GM V6 (215hp) and they are the same block and weight. They will both fit the transmissions and are very compact for the performance. The 318's take up every inch of the bay and don't add that much power when the weight difference is taken into consideration.

The used 4.3's are available in every wrecking yard. I would go with a fuel injected electronic ignition model as late as possible then upgrade the systems to marine grade. I suggest replacing the cams in both engines to make them torquers and the left engine will need to rotate left so the existing transmission and prop will work out. You will need a left cranking starter as well for it. Just make sure everything electrical is marine grade. That engine bay is tight and gas isn't very forgiving around sparks.

The 165's would plane the boat at high RPMs but the later 4.3L engines should allow you to tweak the props for better performance.

Very helpful, thankyou! I've got a huge wrecking yard just down the road from me that i can check for the 4.3's. My engine bay is totally bare though and i'll still need the transmissions. any idea where to find those or the cam? Sorry for the extra questions but i'm new to inboards and I'm learning as i go

thanks again

-Justin

[Guest]

dont worry you will get tons of info here and maybe some local help if you fill in your info on you profile

[Guest]

Many had small block V-8 Fords in them. Stand by a bit; there are owners here who will give you really good info.

[Uncle_Bob]

It could have originally been diesel. They used underpowered Mitsubishies back then. If you get gas blocks at an auto wrecker you need to marinize them with spark proof alternators etc.

[Guest]

Ofishal wrote:
dont worry you will get tons of info here and maybe some local help if you fill in your info on you profile

Good advice. Thanks

Uncle Bob wrote:
It could have originally been diesel. They used underpowered Mitsubishies back then. If you get gas blocks at an auto wrecker you need to marinize them with spark proof alternators etc.

Interesting. My goal is to find an affordable engine that will easily fit into the bay with as little modification as possible. I did a search on the forum for how to marinize an engine and it didn't turn up much. Where does one find things such as a spark proof alternator? Do you know of a resource to help walk me through it?

thanks

-Justin

[Uncle_Bob]

There will be a marine electric shop in Sarasota. You will need to investigate all the electric components on an engine and get the marinized version. Anything that creates a spark has to be protected. Marinized parts will be costly. Don't dismiss the diesel idea too quickly. There will be used 130-200 hp diesels somewhere. They use fewer marinized parts and diesel will improve re-sale.

[Guest]

Uncle Bob wrote:
There will be a marine electric shop in Sarasota. You will need to investigate all the electric components on an engine and get the marinized version. Anything that creates a spark has to be protected. Marinized parts will be costly. Don't dismiss the diesel idea too quickly. There will be used 130-200 hp diesels somewhere. They use fewer marinized parts and diesel will improve re-sale.

I see. Marinizing an engine is not something i planned in my budget. I'll need to reevaluate which engine is right for me. Diesel availability seems to scarce though. my surrounding cities craigslist have none and i asked my mechanic if he knew of anyone selling them and he didn't. I've got much to think over. thanks again

[Broker Warren]

Randyzon wrote:
I had an 83 model with the the 3.9L (165hp) early version of the 4.3L GM V6 (215hp) and they are the same block and weight. They will both fit the transmissions and are very compact for the performance. The 318's take up every inch of the bay and don't add that much power when the weight difference is taken into consideration.

The used 4.3's are available in every wrecking yard. I would go with a fuel injected electronic ignition model as late as possible then upgrade the systems to marine grade. I suggest replacing the cams in both engines to make them torquers and the left engine will need to rotate left so the existing transmission and prop will work out. You will need a left cranking starter as well for it. Just make sure everything electrical is marine grade. That engine bay is tight and gas isn't very forgiving around sparks.

The 165's would plane the boat at high RPMs but the later 4.3L engines should allow you to tweak the props for better performance.

+1 !!! Much less expensive than diesels, less expensive to maintain, and performance is on par with the later 135 & 150 hp diesels. The V-8's take up a lot more room, are hard to work on(space limititations), and use much more fuel. The 4.3L V-6's are a perfect engine for the 32 MY.

[Guest]

Don't get too wrapped up in having the electrical made suitable for marine use. Most are just automobile assemblies with a few different parts to protect against sparks. Starters are usually just sealed with silicone sealant. They just need to be done by someone that does marine components because they have the specs. It would be worth your time to do a little research on the internet. I think the ignition and fuel injection system harness is pretty reasonable. The cams should be reasonable from engine parts sources, maybe even NAPA. There are several boat salvage yards around the nation that would have transmissions especially from those boats that were repowered and upgraded.

Once the installation is done you will have a boat that can be maintained very cheaply afterwards just by putting in a new longblock. The 1983 3.9L V6's came with a bastardized distributor setup and other issues so changing to the 4.3L even though it was the same block was like a complete repower.

Of course, if you could go with a Yanmar 4 cylinder diesel setup you would have a very economical boat for cruising. There is a guy on here that pulled Hinos from a sunken 4588 and put in two new Yanmar's. You might get some info from him on the cost.

[mmichellich]

Ofishal wrote:
I think the Explorers were a semi displacement hull so with that in mind .....too much power will make it unstable at higher speeds I would look at maybe a couple of six cylinders or even 4 cyl, for great economy, or a couple of older rebuilt volvo dieselsrod, they can be found at quite reasonable prices round here,op

Then why did Bayliner install V-8s in the later 32s with the same hull? One thing to check carefully is to look at the size of the shafts and rudders on the Explorers versus later 32s with V-6 and V-8s. Then check HP that the transmission or V drive will handle.

[p91473]

If you end up going with a junk yard core remember that you will still have to purchase all the cooling parts like exhaust manifolds, riser etc... You should budget at least $1000 an engine for these. Also, make sure you purchase the correct electrical parts that are coast guard approved. I think it would be much cheaper to purchase some running takeouts from eBay and have them shipped.

[iceclimber]

Not sure if you mentioned your budget but I'd suggest a pair of professionally rebuilt marine Chevy Marine 350's. Available literally everywhere.