Why nobody uses Crusader engines in performance boats?
12-10-2008, 04:32 PM
#12
Registered
Platinum MemberJoin Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver BC
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you make a half dozen phone calls you can find someone to sell you a 496HO for 13/14k. Crusader, Marine Power, Kodiak, and others all use "GM Powertrain" engines as their base platforms. These are excellent long block foundations and even the cheapest 2bbl carbed 350 has a hydraulic roller and vortec heads. Some companies do a better job of marinizing then others, and most have decent flowing cast aluminum exh manifolds. There is no issue regarding durability in a performance application, but unless you have a donor engine the same as the one you are upgrading to then you are out of luck for a lot of applications and have to buy all the stuff to adapt it from merc. None of those companies make drives, so they don't offer compatable bellhousings, no power steering on some, shift actuators, some wiring harnesses are pinned differently, etc... These are not difficult to adapt but will bring you right up to the cost of the merc, which you can bolt right in. If you need a drive it becomes even worse because merc stings ya if you buy things seperately rather then in a package and it will end up costing almost twice as much to mix and match. Finally on a service level every marina in america has a shop that will honor a merc warranty. But if ya want a turn key 425hp 496 I can sell ya one for $10,200, 6.0 with variable valve timing 375hp $9000, Or supercharged and intercooled 545hp 14k... All with the standard GM powertrain warranty.. whatever that's worth.
Last edited by HaxbySpeed; 12-10-2008 at 04:56 PM.
12-10-2008, 04:38 PM
#13
Registered
Why not electronic ignitions and EFI fuel systems? Quite simply because of cost and reliability. Crusader has strictly avoided electronic systems, and rightly so because let's face it, these engines get wet.
12-10-2008, 04:42 PM
#14
Registered
If you make a half dozen phone calls you can find someone to sell you a 496HO for 13/14k. Crusader, Marine Power, Kodiak, and others all use "GM Powertrain" engines as their base platforms. These are excellent long block foundations and even the cheapest 2bbl carbed 350 has a hydraulic roller and vortec heads. Some companies do a better job of marinizing then others, and most have decent flowing cast aluminum exh manifolds. There is no issue regarding durability in a performance application, but unless you have a donor engine the same as the one you are upgrading to then you are out of luck for a lot of applications and have to buy all the stuff to adapt it from merc. None of those companies make drives, so they don't offer compatable bellhousings, no power steering on some, shift actuators, some wiring harnesses are pinned differently, etc... These are not difficult to adapt but will bring you right up to the cost of the merc, which you can bolt right in. If you need a drive it becomes even worse because merc stings ya if you buy things seperately rather then in a package and it will end up costing almost twice as much to mix and match. Finally on a service level every marina in america has a shop that will honor a merc warranty. But if ya want a turn key 496 HO I can sell ya one for $10,200, 6.0 with variable valve timing 375hp $9000, Or supercharged and intercooled 545hp 14k... All with the standard GM powertrain warranty.. whatever that's worth.
DO YOU OWN A MARINE SHOP ? IF SO WHATS THE NAME ?
THANK'S
MIKE
12-10-2008, 05:01 PM
#15
Registered
Platinum MemberJoin Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver BC
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It is a great price but it's not Merc. So unless you have a donor you'll need power steering setup, engine mounts, drive coupling, bellhousing, shift actuator assembly... If you price all that out it adds up pretty quick. There's no free lunch.
Or if you want to build your own, with any options try these guys
http://www.flagshipengine.com/
Or if you want to build your own, with any options try these guys
http://www.flagshipengine.com/
12-10-2008, 05:09 PM
#16
Registered
Thread Starter
If you make a half dozen phone calls you can find someone to sell you a 496HO for 13/14k. Crusader, Marine Power, Kodiak, and others all use "GM Powertrain" engines as their base platforms. These are excellent long block foundations and even the cheapest 2bbl carbed 350 has a hydraulic roller and vortec heads. Some companies do a better job of marinizing then others, and most have decent flowing cast aluminum exh manifolds. There is no issue regarding durability in a performance application, but unless you have a donor engine the same as the one you are upgrading to then you are out of luck for a lot of applications and have to buy all the stuff to adapt it from merc. None of those companies make drives, so they don't offer compatable bellhousings, no power steering on some, shift actuators, some wiring harnesses are pinned differently, etc... These are not difficult to adapt but will bring you right up to the cost of the merc, which you can bolt right in. If you need a drive it becomes even worse because merc stings ya if you buy things seperately rather then in a package and it will end up costing almost twice as much to mix and match. Finally on a service level every marina in america has a shop that will honor a merc warranty. But if ya want a turn key 425hp 496 I can sell ya one for $10,200, 6.0 with variable valve timing 375hp $9000, Or supercharged and intercooled 545hp 14k... All with the standard GM powertrain warranty.. whatever that's worth.
12-10-2008, 05:18 PM
#17
Registered
Platinum MemberJoin Date: Mar 2008
Location: Vancouver BC
Posts: 1,181
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, Marine Power engines are very popular up here, especially in jet boats. I haven't tried any of the newer crusader stuff, but on their older stuff the exhaust manifolds were the biggest deterrent because they wouldn't line up with anything.. I have swapped and mixed a lot of different brands, and the only way it pays off is if you are working within the same engine family. Even then you'll sometimes run into clearance issues, like power steering pumps hitting exh manifolds etc.. 
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
OSO News
Offshoreonly Industry News
0
10-19-2007 09:37 AM
