Ford Mercruiser
 

I am currently rebuilding an old boat...it has a 188 HP Mercruiser Ford engine. Is there anyone who really knows this type of engine...I've been told that Holman Moody in Charlotte, NC knows it...but it's a long way from me up in Canada.

i think it is a ford 302.someone here will have information on it.

it is an early 302. used to be common and easy to find. will still be some out there, and it is not an expensive engine. you could just about drop a 77 grenada engine in it as-is. I assume it is a non performance boat where every mph is not a big issue?

a friend had an 18 foot boat with one,it was a 1977,he sold it in 2007 and other than tune up parts it never needed anything.at 188 hp it did not make enough power to hurt itself.it was an omc with the old[stringer]drive.

Pcm ran those until the cows came home or about the mid to late 90's pretty much half ton pickup truck engines with non emissions camshafts and sometimes special sumps - oil pans the hopped up versions were usually found in the Crusaders and later ski boats matching 188 shouldn't be too hard

The 351 Windsor slightly larger than the 302 if you start to get those ideas

Don't know about a 188, do have info on the 888

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Yup, very basic.

Has a Holley 2bbl carb.....oh, the memories. My first carb rebuild, I think I was somewhere between 11 or 12 ? Definately not a teenager yet. I wanted to go waterskiing and boat ran like crap. My dad didn't know how to fix things, so he called marina and they said two weeks. I couldn't wait and dug right in. :)

Few years later, Boat sank...we got someone to come and get it back up. I ran boat a few week-ends that way until dawned on me to check the oil. OOOps...took care of that. Ran for many years after that.

Poor boat and motor...but it ran forever even with all that and more abuse.

The 888 was the Mercruiser outdrive, Outdrive had a 888 decal on top cap. The motor had 188 horsepower.

I have the 225 HP 4 barrel version in my 73 Penn Yan. You may want to change to double roller timing chain and gears. Stock cam gear is plastic coated and as the plastic wears the cam timing goes way retarded.