Re power 92/92 370 Sundancer

What's the best option?

  • OEM replacement

    Votes: 3 50.0%

  • Convert Diesel

    Votes: 1 16.7%

  • OEM add throttle body

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Convert to fuel injection

    Votes: 2 33.3%
  • Total voters
    6
Daniel Perez

Daniel Perez

New Member
Oct 24, 2017
6
Boat Info
1992/93 Sea Ray Sundancer 370
Engines
Mercruiser 7.4
I just purchased a Sea Ray, looking to bring it back to life and re power my 92/93 Sundancer. It currently has twin 7.4 mercruisers.

Option 1 replace exactly what's there. Anything additional I should do?

Option 2 replace the motors and go throttle body

Option 3 convert to diesel

Option 4 convert to fuel injection

Option 5 your ideas
 

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That's a tough question without knowing what the rest of the boat is like... looks pretty rough in that picture.

Good luck and welcome to CSR!
 
JimG said:
That's a tough question without knowing what the rest of the boat is like... looks pretty rough in that picture.

Good luck and welcome to CSR!
Click to expand...

Boat cleaned up amazing, it is solid, needs a lot of love. Not scared of some hard work.
 

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What are your long tern intentions with the boat? Did you but it to resell it? Are you keeping it for the long term? What type of use are you going to put the boat to? Did you have it surveyed? If so what issues were found? Need more input to offer advice. Definitely not a diesel conversion.
 
If you did not get a survey on the boat get one. You need to find out the condition of the wood under the fiberglass. This will require drilling small holes in the motor stringers and any areas that have wood covered by fiberglass. I would be concerned about the forward deck and the railing mount areas. Re manufactured 454s installed I was told will be 30K for the pair. make sure you are putting them in a solid boat.
Based on the picture I would guess you have mold in the interior in places that are hidden.
 
hottoddie said:
What are your long tern intentions with the boat? Did you but it to resell it? Are you keeping it for the long term? What type of use are you going to put the boat to? Did you have it surveyed? If so what issues were found? Need more input to offer advice. Definitely not a diesel conversion.
Click to expand...

Bought to keep, a lot of sandbar trips and Bimini runs. I live in miami.

No survey yet.
 
northern said:
If you did not get a survey on the boat get one. You need to find out the condition of the wood under the fiberglass. This will require drilling small holes in the motor stringers and any areas that have wood covered by fiberglass. I would be concerned about the forward deck and the railing mount areas. Re manufactured 454s installed I was told will be 30K for the pair. make sure you are putting them in a solid boat.
Based on the picture I would guess you have mold in the interior in places that are hidden.
Click to expand...

No survey yet, engine compartment was dry. I was thinking of going crate motors, found them for around $3500 - $5500. Undecided if I stay carbs, or go throttle body or fuel injection. Boat is original and has 700 hours on it.

Yea interior needs to be completely ripped out and done over. That's the least of my worries, I get to give it my flavor.
 
I looked at diesel. It would be 100K. You can buy a lot of gas for the difference between the two engine types. If you stay with the engine type you have there is less cost as you do not need to change the throttle system. If you have generator does it need replacing. If a Quicksilver parts are hard to find for some items.
 
If you are the type that can do your own R&R on the motors just find a really good shop with experience in marine engines. I have seen engine rebuilds that have had all kinds of problems from leaks to poorly installed pistons and rings to improperly installed cam bearings. I had my 454's redone to 380hp 3 years ago and so far no issues at all. A liitle more HP, no leaks and an immaculate engine room. All new hoses, alternators, pumps and coolers for 11k total.
 
northern said:
I looked at diesel. It would be 100K. You can buy a lot of gas for the difference between the two engine types. If you stay with the engine type you have there is less cost as you do not need to change the throttle system. If you have generator does it need replacing. If a Quicksilver parts are hard to find for some items.
Click to expand...

Yes I have the quicksilver, think it's a 4 cylinder. Any recommendations?
 
If the rest of the boat is solid I would repower with a couple of brand new (not rebuilt) crate gas motors. Do it once, and do it right and you’ll get years of enjoyment out of the boat.
I’d limit the modifications in power to keep costs down because of the age of the boat. The one upgrade I’d consider is to fuel injection if you can do it for a reasonable cost.
I put brand new crate motors in my old 300 about 4 years before I sold it to upgrade to my 410. I never regretted the repower at all because I had 4 absolutely trouble free seasons with the brand new reliable motors.
The new owner is still enjoying trouble free service from them.
That boat was about the same age as your boat is now when I made the investment. It was a solid clean boat and I could have never replaced it for what the repower cost me, especially not with anything with the reliability of new power.
I did find myself wishing that I had looked in to making them fuel injected though to maximize performance and fuel useage.
 
go with 496s (8.1) the extra stroke will provide more torque to get that thing moving - maybe you can find some take outs and get FI - a lot of go fasts repower from 496HOs to mercury racing motors, so there should be some around in south florida......
 
The engine is a Nissan in the Quicksilver. You can get parts for that. The problem is the heat exchanger. Parts are hard to find. The cast iron fitting that attaches to the heat exchanger at the exhaust in salt water deteriorates. I was able to get one for 500. The end cap on the heat exchanger corroded threw and was another 500. I would remove the heat exchanger and have it serviced at a rad shop. If they can service it I would not worry about it. Ours has 1,500 hours and still works well. The engine timing belt needs replacing every 1,000 hours. When you replace that replace the anti-freeze pump and tensioner pulley. The raw water pump is easy to get and bolts into the fittings on the engine.
 
Go with crate motors. I use these folks: https://www.perfprotech.com/

The physics don't change with gas boat engines. A well tuned carb will burn the same gas as a more expensive fuel injected solution. Save the money and
install electric fuel pumps for the carb motors. I like Holley carbs because they are easy to set up and tune.
 
I would replace what is there fuel injection would be nice
Daniel Perez said:
I just purchased a Sea Ray, looking to bring it back to life and re power my 92/93 Sundancer. It currently has twin 7.4 mercruisers.

Option 1 replace exactly what's there. Anything additional I should do?

Option 2 replace the motors and go throttle body

Option 3 convert to diesel

Option 4 convert to fuel injection

Option 5 your ideas
Click to expand...


Replace what is there you will not see a drastic performance difference unless you go way up in HP.
 
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