43 life span

Hello I'm looking to get s

Hello I'm looking to get some idea of average running hours people are seeing on the 4.3l before a refresh is required. I know they are small block V8 Chevys with 2 cylinders shaved but I undrstand this makes them wear unevenly. Any input would be great as I'm considering a few different 27-28 ft boats some with twin 4.3's Late 80's to earily 90's vintage. Trying to get an idea of budget timing for service.
Thanks

"Jake
Depends on your definit

"Jake
Depends on your definition of a refresh.
If you mean an engine rebuild it is extreamly difficult to put a figure on it, I have seen boats with 2 to 300 hrs on them that the engines are stuffed and then I have seen engines that have thousands of hours on them that are still like new.
It very much depends on how their owners have looked after them, just little things like warm up time before putting the engine under load and idling down before shutdown can add hundreds of hours to the life of an engine.

If you are looking at private boats to buy have a close look at the owner and get him to take you for a run in the boat so you can see how he looks after it and drives it.

As far as an operating budget it is often stated that a basic figure for operating costs of a recreational boat is around 10% annualy of the boats retail value.
In my case the retail value of my boat is approx $ 35,000.
It costs me 200/year for mooring
120/year for mooring service
600/year for insurance
100/year for registration
600/year for slipping and service
2000/year for fuel

Total $3620-00
That figure is a bit better than 10% but both the value of the boat and the costs are approximates and the fuel figure is variable so it would be close enough to say that unless I have a major problem with my boat it would cost me around the 10% of its market value to operate it yearly.

Hope that doesnt confuse the issue to much.

Cheers
Peter C"

"Peter:

I think you nailed

"Peter:

I think you nailed it straight.

Jake:

My 2 cents worth as an owner of a 1987 (reman. was installed in 1996 due to frozen block by previous owner) 4.3L 175 HP non-Vortec engine; this iron workhorse will s...t and get on demand without hesitating. This engine has been around for years and GM has continued to improve its performance, HP and overall reliability.

It started out as a truck engine and migrated to marine use right away when the industry saw a solid powerplant that would enhance their product.

This engine is very reliable and parts are available all over the place. My final point is DON'T BELIEVE RUMORS. As Peter said, any engine's life depends on how it was treated and maintained.

Next, since you are considering a 27-28 foot boat with twin 4.3L engines, take the one that has entire maintenance records, a solid hull, stringers, floor and good general appearence because the engines can easily be repowered while the boat's underlying structure is a bitch and big exspense to repair.

Of course you will want the one with solid engines; but the price can be bartered down due to worn engines and ODs. For $10K you can repower with modern EFI 220 HP 4.3L engines. A solid hull and underlying structure is more important to me.

Another repower option for a few grand more is to install a pair of EFI 350s that will make the boat fly. I would rather have a pair of Clydesdales easily lumbering along while knowing that they could sprout wings when I wanted them to do so.

The choice is yours; just get them inspected by a professional to include the entire condition of the boat."

"I know I have been asking man

"I know I have been asking many more questions than answers here, but this subject is something I had put some time into before the current failure on my 454 single as I was looking to upgrade etc.

First off though I understand the difference and issue some bring up with the 4.3 v/s 350 type small blocks I have to agree with the others that the 4.3 is a solid base to work with, and add that the issues I have heard of were of extreme conditions like racing, or poor maint etc.

I have actually owned a few vehicles with the 4.3 engine, and personally have not had a problem with any of them (well besides the old BS GM throttle body injectors lol) so to me the engine shouldnt be a problem if fitted properly to the boat, and your way of running.

That said I believe the more important things to look at (besides what has been stated earlier) are how you really use your boats, and how the boat and power pair up.

I know the boat mfg's have changed how they measure, and build boats etc, and an old 28ft can be both heavier and even larger than a newer 30ft or more.

This really effects engine choice, and if you prefer or demand a boat that can get up and go like I do it is something that not only will effect engine life, but also your enjoyment of the overall package.

As I will use well known name as an example so that most can follow my thinking etc. Searay had offered two models the sundancer and weekender in the eighties and ninties that changed greatly (actually night and day) in design, size, and weight, and therfore power needs as well.

The old 30's had a wider beem, more weight, and normally had a min of twin 350's, but the newer 30's of the 90's were barely 30' overall, were thinner, lighter, and demanded a lot less from a similar power package.

