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Buick v6 setup?

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Niteninja11

New member
Hi I'm new to the forums and just bought a late 60's I wanna say chris craft i have all the manuals for it but alot of what I see in the boat is fishy...I was told it has the Buick v6 engine with the omc stern drive. Now most of the wiring I believe is hooked up except I counted 8 wires or so..I never have worked on a boat before and all the guys I called about Milwaukee, wi say a Buick motor can't be used in any boat..I guess what I'm asking is if anyone would be able to take pictures of the wiring setup they have starter, the soleinoids, battery, grounds all that and could possibly label them for me? Or if someone around Wisconsin could maybe help me out I'll willing to pay or give beer which ever you like maybe cook some food idk...I can bring it you to if it's not horribly far I know summers almost over but I would like to get it ready put it in the water make sure it's gonna be ok for next summer so I can finally use it. I've be trying to figure this beast out for 4 months Thanks for any info
 
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The venerable Buick 3.8 v6. Derived from the aluminum Buick 215 which went on to become the power for countless Land Rovers. It's pretty much a cast iron version 215 with two cylinders lopped off.
Internal parts are scarce, but the plugs belts and hoses shouldn't be an issue. I have no idea where you'd find a marine water pump for it.

I'll do my best to tag your pics with labels, but there is no saving that rat's nest of wiring. It all has to come out and be replaced. I'd also consider repowering with a 350. You'll have more power and parts will be so much easier.
 
Before putting alot of money and time into it, do enough wiring to do a compression test. If that is ok, hook up the coil and fire it up with a set of earmuffs to check for a cracked block or exhaust manifold...don't forget to put the oil filter back and check the oil level
 
bobbyc said:
Before putting alot of money and time into it, do enough wiring to do a compression test. If that is ok, hook up the coil and fire it up with a set of earmuffs to check for a cracked block or exhaust manifold...don't forget to put the oil filter back and check the oil level
Click to expand...
I'll ditto that and remind you that this is a Stringer Drive boat, and would be very easy to become excessively "up-side down" in!


Also, and the guys can double check me on this, but I believe that the Buick 3.8L V-6 use what some call the Odd Firing Angle...... (not odd firing order, but the angle separation is odd).
IOW, each cylinder's firing order does not follow the previous at a 90* separation.
What this means is that the indexing of the distributor is critical since the point cam lobes are not separated by 90*.

Guys.... am I thinking of the correct Buick engine?????

.
 
Nah, just a regular old byook lump. Oddfire was automotive.
This boat needs a complete refit. I dunno if I'd put the money or work into it that it needs, and I certainly wouldn't leave the dock with it in its current condition.
There are plenty of people out there who find these things for cheap or free and end up sinking so much time and trouble in them and after all is said and done they still have a boat that's only worth a couple thou on a good day. Wish I could do a Vulcan mind meld and impart my experience with them in one fell swoop. If that were to happen it would certainly stimulate the new boat market.
My advice to the owner: Take this thing to the landfill now. Don't spend another moment of your time or another penny of your money on it. Take all the money and time you would spend on this and go buy something that works that you can get in and go with right now. If you think you are going to get on the water cheap you are mistaken. It is going to cost one way or another.
 
The odd firing auto version(1962 and 1963) is easily identified by the distributor rotor...the outer terminal comes out and curves to be in the correct position for the odd firing cylinders...the even firing version has a conventional rotor...congratulations to Hystat for coming up with those wiring diagrams!
 
Thanks for all the input guys it's greatly appreciated! I'm gonna try it again tomorrow since I have the day off and see what I can get done. I'm gonna rip all the wires out and start fresh so i know how it's all wired up if I can get the motor to run I'll feel somewhat accomplished then I'll try and figure out the tilt and trim. I have the original engine and a crap ton of parts that I got with the purchase like propellers trims the who outside stuff lower unit, and so on you get the point haha. I only paid 800 for everything so I don't mind sticking money into it and everyone around my area so far likes the boat, my grandpa has cancer and doesn't have a very long time to live so I would like to get it going to take him out fishing. Thats been my motivation and the fact that my father has always wanted a boat to go with and fish and has never been able to get one so I would like for him to be able to use it as well. Thanks again guys for all the input
 
Well, nobody's backing me up, but they all know I'm right. I guess you're gonna have to learn this lesson the hard way. From the pictures you supplied, there does not appear to be anything savable, except maybe the drive. Everything else has to go. I would not trust that engine as far as I could throw it. It's clearly a mashup of automotive and marine parts, certainly not original to the boat.
I must recommend our hosts for all your refitting needs. They can supply you with all new gauges, wiring harnesses, engine parts, and at the best prices you'll find anywhere. We've already done that much research for you!
As for chandlery needs, my choice is Jamestown Distributors followed by Defender Industries. Both these vendors offer pretty much anything you will ever need for your boat at the best prices and they have excellent shipping and customer service.
For Marine grade wiring and components try Genuinedealz.com.
For lighting, I use only SuperbrightLEDs.com to replace all my filament bulbs with LED equivalents. This saves you from ever needing bulbs again.
My trailer parts source is EasternMarine.com.
 

