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Help Identify Engine

jrathsack

New member
I (supposedly) have a 1972 Correct Craft Ski Nautique SN 1998 with an inboard 351 cu in Ford engine (blue).
Marine Engine Converter: Crusader. Parent Company: Thermo Electron Marine Engines.

Metal tag on rear right of Holley 4-barrel carburetor says:
Model: CO-250 What does "CO" mean?
Spec. RH What does "RH" refer to right hand of what - propeller,
distributor, or engine (viewed from front or rear)?
Serial No. 81346

I wanted a Crusader Service and Technical Manual 1967-1980 from MarineEngines.com
They said SN 81346 is not listed in their Crusader books!:mad:

The firing order seems to be different than the firing order for a car.

Can anybody identity what engine I have or offer some suggestions?
 

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I believe what you have is properly termed a Crusader Conqueror engine. From what I've pieced together, the 'plain' crusader label was used on the GM products Thermo-Electron marinized and the Conquorer label went on the Ford blocks.

Sommebody over on the CORRECTCRAFTFAN.com site may be able to give you some more details....I know I saw an archived post a while ago from a guy that had a 1973 ski Nautique and it had a serial number with a comparable value.

So, I'd say you have a 351 Crusader conqueror, rated at 250 HP. RH usually indicates engine rotation - on marine engines, this is ALWAYS determined by viewing the flywheel (RH = CW, LH = CCW rotations).
 
I would like to purchase a Crusader Service and Technical Manual 1967-1980, Owner's Manual, and Operator's Manual.

The 1972 Ski Nautique Boat is in very good condition. The engine is starting to need some TLC. I've had the boat since mid 70s. I am the 2nd owner, really the 3rd. Correct Craft Co. had it for a Promotional purposes for one season at a water place in northern Ohio. The 2nd owner had it for a year. I change belts, spark plugs and spark plug wires as needed. Buy a new marine battery every 3rd year. I changed impeller a couple times. Finding impellers is getting harder to find.
Does anyone know the status of Detroit Sherwood Brass Co?

With no manual, I don't have a checklist of things to check for like in a car at 30,000 miles, 60k miles, etc. Perhaps I should be taking off the Heat Exchanger and hoses to see if crud has built up inside.

Also, I have a Velvet Drive, Model: AS1-71C, Serial No. 74088, Ratio 1:1
manufactured by Warner Gear Division, Borg Warner Corp. in Muncie, IN.
Do they have Tech Notes, Operators or Service Manual?
How often am I suppose to change the fluid?
What brand & type of transmission oils are allowed?

I have one electrical problem. I guess I need to find a electrical thread and attach my question there vs. here, correct?
Jim
P.S. I have perused 3/4 of the board/forum. Very useful.
 
Don't know the company's history but it sounds like your pump was made by Sherwood. See www.sherwoodpumps.com for technical data. The impellers aren't hard to find but brand and price selection may be limited.

Your gear info is readily available on the www - just search and ye shall find. The factory recommendation is to change the fluid annually and to use DEXRON. Brand isn't critical as long as it is compliant to the DEXRON spec.

the service manual available on this site only covers the GM based products. I think your best bet for this one is on that other www site. There are some tech pubs posted there as well. The maintenance list from anything comparable should have lots of overlap, the details are likely to vary.

If your electrical Q is related to your engine, I don't think anyone would give you grief for asking here.
 
Help Identify Engine; Ballast Resistor

Ballast Resistor (BR)
I have read all the articles on the electrical aspects of the Ballast Resistor
in the Forum. However, I have a couple more questions from the mechanical aspect.

What is the average life expectancy of the BR? I am replacing mine every three years.
The white ceramic around the BR starts to breakdown into white powder. I am guessing
the BR is rated at about 30 or 35 Watts.

Why is the BR mounted directly to the TOP of the 351 cuin Ford engine. The hottest place of all.
One would think it would be mounted on a standoff so more air can get around it.

I could use a longer bolt and raise the BR up closer to the throttle linkage without
lengthening the wires. Food for thought….


The Electrical objective is to drop 12V to 9V to protect the coil,
a Voltage Drop of 3V.

I=V/R = 3V/1.5 ohms = 2 Amps thru the BR.
Power Dissipated = I2R = 2A x 2A x 1.5 ohm = 6.0 Watts
6 watts is well below the BR rating of 25-35 watts.


The BRs are getting harder to find and getting a little pricey.
Jim
 

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Life expectancy varies, mostly with usage and local temperature. From what I've heard, 3-5 years is common. They are physically comparable to a 10W wire wound resistor and I doubt they are rated for anything more than that.

It is mount on the top because that is where the coil is. Nothing that would prevent you from relocating it if desired. Just remember, they will get hot, so take that into consideration. Don't mount them to combustible material either. If you want it to last forever, find one rated with a minimum 100W dissipation, at a temp of at least 150 deg, F. (Even a 50W rated one would be an improvement.) It may not be cost effective but will minimize the problem.

Its real purpose is to limit the current flowing thru the coil to keep the coil from suffering thermal damage. The power dissipated is a bit higher, as the alternator output will usually bring the B+ level to ~ 14 VDC. At this level, they are wasting a lot of energy.

Another alternative is to swap the point for a breakerless trigger and get a coil with an internal resistor.

Two other observations - the resistor isn't readily visible in your pic; maybe you just clicked the wrong one. The other is that flame arrestor is overdue for a cleaning.
 
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