Looking for a manual for a Riva Crusader V8 210HP engine

[Hans57]

Hello to everybody on this forum, my name is Hans, living in the Netherlands, I just started to rebuild two Riva Crusader engine V8 210 HP, at the moment I don’t have to much information about the engines, both engines are seized, maybe build around 1970??, I am also looking for a manual for the V Drive when possible, I will post some pictures over here, I can make some more in depth pictures if necessary, some information about where to acquire spare parts in Europe would also be very helpful, any help is highly appreciated, thanks Hans

 

[makomark]

I believe you have 307CID small block engines....can't tell much more about the gears as there aren't many details from the photos.

Based on the picture of the GEAR ID PLate, I would suspect you have a separate gear bolted to a WALTER's V-drive. The gear is most likely an early velvet drive but the data on the plate is rather ambiguous as to which unit a given datum applies to...I'd bet any local shop that is familiar with the velvet drives can help there.

As far as the engines themselves, I'd suggest you need to find a PDF file, on the web, that is for Crusader Manual TEEC100. If you can't find the PDF, there are many sources where you can buy them. The copy I have is way too large to email...

Other items of note:
Looks like the original distributor was replaced - make sure whatever you have is marine rated.
Looks like it is raw water cooled - so if the engines have ever seen use in salt water, be leery of further use of the block
I would also suspect you have one RH and one LH engine...if so, the camshafts will be different and the drives may be as well. By 1970, GM had standardized on using a gear drive for the RH engines, which enabled use of the same distributor for either engine...
Installing a remote oil filter will make maintenance much easier...
Finally, the engine mounts appear to be standard Crusader items and, if original, are likely to need replacement...can't quite make out what is going on with the gear mounts

 

[Hans57]

I believe you have 307CID small block engines....can't tell much more about the gears as there aren't many details from the photos.

Based on the picture of the GEAR ID PLate, I would suspect you have a separate gear bolted to a WALTER's V-drive. The gear is most likely an early velvet drive but the data on the plate is rather ambiguous as to which unit a given datum applies to...I'd bet any local shop that is familiar with the velvet drives can help there.

As far as the engines themselves, I'd suggest you need to find a PDF file, on the web, that is for Crusader Manual TEEC100. If you can't find the PDF, there are many sources where you can buy them. The copy I have is way too large to email...

Other items of note:
Looks like the original distributor was replaced - make sure whatever you have is marine rated.
Looks like it is raw water cooled - so if the engines have ever seen use in salt water, be leery of further use of the block
I would also suspect you have one RH and one LH engine...if so, the camshafts will be different and the drives may be as well. By 1970, GM had standardized on using a gear drive for the RH engines, which enabled use of the same distributor for either engine...
Installing a remote oil filter will make maintenance much easier...
Finally, the engine mounts appear to be standard Crusader items and, if original, are likely to need replacement...can't quite make out what is going on with the gear mounts

Thanks for your detailed information today I finished with taking apart the first engine, I was able to make some more pictures, I have to wait for the owner to give me some more details on the engine, but maybe when you see the casting numbers you can tell more.

Tomorrow I start with the other engine and then we have to order the necessary parts,I hope that there are also some parts numbers in the manual.

For me this is the first to work on this kind of engine’s, it’s more of a hobby for me, normally I work as a volunteer at a museum on bigger marine diesel engines.

I found a manual online it is called:

Crusader Gasoline Inboard Engines 1980 thru 1992

For these models

Model 229, V-6
Model 262, V-6
Model 305, V-8
Model 350, V-8
Model 454, V-8
Model 502, V-8

Is this the one that I can use?

I would also be more then happy to pay somebody if he is willing to send me the manual by Wetransfer it’s a free service to send large files https://wetransfer.com or another service.

I can send you my e-mail address.

What I was also wondering about is that on both V-Drive they did not mark if it’s a RH or LH on the ID plate they left it open as you can see on the picture.

The engine that I was working on is RH, there is an arrow on the flywheel, so let’s see if the other engine is LH.

If some body is interested in more pictures from the rebuild of the two engines, then follow this link https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3533952733525955&type=3 this is the album where I post all the pictures.

Thanks again for the help, regards Hans

 

[makomark]

on the gear, its an early velvet drive...the newer model number is 10-17-000-015. they are rotation sensitive and should be marked accordingly (though its pretty easy to change if necessary). I would tag both gears and v-drives to remove any doubts there.

You can probably use 95% of the 'newer' manual without any issue....that said, if you have the 307 CID engines, you will NOT find any of the specifications in the 'newer' service manual....that said, the machinist doing the work can very likely find the needed info from other sources.

The RH engine should have had the gear drive on the camshaft.

The machinist should also be able to run down casting numbers...

 

[makomark]

looking at the last few pics on the facebook link, it looks like you may have frankenstein engines, as the RH block has the one piece rear main seal...and those are late 1980's vs anything made in the 1970's.

The v-drive also looks more like a Crusader 4500 V-drive vs a Walter's unit...

and the intake port repairs on the cylinder head(s) appears to be marginal...I'd be inclined to replace them assuming there is budget available.

 

[Hans57]

looking at the last few pics on the facebook link, it looks like you may have frankenstein engines, as the RH block has the one piece rear main seal...and those are late 1980's vs anything made in the 1970's.

The v-drive also looks more like a Crusader 4500 V-drive vs a Walter's unit...

and the intake port repairs on the cylinder head(s) appears to be marginal...I'd be inclined to replace them assuming there is budget available.

Thanks for all your help I found out that this engine was build 1986-1988 ,5-0l-305-ci-marine-engine.
Regards, Hans