new some help on info on a v20

aussie

aussie

Senior Member
hi guys just hope u can help im over in australia and seen a wellcraft v20 for sale on ebay i have a few questions
the seller of the boat has listed it as a wellcraft 20ft 1988 with a 470mercruiser 165hp
what engine do they have
do they preform well and canu mod the engine
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260739375327&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

this is the boat after looking on google to find what kind of wellcraft i found out it was a steplift and that the boat was sold in the states 12 months ago because he left the old amercain reg number on it
maybe some old member owned it i really like the look of the boat and any help wpuld be good thanks
 
THe engine I believe is a inline six GM. If the boat was taken care the mercruisers can be real nice. The problem is people generally neglect them. I would have it gone thru by a marine shop if you are interested. There are lots of parts in that outdrive that get expensive fast. One great thing is they get great gas mileage. The boat is a Deep V 20 steplift. I have a friend who converted his to an outboard on a bracket and it is cool. He said it was really not to bad to do and he loves it. If the price is right and it checks out ok with the mechanic, that would be a great boat. How much is it in US dollars?
 
That's a good looking V-20...somebody took care of it...the 470 is plenty of power for the hull and the trailer even appears to be in good shape...it DOES look familiar, but that could be said about a lot of V-20s...looks like NC hull numbers...I like the fact it's a CLOSED cooling system...

What's the exchange rate...18,000 AU...what's that equal to in US dollars?...nice boat...hope it wokrs out for you...:clap:
 
Welcome Aussie, that looks like a great boat. The 470 is a 4 cylinder Mercruiser engine with plenty of power to push that V around 40 mph. The 470, 3.7 and 170 are basically the same engine. Its Mercruisers aluminum block and a Ford 460 head marinized for this application. Most have closed cooling systems which don't run sea water through the block, which is a big plus. They're great motors if maintained properly. They had a few minor problems like the alternator behind the harmonic balance, which can be changed to an external one wire alternator easily. But really they're strong, reliable, economical engines that are very easy to maintain and repair. Good luck with your purchase! If you need any advice, just ask.
 
That looks like a clean boat. All 470 engines are 4 cylinder 3.7 liter and closed cooled, they had to be as the engine block is aluminum and the head is cast iron. Often called a Ford design becuase 3.7 liters would be roughly one half of the 7.5L 460 cubic inch Ford. This was a mercruiser designed engine with one 460 ford head. They have a very stout bottom end and and yes they can be modified. Most common upgrade would be the oil cooler and 4 bbl carb and intake which mercruiser offered. The 4bbl versions of the 470 series motor were rated at 188/190hp. The 470 engine when it came out in the 1970's had a lot of teething problems. The later versions of the engine in the late 1980's were the best in my opinion and had several upgrades, including a larger 4" heat exchanger, and a better designed manifold and riser. All 470's originally had an expensive watercooled voltage regulator and the stator mounted behind the balancer pulley but many have been converted to a standard alternator set up as the stator likes to fling the glued on magnets. The 470 idles like a tractor pulls like a mule and gets darn good mileage doing it but any 20 plus year old motor needs a mechanical look over.


Brian
 
Good looking setup. The boat appears in good condition. Check the floor for soft spots, check the transom for dry rot. His ad states that the cuddy is big and can sleep 2 guys easy. It cannot. It's a great shelter, and yes, you can put 2 people in the cuddy, but it gets cramped when you do. That being said, the engine is a very reliable unit, and the fact it's freshwater cooled makes it much more desireable.

HOWEVER!!!!!......

In My Humble Opinion.. he's way overpriced on the boat!! The conversion rate for Austrailian to United States means that $18,000 Aus = $18,286.73 US.

http://coinmill.com/AUD_calculator.html#AUD=18000

It's a really great boat, and in most circumstances will get you out and get you home safely and with minimal fuss. But the price is way out of line for the boat. The ultimate decision is, of course, yours. But if it were me I'd keep looking. :head:
 
"The inside cabin has a large storage area and can sleep 2 guys easily"...

it would have to be 2 guys who happen to be "very close"...

18 grand? you could buy 3-4 of them here for that price....
 
ok thanks guys for the big welcome
ok one guy said its a 6 and the rest said its a four
i was hoping it was a ford four half a big block
i am a mechanic by trade so if i buy it i intend to do some mods to the engine is the head on it the same as a 460 big block can one be used
what is the power like of the engine do they plain easy never had a inboard for that reason
for the price on the boat its a good price for a baot of its size over here and these boats r not seen here like me exporting a strange car to u guys the price would be high
well this guy has not been responding to my emails only one told me its a car engine that was alot of help:you:
ok can u tell me if these engines vibrate alot dont like vibration
and can we say definite its a ford 4
 
Motor is a 4 cylinder a big honkin 3.7 liter four designed by mercruiser. To me it idles like a tractor and has the torque to match. Unlike most of our inboard engines. It is not an automotive motor that has been marinized but rather a mercruiser designed motor that uses some ford components. I used to sell Porsches and we had a 3.0 liter four in the 944, we would say it was the largest most powerful 4 cylinder (normally aspirated) of the time 1989-1990. That 3.0 used balance shafts licensed by mitsubushi to offset vibrations. The 470 series has no balance shafts depends what you compare it to but idle quality is a bit shaky. You get used to it.

