4.3V6 Chev and before you say.....

[Bruceynz]

Hi Guys,

Before you guys say Oh no he is a bow tie boy have a listen to this, down under we play with jet boats, since the marine jet pump was developed in NZ and is built about 5 minutes from my house. Chev engines have a big following in marine, the 360 was a marine engine but when playing with small boats a V8 is 2 long. The 4.3V6 has a lot of marine parts. I am having a new 12ft jet boat built and the power plant is a 4.3V6, I bought the engine out of a 2000 Chevy blazer and turned it into a marine engine. I took the fuel injection off and fitted a carb intake with an edelbrock marine carb, I fitted a HEI ignition system and some shiny bits. I will keep you posted if you are interested but this is what the marine engine looked like when I had finished with it, I like shiny things

I am going to dress up my 318 in my Cordoba to when I get all the parts together. Mopar performance valve covers and sandwich air filter.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Can't stand chebbie myself.
BUT.....that IS cool.
When it's on the water you'll have to post up some video.

 

[Bruceynz]

Yeah its a Chebbie but its also easy to get marine bits for and it was cheap Mopar V6s are just not in NZ!

 

[aspen77rt]

Rock on. I only wish we had the aftermarket of GM & Ford.

 

[Bruceynz]

It may not be mopar but at least it is Detroit iron!

 

[Monkeyed]

I'm a gearhad, so I don't dislike any particular brand. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages. I like mopar the best, because it presents the greatest challenge out of the domestic (for me) brands, and offers the greatest rewards for your efforts. Overall the, how do I put it, they're built to a system, where one component affects the next, and if you understand that and can see how one thing compliments the next, rather than each individual component being a seperate system unto itself, like GM, which is why it's easier to isolate problems with them, btw.. I don't know, I could almost write a thesis on this lol :toothy5:

 

[Bruceynz]

In NZ Chebbie is the cheapest followed by Ford and then the gold plated mopar parts. I like mopars but I need to buy an engine that will do what I want. Easy to get parts to turn it into a marine engine, carb'ed intake and HEI. When I bought all the parts for it my money felt like it went soooooo far compared to when I mopar shop, electronic dizzy for a v6 chev $60 for a mopar $180 for example, its easy to buy bolt on parts than fabricate yourself. So chebbie is good for this project.

 

[AMP762]

That is a tough engine and should work great in your boat.

 

[Bruceynz]

I hope so! Dare I say it Chev do make some good things, their 350 has been a bullet proof engine for them!

 

[Bruceynz]

The 4.3V6 has been quite a popular marine engine in the USA, its been around and had a few re inventions so its pretty much bug free, they are nice and short for a jet boat application, but they are all cast iron which makes them heavy, the latest version I believe is all alloy. Anyway its a great mill because a jet likes to work about 4500rpm and they make max HP about there so should be a fun we project. Here is a photo of the hull it is going in.

 

[Bruceynz]

This is ironic, the jet unit/pump was developed in New Zealand, I live less than 5 minutes away from where they build the jets, yet the engine in my boat is USA made and the unit I have is a USA made Kodiak unit which is a direct copy of the Hamilton unit, my boat has all USA running gear in it!!

 

[enigma57]

:hello: Bruce, working up one off induction systems is a hobby of mine. If you want to do something really different with your 4.3, I have the base intake for Chevy's 1st design 229 V-6 racing engine here. Still new in original box. Have had it for over 20 years (project took another direction). With very little work, this intake will also fit the 4.3 engine (minor welding in a couple of spots to seal an OEM 4.3 intake gasket).

It is the V-6 version of the 2-piece Z-28 style cross ram intake. I did not buy the GM top plate (original GM plate was set up for a single centrally mounted 4bbl for a specific racing class and that configuration would not provide optimal fuel distribution)...... Was going to machine a new top from aluminum plate and drill it to mount multiple carbs better positioned to provide even fuel distribution. And probably add a specifically shaped hardwood plenum stuffer to decrease plenum volume for better throttle response.

Anyway...... If you want something to experiment with that is pretty rare (these intakes and the 1st design racing heads they were designed to fit have been out of production now for many years...... Let me know.

Best regards,

Harry

 

[80 Aspen RT]

Hmmmm.....3.6 Pentastar in a boat....

 

[Jack Meoff]

Hmmmm.....3.6 Pentastar in a boat....

Wow! 306hp

 

[Bruceynz]

Try and get marine manifolds for it off the shelf they don't cost the earth

 

[Bruceynz]

:hello: Bruce, working up one off induction systems is a hobby of mine. If you want to do something really different with your 4.3, I have the base intake for Chevy's 1st design 229 V-6 racing engine here. Still new in original box. Have had it for over 20 years (project took another direction). With very little work, this intake will also fit the 4.3 engine (minor welding in a couple of spots to seal an OEM 4.3 intake gasket).

It is the V-6 version of the 2-piece Z-28 style cross ram intake. I did not buy the GM top plate (original GM plate was set up for a single centrally mounted 4bbl for a specific racing class and that configuration would not provide optimal fuel distribution)...... Was going to machine a new top from aluminum plate and drill it to mount multiple carbs better positioned to provide even fuel distribution. And probably add a specifically shaped hardwood plenum stuffer to decrease plenum volume for better throttle response.

Anyway...... If you want something to experiment with that is pretty rare (these intakes and the 1st design racing heads they were designed to fit have been out of production now for many years...... Let me know.

Best regards,

Harry

Hi Harry,

Sounds very interesting and the way to make some power but I find for reliability and ease of tune I will stick with one carb on a marine engine. Sounds like you have a we gem of a manifold for the right person.

See You
Bruce

 

[enigma57]

I agree, Bruce. In a boat, that's the most reliable and trouble free way to go. I just have this crazy inclination to put more than one carb on just about anything that runs.

When it comes to carburettors...... If one's good, two are better and three ain't near enough...... :icon_biggrin:

Best regards,

Harry

 

[Bruceynz]

Here it is getting tested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-kgbREkjr0

 

[Jack Meoff]

Now I want to see the full throttle video. :toothy12:

 

[Bruceynz]

I think you can't beat a nice shiny carb and a 4bbl intake, it just looks so muscle car! From the front my engine looks like a V8 4.3 is a nice sized V6! Looks to have plenty of grunt, its being tested by the boat builder, as you can see its screwing the trailer around! These V6 make all their HP at 4400rpm so makes for a good engine in your boat that does not need to rev real high to make all its HP.