I have even seen some of the older ones with the 454's and even some of the old 27's (like todays 29-30') with twin four cyl, and they all get you from point a to b, but also very differently.

Lastly I found that different hull designs perform better or worse with smaller power packages. Some inboards ride with a much higher bow when underpowered (or even just run too slow) while the same hull with larger engines, and even i/o's will run like crazy.

Of course if your pushing an under powered boat hard its going to burn a lot of fuel, and reduce engine life (when compared to a similar maintained engine used at lower rpms).

So be sure to put some time into learning how each model your considering performs with each power package, and dont be afraid of the v/6's if they are properly matched to the boat, and your way of running, but try and be sure the boat and power match your needs so that you get more enjoyment per $$$.

PS here is a great link on checking out a used boat. I have done some fiberglass work in the past, and found this guys info impressive (most dont share this stuff lol).

Good luck

http://www.customboatrepairs.com/tips.html"

"Lenny
Realy good posting whi

"Lenny
Realy good posting which covers the area that not everyone looks at before they buy a boat.

In my time I have come across plenty of boats that were underpowerd for what the owner had intended to do with them and also plenty that were overpowerd as well.

It is important for anyone buying a boat to have an idea what their prime purpose for their boat will be, there is no point owning a blown 454 in a 21 foot ski boat if all you want to do is go fishing.

The style and power plant of boat should fit your requirements, if you were buying a new car you would look for the features and acc that suited your needs the best and the same should be the case with a boat.

Cheers
Peter C"

Great post Lenny D.

Great post Lenny D.

"Hi Guys
Thanks for the inpu

"Hi Guys
Thanks for the input.

The reason I ask is we found 2 local boats we like, same model Carver Santego. One has twin 4 cyl the other has twin 4.3 V6's.

Not that I'm looking for a speed boat, family weekend touring is the plan mainly in the Great Lakes Georgian Bay 30,000 islands.

Since my uncles twin 130hp 4's in 28' Bayliner with 10' beam boat seems underpowered I'm thinking 4.3 setup seems better compared.

My brother inlaw has a 1982 26' Searay Sundancer with a 260hp 5.7 it works good in our area he is very happy with it. He had over 1000hrs before he poorly winterized and cracked the block.

The Carver that has the 4.3's has 445 hrs posted and looks to be in decent original unabused condition but the broker says a survey said stringers are starting to fail at the centre motor mount area. I know this repair is a big job so I'm trying to get a feel for how soon till engine rebuild to factor this into the big picture budget if I'm going to pursue this particular boat.

I had a 1986 Chevy PU with a 4.3 throttle body injection setup on it. It was a good truck but by 140-160 miles it was burning oil and down on power. Not sure how boat hrs relate to miles??

I have checked out "customboatrepairs" site extensivley seems like he knows what he is doing to me.

Thanks for now"

"Thanks guys for the kind word

"Thanks guys for the kind words

Jake and anyone else looking over the info on the repair site just make a note of one thing I noticed. There is good info on locating or finding the signs of damage or rot in the wood used under the fiberglass (stringers etc) that includes the tell tale redish brown stains etc, but just be sure to consider that some lubricants that have dried up and the rust that can come from mfg's using cheap fasteners can produce similar looking streaks.

If you find signs that give you cause for caution you should deffinately look into things further, and consider getting a professional survey that includes moisture testing just to be sure.

Boats can be a big investment and its well worth the expense to avoid the gamble.

Also keep in mind that after a boat is so many years old etc there will just be more general wear and tear, but also that large repairs can consume a larger amount of the value of the boat to perform.

Its one thing to invest 10,000. in a boat worth 80,000, but a seller cant discount his price enough to make that repair sensible on 10,000 boat.

Its bad enough when you end up investing close to the boats value on repairs when you already own (trust me I know this one as thats what I am going thru right now lol) and its something thats easier to avoid when making a purchase."

"Boys.

Guy can tell you all

"Boys.

Guy can tell you all about rot and the time it takes to fix.

I currently have rot in the structure under the front engine mount under my Stb engine. I am currently trying to dry out the timber so I can inject it full of appoxy to stabilize it for one more season.
I intend to fit two new short blocks next winter so when I pull the engines I will cut out the suspect structure and replace it properly then.

Ahh Boats, you gota luv em !!

Hope we havent scared you off Jake.

Cheers
Peter C"