Brian
 
yes i no what u mean the mits has 2 timing belts one for the cam and one for the balance when the balncer one is broken or not timed propley the car shakes rattles and rolls:hide:
 
boat action is ended

hi guys no luck with this seller:arrr:
he has not replied to my messages and its the only v20 for sale in the country im so dissapointed looks like i would have to settle for something else
i thought about getting one shipped over here and maybe it mite be close to a member so i can get a reall report on it
but i have never had a boat shipped over and r very scared of problems that will occur well thats one more dream in my life down the drain thanks for your help guys hope i can stay on and show u my boat i ended up with :)
 
Sorry it didnt work out......I dont know how much you looked into it but you could buy that boat here for $4000 to $5000 easy like RKC said....could shipping to AU be $13000? It mayb but I would take a look at it just to know....there are some pretty helpful guys on this site....if you can find one around me I know I'd be glad to go take a look at it for you...

just something to think about.
 
ok thanks i do no of a guy who imports cars i may just enqire to see what he says
i relly like the idea of a cut down big block it may not be the best motor to go with but it all depends what u like and its different thanks for your reply dont like having my buble poped lol:cry:
 
i really like the cut down ford big block
thing i would do it a alloy aftermarket head if its the same some more porting , roller rockers, solid camshaft. 4 barrel carb or webber carbs . a balance, hi profaomance light weight pistons my mate owns a engine shop and it would be interesting to see what horse power the engine puts out stock on the engine dyno and what it puts out moded
i do not like any efi out boards or inboards its big trouble and money we have a problem with fuel over here ethonal if it sits for too long it dastroys the fuel pump and injectors what a nice present every year 4000 dollars on repairs for some people any way i was bored so i thought i would talk some **** so if u want pick on my post go ahead im always up for a laugh lol
 
aussie said:
ok thanks guys for the big welcome
ok one guy said its a 6 and the rest said its a four
i was hoping it was a ford four half a big block
i am a mechanic by trade so if i buy it i intend to do some mods to the engine is the head on it the same as a 460 big block can one be used
what is the power like of the engine do they plain easy never had a inboard for that reason
for the price on the boat its a good price for a baot of its size over here and these boats r not seen here like me exporting a strange car to u guys the price would be high
well this guy has not been responding to my emails only one told me its a car engine that was alot of help:you:
ok can u tell me if these engines vibrate alot dont like vibration
and can we say definite its a ford 4
Click to expand...

OMG!!! If that's a good price for a boat that size over there I think I can fill a 40' container with 4 of them and make a fairly good profit. I'm gonna have to look into this..:head:
 
 
:hide: ok guys i got some good news the guy finally replied to my message and i have a contact number so i will go see it on sat :clap:
is there any thing i need to look out for like the tramsom for softness or rot
 
Check that motor over real good. The better 3.7 L motor had a 4"(10cm) diameter heat exchanger and an aluminum exhaust manifold. It will have a pressure cap on the exhaust rider towards the rear. CHcek the charging system for issues. And definatley check the compresion. Mercruiser had some problems with the earlier riser to manifold riser gaskets, it allowed water/coolant to seep into the cylinders, ususally affecting number 4. Look under neath teh balancer, there should be a small weep hole in the front timing cover, check it for coolant, if it has camshaft seals leaking, it will come out there. I've seen people smear sealant on this weep hole to hide the issue.If you don't like a rough idling motor, this isn't for you, but they do run well once your up and running. Upgrades to the engine would be replacing the point igniton with a pertronix conversion, if it has a 2 barrel carb, replace it with a 4 bbl set up if you can find one(needs manifold, carb, and oil cooler), if you can't find one, a later 2bbl(1990 and newer) Mercarb(made by mercury, has one idle mixture screw) or an earlier Rochestor large bore 2bbl(early 80's late 70's mercruiser 188, 235, 190, 200 hp, has two idle mixture screws). If your into hotrodding, a set of aftermarket rocker arms would help that engine a bunch. Parts are getting harder and harder to find for the 3.7's. And there are now automotive replacemnt blocks for it, the heads are 429/460 Lima series(saw a CJ head fitted to one for drag racing), you can use 460 pistons and rings. I believe the bearings are a standard autmotive bearing, but I could never find out what they were(it was easier to order Mercs at the time)
 
ok thanks for your great reply back here people dont like stren drives for what reason i dont no if i do gwt the boat i will do mods on it a port job done buy a pro .rollers rockers a rering if it can be done or a rebore the maniflod i will mod it for a four barrel cut and shut the carb will be a holley or a carter small around 400 500 cfm well im hoping the engine is in poor condition so i can drop his price down as all the work can be done by me
i like to freshen up engines i do it to all my cars so i have no surprises when im relaxing
do they run a ting chain or gear set
and for the camshafts r they the same as a big block cause i maybe can use a better one and machine the xtra lobes off
do the blocks have any problems with cracking cause hate to see what it would cost me to get one sent over here
with the dizzy i would mod one a bosch one to fit

on a different note what will this boat be like with 4 big people in it would it get on the plane ok
as this boat is a long way from water and i dont think this guy will let us take it out for a test
r the head gakets the same as a 460


thanks for your comments
 
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