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Repower b78 Trojan

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dbatopsecret

New member
"I recently purchased a '7

"I recently purchased a '78 Trojan 30 with Chrysler 318's and am considering repowering. I believe the existing blocks to be in decent shape. I have not checked compression. Sea trial before purchase showed I could get max of 2200 RPM on both motors, with a speed of 9.5 kt.

My questions are:

- Best source for rebuilts
- Go back with rebuilt Chrysler 318's? I prefer to stay with gas as is for $ reasons.
- I've found lots of blocks available. What about more of a turnkey engine purchase, less assembly on my end, ie., intake manifolds, carbs, etc already added.
- What else to consider while I have it out.
- What to do with the existing motors.
- What to consider in a do-it-yourself yard. I have one here in Galveston that has been mentioned, but is raw, after Hurricane Ike laid it to waste last year.

Looking forward to responses...and the cold front that's due sometime tonite. Awfully hot, and them skeeters are BUZZING!!"
 
"Assuming the motors are shot-

"Assuming the motors are shot--which is not yet proved to be the case--then your cheapest option by far is rebuilt long block 318s (which are cheaper than SB Chevies). If you repower with something else, you'll need to change a whole bunch of stuff: bellhousings, mounts, etc. And you'll need complete motors, not long blocks where you reuse your external stuff. $$$$$

Finally, the Chrysler motors are durable and long lasting. Many go way past 2,000 hours without trouble. My slip neigh or has a 60s boat that has never been touched and his old, reliable Mopars are still running great!

Jeff"
 
"I second Jeff’s suggestion to

"I second Jeff’s suggestion to stick with Chryslers……if for no other reason because of the part-swapping from old-to-new and the ease of reinstalling in your boat (mounts, trans, etc.). They’re also tough/reliable and most parts are cheap/easy to come by. For that reason, I also wouldn’t rule out the motors you have. However, if you don’t want to deal with the troubleshooting and repairing, and you got a good enough deal on the boat where you can drop 4k on new motors, long blocks are the way to go.

I bought a First Mate 318 long block from a distributor called “Marine Engines” or 1-800-Runs-New (link below). In addition to being within driving distance of me, they had one of the best prices. The price included a complete Fel-Pro gasket kit......which is something you want to be on the lookout for because it’ll cost you another couple of hundred bucks if not included. Most of the businesses selling long blocks are simply resellers/distributors…..so just make sure you find out who the actual manufacturer is and do your homework from there.

At this time of year, I bet someone would cut you a deal if you were buying two motors in one shot.

http://www.1800runsnew.com/NLM/remanufactured-NLM.html"
 
Jim - re: baking heads.....I r

Jim - re: baking heads.....I read that thread from the Trojan site. Actually most remanufactureres bake cylinder heads as part of their cleaning process.

I'm not sure if that guy was suggesting that it weakens them (?)....but it's pretty standard practice.
 
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