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o2batsea said:
Well, nobody's backing me up, but they all know I'm right. I guess you're gonna have to learn this lesson the hard way. From the pictures you supplied, there does not appear to be anything savable, except maybe the drive.
Click to expand...
my issue was more crappy cell phone pics taken from 3 inches away from the parts - ink blots to me
any 1960's boat resto is not based on going boating in a cost effective manner. It's nostalgia, boredom or psychosis. or some combination of the 3.
 
If your looking for a step by step guide to put her back on the water, we will need a full side view of the drive... Understand ?

We can talk you thru it.

First thing, i gotta ask it you good with wrenching got some knowledge and tools, and a place to work ?

We will give the knowledge you will have to trust us enough to follow thru... understand ?

Pull the drive. Put it aside want to know how, post the picture of the side view so we know what you got.

Then the motor got to be pulled and put on a stand .

Reason we got to know what the bilge looks like. It's like building a house got to have a good foundation, meaning good stringers.

Then we will get into trying to get the motor turning.

No big loss if that motor goes, we can get into the discussion of whats better to drop in, where to get the motor and what has to be done to the motor after you get it.....understand ?
 
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02batsea, you make some valid points, and I don't disagree with any of them..... all of these need to be addressed.
Niteninja11, these are all red flags as to what else the previous owner may have done. I'm hoping that your take heed to these.

Would I spend money on this boat????, no, not on your life.... not this boat with this engine/drive combination, and in particular if wanting to take Dad and Granpa out any distance from shore or from help.

However, to make statements as you have, implies that Niteninja11 has not given this any thought, and possibly implies that he is not capable of doing the work necessary to make it safe and sea worthy.
Most of us know that anything can be resurrected if the proper attention is used.
It becomes a matter of time and $$$.

Niteninja11, Chief makes a good point re; the stringers.
This stern drive transfers all thrust through the engine, onto the engine mounts, and then onto the stringers...... very much "unlike" a more conventional stern drive.
If the stringers have lost integrity, this thrust may cause the engine mounts to let go of the stringers.
Now you'd have a big problem.
Point being..... be sure to check this before getting too deeply involved.


The good part about this info, is that it may help the OP to make a better decision.... whether this means to move forward, or cut his losses and abandon the project, and find another project boat with an engine/drive that is more dependable.

As for the Nay Sayers..... I'd have to say that I'm still in the camp with the Nay Sayers here...., but let's let the OP make his own decision.... and let's offer him help along the way! :D

Fair nuff?

.
 
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With a couple bare hull, "from nothing" type builds behind me, it seems like deja vu.
You always go into these things rationalizing everything as just minor obstacles to be overcome one at a time until the whole thing is finally "done" Up to a point that's true. Then life starts to interfere with your progress, the thing gets put on hold for one reason or another. Time goes by...maybe a few months. Then you get back to the thing and see that what you did isn't the direction you want to go after all and you tear out a couple days or weeks worth of work and redo it. Repeat this a few times. Next thing you know, four years have passed and you are no closer to boating than you were when you started (check out the cool T shirt I got from there)
Then project overload begins to creep in. You become less and less motivated.
Then the day finally comes when you can actually sea trial the thing. Problems arise. You fix them and sea trial again. Now you are ready to go boating. However now you get to actually "live" with the thing and you begin to see that there are some aspects of the boat that need improvement. Maybe even something that is a major disappointment like it's too small or handles like a turd. Maybe that nobody wants to go out with you cuz the boat looks like a pile even though you redid everything. Now all that work seems like a waste of time and all you want to do is get rid of it, but it won't sell because it's still an old boat that nobody wants. You are stuck.

Last time I got involved in something like this I was in about 5 grand when a winter storm filled the hull with ice and snow. That broke the hull in two and I was looking at about four months worth of my life out the window.

I will never buy another non operational project.
 
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o2batsea said:
........... Last time I got involved in something like this I was in about 5 grand when a winter storm filled the hull with ice and snow. That broke the hull in two and I was looking at about four months worth of my life out the window.
I will never buy another non operational project.
Click to expand...
Ouch! Sorry hear of that!

Not being a smart a$$ here, but had it occured to you that a perfectly good operational hull could have also suffered from snow/ice damage if it wasn't protected?

.
 
The '86 19' Citation cuddy i have was sitting on the side of the road on a trailer uncovered with the drive up for 8 years.

I needed a trailer for my 16 foot 1976' Arrowglass bowrider.

I stopped one day and it turned out the boat belonged to a friend of mine.

So all i wanted was a trailer we agreed on 300 bucks.

So i pull it home and a half hour latter it was running in my driveway.

2500 dollars after that and a year i had it on the water.

Then the year after the coupler went, and the shafts in the drive the week after.

The year after the head went, and i bought a good head reconditioned it myself and then pulled up a corner hole torquing the head down.

