Cost to fix

J

jbird5986

Member
Hello all the wife and I are shopping for our first airboat I really want a chevy with gear box but I have found a 6 cyl continental on 13 ft boat.I have a few questions 1 Would it ever run dry this is not a deal breaker
2 How hard is it to fix say if I blow up a chevy I can fix it could I do the same with this If I understand correctly 1 cylinder can be repaired at a time is the aircraft maybe cheaper faster easier to fix.I understand the power to weight deal I have done alott of reading. I just dont want a boat that I cant fix and dont have enough power to plane when it is fixed Thanks in advance
 
Lot of unknowns here. If the 6 cylinder is right and the boat is light it will surprise you where it will go. As far as fixing it, depends on your skill level. I can do it but I am a pretty mechanical person. And yes individual cylinders can be changed.
Biggest advantage is you don't have to here the motor turning 4 the 5 thousand to keep it up. That contenital should be doing it around 2 K.
 
Laughing

My small block Chevy 14ft turning a 3 blade Sensenich JR rarely spins over 3,000 rpm with a 2.55 drive

If I’m light on fuel in shallow water with a cooler and Pitbull it will move you along real well at 2,400-2,600 rpm

If you have a big loaded up 16ft barge with 3 friends, full fuel and a case of beer you may need to spin up some rpms but that AC motor wouldn’t haul that load of mail.

Every boat and combo is different. My cousin has a 377 SBC with a 2.09 ratio and a 2 blade WW paired to a 14ft Bray hull. He rarely spins up past 3k

Ride the boat and talk to as many guys as you can about their set up and what they learned.
 
Im so glad you said that about the noise I had no idea aircraft was quieter 95 percent of what we do will be at idle but the other 5 will be loaded to the max riding.Is there a noticeable difference with a gearbox on sound.I really love the idea of running dry ground with everyone but the only place we ride is lake seminole so riding dry isnt that important.But also my uncle had a vw airboat and i pushed it way more than I ever rode in it and would rather not do that again.
 
Can yall give me a few aircraft engines on the larger end of the spectrum to look for I still like the chevy but the price on it may be a little more than im comfortable with
 
The words "aircraft engine" and "cheap" do not belong in the same sentence.
Also, parts availability for aircraft engines can be much more challenging, (and costly), to find than automotive parts. There is no "Aircraft Napa" store.
 
Suggest that you do a detailed search on that type of engine, several opinions on that. It was discontinued years ago for a reason, so parts are scarce on most every thing that is still not air worthy including the ones that are certified for aircraft. So yes it prolly would run the hill with light load. What ever power you choose look around with patience , test drive, get advice and be prepared to spend more. But if you end up buying a solid boat it's worth the fun. { aircraft guy}
 
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