Hi all
I have taken a project on with my brother to build a 30ft boat with twin inboards.
The boat is his side (he does glassing) and I will endeavour to get some picks up for you. I'm in charge of the technical side of things even though this is my first rodeo. He wanted to go twin jets and has source a few three stage units cheap but I came across a pair of crusader 454 with velvet drives drowned and burnt for 2500AUD and decided to buy. So now we are deciding which way to go.

Pick up from old mate

In workshop located Cardup Western Australia

Heat exchangers should be ok Osco wet exhaust closed loop are good risers and mixers need replacing

Note oil cooler bracket(normally taced onto coolers) is only thing left.

Workshop setup

Accesories stripped. Starters alternators fuel and oil manifolds all lines wiring carbs flame arrestors U/S

Ready to discover horrors internals

Engine plates


Transmission

quite the undertaking there. just fyi one of those engines is reverse rotation

Seawater mixed with freshwater mixed with oil that he put down manifold

The other engine was worse

both engines now soaking in diesel but has been a week and still no turn so its time to remove transmissions and sumps and pull crank to remove each one by one. So far bore damage has been minimal.

Yes I'm aware thank you. If we go jets I could build two LH engines but to keep them as is one will have to be RH. Furthermore I discovered the transmissions flip the rotation in forwards gear. So I'm assuming you would have to place these in the way you want to achieve either both props spinning towards each other or away after doing the math on what works best for the boat. In this scenario once engines are placed you cannot trail and error to see what works best as you can with more modern drivetrans I'm assuming....

Just got done shoving 3 used pistons in one of my buddies 454-350hp 1986 Crusaders . If your going to reuse that exhaust and its been in saltwater at all you will never get those long studs loose in the risers, you can try but after hours with the torch heating the. riser I never got any of the studs to turn.
Cutoff wheel and cut into the riser A 1/4 inch from the joint and bang it apart. Riser and elbows and long studs will need aftermarket replacement as only the manifold is freshwater cooled.

The bad piston that got us to pull the motor with 2000 hours was seconds from disaster ,Cylinder was undamaged though. Light hone and found matching like-new used pistons on Ebay .

Nice save
I've already split risers and mixers from exhaust and yes they were an absolute c***. Got one off conventionally and the rest with oxy and cutting off. Two snapped and one needed helicoil. Where did you buy the parts for the exhausts I've seen a few good sites but I need a comprehensive site to order everything from as this is going to need most accessories.

Gear driven Cam. Getting them up in stands tomorrow and hopfully pulling crankshafts.


Chain drive

Seized flexplates. Only way to remove was to remove studs and spin flywheel housing to access bolts as engines still siezed.

Man you are brave! Keep posting pics - love this stuff!