Draw-thru engine put to good use...

[turbokinetic]

Hey folks - I have a crazy idea for a project. In pieces; I have a draw-through 3.8 turbo engine that I was going to build up for a project car but found a better engine. (3.8 SFI)

Anyway - I have an old boat with a stern drive that I may use the draw-through turbo engine with.

Here is the engine, together, in the car before I pulled it down. It has been converted to throttle body EFI, but is still draw-through:

The boat is a 17 foot Lone Star, from 1978 (IIRC). It is need of a restoration, but I have all the trim for it and the hull is good.

I have an idea to build a system that would provide filtered lake water for water injection to keep detonation at bay.

Assuming there is adequate oil cooling and no detonation, I wonder what kind of CONTINUOUS DUTY boost and HP this engine can withstand in a marine application?

If it can make 200 HP continuously it would propel this boat quite nicely.

Any thoughts?
David

 

[1dollardog]

Should be a cool project if weight isn't an issue. What are you using for a trans/converter? I do know that there were 3.8 marine engines back in the day. Good luck with this one.

 

[turbokinetic]

Should be a cool project if weight isn't an issue. What are you using for a trans/converter? I do know that there were 3.8 marine engines back in the day. Good luck with this one.

Well - the boat will have a "stern drive" which has a direct-drive shaft from the flywheel to the stern drive. In the lower unit of the stern drive, there is a forward - reverse shifter. That's all it has.

The boat had a small stern drive engine, but this one will definately be heavier. It's a deep hull boat already, and I will have the engine set forward from the customary position, to clear the rear-mounted Riviera turbo system. That will help with the balance too.