For 400 dollars got another boat with a trailer with a good motor.

The trailer went under my 16' the motor in my boat.

The head i just sold to BT doctur.

Would i do it again nope.

But i look at it this way for around 3,000 i have a good running boat. I enjoy it and when i retire i will get rid of it one way or the other and really get what i want.
 
RicardoMarine said:
Ouch! Sorry hear of that!

Not being a smart a$$ here, but had it occured to you that a perfectly good operational hull could have also suffered from snow/ice damage if it wasn't protected?

.
Click to expand...

It was one of those "life gets in the way" things. The hull was at a marina in Middle River (I'm in the DC area) and this was when my mom was sick and I didn't get up there to cover it....it had a giant hole in it so I figured it would just drain out....so three months between visits to the boat proved unhealthy for it. Totally my bad.
It didn't break in two so much as have the jackstands on the stern come up through the cockpit. It's in the landfill now.
I still have the two complete jet drives that I was gonna put in. Just can't seem to part with them cuz they're so cool. Maybe if the RIGHT hull shows up I'll try again but it will be at my peril. Anyone have a couple big block engines kicking around?
 
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yeah, I resurrected a few.

then I found a mint Bayliner 185 with a GenII Alpha at a local marina with a 1 season warranty for $2500

they even delivered it 40 miles to my house, we backed it off the trailer and went boating.
 
Is that boat a 24 footer , built by Thompson for Chris-Craft ?????---------If so a friend picked one up like that ( same colour ) in 87 and the OMC drive upper gear box was patched on the cheap and lasted 4 years.----------------Boat was then repowered with a used ( like new ) Mercruiser 188 and still running strong today after several new owners.--------------Well built boat !!!
 
Well I'm gonna pull everything this winter and start over maybe do the 350 swap my friends dad the man I purchased it from is gonna come help me or at least label things for me so I know what's going on I'll keep everyone updated and it's close it's a 23' foot chris craft but that's all the info I have right now cause I'm off go the green bay packer game!!! :)
 
Niteninja11 said:
Well I'm gonna pull everything this winter and start over............. maybe do the 350 swap
Click to expand...
If going to this much work, I'd suggest in-filling the transom, and going back together with a conventional stern drive...... Volvo being my first choice...... Merc second!
Buy a rotten donor boat for the parts that you'll need.

Rid yourself of the potential issues of the Stringer Drive!

.
 
Going to chirp in here,

I'm in the same situation bought a boat in winter of 09, spent countless hours, dollars, redoing it from bottom to top, I found that using it for the last year, I am constantly having grief with the outdrive, always breaking down and I'm done with the setup, even after all the generous help and advice from the crew here. I have gutted the motor and outdrive out of it and have it on this forum for sale. It's a complete 3.8 chev with a complete 800 stringer, steering and wiring included.

I am now going to fill in and reinforce the transom, have a transom bracket made to fit and I'm going the outboard route, sacrilege I know, but it's the only way I can keep a hull I like and get back to modern technology and dependability so that the boat can be used what it was purchased for. To get me on the water and enjoy it. This is just another option that is at you disposal.

Hope it helps
 
Niteninja11 said:
Hi I'm new to the forums and just bought a late 60's I wanna say chris craft i have all the manuals for it but alot of what I see in the boat is fishy...I was told it has the Buick v6 engine with the omc stern drive. Now most of the wiring I believe is hooked up except I counted 8 wires or so..I never have worked on a boat before and all the guys I called about Milwaukee, wi say a Buick motor can't be used in any boat..I guess what I'm asking is if anyone would be able to take pictures of the wiring setup they have starter, the soleinoids, battery, grounds all that and could possibly label them for me? Or if someone around Wisconsin could maybe help me out I'll willing to pay or give beer which ever you like maybe cook some food idk...I can bring it you to if it's not horribly far I know summers almost over but I would like to get it ready put it in the water make sure it's gonna be ok for next summer so I can finally use it. I've be trying to figure this beast out for 4 months Thanks for any info
Click to expand...

Well, it's a Chris Craft Corsair. Most likely 20 feet. Buick 225 V6 engine, with a OMC Outdrive. Same set up as I have in my 66 Corsair 20 foot Sea Vee, same " Log Style " Water Jackets. They will clean up really good soaking in Pickling Vinegar.Do yourself a favour in the fall. Remove the " Rad Style " Hose, and hook up a shop vac in reverse. Open the block drains, and blow it out. It's the only way to be sure. Also blow out the Manifolds, by removing the top hose from each, and doing the Vacuum cleaner thing.
The wiring doesnt look out of place, why would you rip out and start over on ANY of the wiring shown? You DO have a externally resisted Coil. THAT, I'd get rid of. They ARE available for 50 bucks.
Just check the points. Set to 5 degrees advanced in timing the engine. Cant think of the dwell off the top of my head.
My little 225 goes like stink...even with the 1 Barrel Carter carb. My profile pic is my Boat.
 
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