3.8 liter Crusader Engine - Parts-Replacement-Availability

[PCOMT]

I am considering a purchase of a 1981 3007 aft cabin with 3.8 liter twins.
The engine hours are unknown:

Broker's Quote: "Unfortunately I have little idea of hours on the engines and the owner doesn't appear to have much of an idea either but the Hobbs meters indicate more hours than these engines physically show so I am guessing that at some stage, they have been rebuilt."

The boat looks good but my concern is with the older engines and finding replacement parts and the whole engine, if necessary. It looks like these engines will be hard to find parts for. I have done some searching online and find very little reference to them. I have not found a place to purchase new engines.

If the mechanical inspection is acceptable, I would expect at least several years of use, then, if an engine replacement is needed, I may have to repower with a different model engine. I suspect we would want to stay with gasoline engines.

I have seen a lot of reference to the 4.3 crusader engine. This is a V6 as well and there appears to be easy access to this model. I am hoping that the physical size difference would not be big enough to cause issues with engine room space. I assume that both engines are Chevy, the transmission would bolt up the same.

*Has anyone on this forum repowered a 3007?
*If so, what did you repower with?
*How did it go?
*Any recommendations?

Thanks

[Lyndon670]

Peter,

My opinion would be to move on. I can't imagine any reason, even if I was given a free boat, to do a repower on a 35 year old boat. You would never get your money back, not to mention the headache/hassle that always happens with a repower. If you look at your final cost after repower, you cold have bought newer/bigger.

JMHO!

[PCOMT]

Thanks Lyndon, Your logic is spot on, I would not buy an old boat that I had to repower right away.

My original question was "if" it needed to be repowered. The mechanical inspection and compression test were acceptable. The engines start easily and "purr" along. The mechanic stated that they were newer engines than the boat. There is no way to tell how new, but he felt they were replaced in the last 5-10 years. (Of course, that is just talk, who really knows when?)

We purchased the boat and have played around a bit, no long trips yet, but we will putting some hours in over the next few months. I expect a few issues, but hopefully, not serious engine problems.

I appreciate your feedback and advice, keep it coming!