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4.3 Chevy V6
- Thread starter JL242
- Start date
purplepeople5939
Member
the best person to talk to about this is water thunder he builds those 450 hp v6 4.3
Waterthunder
Well-known member
If your hull is 13 feet that’s isn’t really small. How high are the sides? On the 4.3 V/6’s I have built I install the 2.68 gear box. I turn all my car motors between 5,800 and 6,500 at full throttle. If you have a small boat and desire to run a small engine there is a power plant that I can not believe isn’t used more often. I hate Ford’s but it’s Mercury Marine motor. There is an all aluminum 4 cylinder that Mercury developed for inboard/outboard boats. It makes around 200HP but it deliveries a lot of torque you can buy these motors new from Mercury fairly cheap and even find them cheaper used. The motor is based off a 429 Cobra Jet it actually uses a 429 Cobra Jet head so there are a lot of after market heads and component’s available. I’m sure GTO airboats has developed a gear box for the Ford. They are really the only people putting Fords on airboats. This Ford 4 cylinder is the only 4cyl I would ever run. As for the V/6 my LS-1 platform is lighter than the V/6. Do you know who manufactured your hull if so I will have an idea what you can install. But most importantly what are your needs from an airboat you know frogging, spraying, hunting, running dry single passenger, dual passenger what are your main requirement from your airboat.
I don't have a new hull picked out yet, I currently have a 12 ft w/ aircraft (0360 Lycoming). I have been looking, and trying to get a motor & prop picked out first. I know that I want a high sided hull, and I want to be able to carry 4 passengers, mostly a ride boat, but I do want to be able to run in the backwater areas of Homassa & Salt Rivers to fish for reds. If the LS1 weighs less than a V6, that helps with my decision of what I'm leaning towards. I was leaning towards a 13 ft hull with a vortec V6, but now that I know the LS1 weighs less, I am leaning towards a 14ft. hull. Thanks for the help and tech advice.