1966 crusaders 327ci thermostat housing

i am restoring a 1966 Fairline

i am restoring a 1966 Fairliner that came with crusader engines. when i bought it i was told they were 350ci FWC. I called crusader and gave them the seriel numbers off the rear plates. crusader traced the engines to delivery to Fairliner in 1966 but no other info. I am told that GM didn't create a 350ci until 1968 so the engines are probably 327ci which seems consistent with the original crusader service manual. the intake manifold has no typical thermostat housing location!! i.e. no coolant hole. I was told that the manifold is a "low profile" design and had a thermostat housing that bridged from the port/starboard sides of the intake manifold and had a pressure valve and other parts. Can't find anything from crusader. these parts were removed and it appears like somone attached a pipe to both sides of the intake and connected a hose to each with a "housing" to hold temp sender/alarm which I can find nothing on except a drawing describing the housing as "sputnick". I am thinking of just tearing everything off and starting over w/ Edelbrock Performer intake and 600cfm carb and purchasing a std crusader FWC thermo housing parts CRU97851 & CRU 97452. Just not sure how it will all hook up. any help is appreciated or if you are a marine mechanic in San Francisco and can help let me know.

"I too have a 1966 boat that h

"I too have a 1966 boat that has/came with 350's in 1966.I called the manufacturers now Navigator yachts in Perris CA and they told me in 1966 my boat came with twin 350's not 327's. I have checked the engine casting numbers and found that they are from 1969, change at some point in its history.Still 350's.These engines are raw water cooled (salt). The temp gages stay at 125 degrees. I scanned the engines with a heat gun and found the gages correct. The temps at the exhaust ports at the heads where at 155 degrees and 125 at the sensors. Old guy at the marina that used to build boats in Taiwan for export to the US in the 70's and early 80's said this was not a problem and good for salt water applications."