Marine Blocks

[JEF199]

I found a pair of marine FE's one is counter rotating they say 250 hp on valve cover. The blocks have a 29 cast on the front. Intakes have C5AE-xxxxC on them(4v cast iorn). Heads are C8 and the other is D2. Are these engines worth getting for the blocks? I guest what I'm asking are marine blocks able to go to 428 bore? I'm not sure if the guy will let me pop a freeze plug to do drill bit test I can't remember the size bit for 428. P.S. I don't know what cu in they are nor does the owner the engines are stuck so can't check stroke and I can't have them sonic checked because they are assembled and are in the owners garage. I'm looking for a genral rule of thumb on fe marine blocks thanks!!

[papabug71]

Are they still in the boat?? What year is the boat??

Alot of the marine fe's were 427's or 428's. They were a real popular engine for inboards back in the day.

My expierence with marine engines is if you cant hear them run, stay away. A marine engine is mostly run at top end, under heavy load, so they have been literally rode hard & put up wet.

Let the FE guys chime in before you make a decision tho, im just stating my personal expierences with newer mercruisers.

[bumpside]

http://www.marineengine.com/discus/mess ... 0461.shtml

Try this forum. It's all FORD marine engine talk.

[JEF199]

I was reading up and found that 427's would have 300hp logo's on them. These hade 250hp on valve cover I know that doesn't mean much but what other hp marine engines were made. I guess after 30+ years who knows. I know that one was counter rotating so puttting 1 and 1 together would say that ford had a 250 hp marine engine maybe w/ a 390 or 352. If the owner would will let me do the drill bit test do you remember what the bit size's are? I know that 427 are simease but not sure on the rest. Also I think on CR engines the oil holes in the crank are drilled backwards as well as the lube groves for the seals so the only thing I'm looking for are the blocks.

[fordman]

when you mean drill bit test are you talkign about inside the water jackets with the 3/16th? if thats the correct size. no it's like 11/32 or some strange size like that. 5/32 i don't know. i cant remember stuff like that.

[JEF199]

I can't either that's why I asked It seemed to me that 352 and 390's would have one clearence and 428 would be less. I tried doing a quick search w/ no luck. But I might be getting a head of myself If they are plain 390 blocks I'm not going to fool w/ them. I didn' t know if the FE marine blocks were magicly special. (Wishful thinking)

[fordman]

the drill bit test thing is really to see if the block is a 428 or actually has enough cylinder wall to be bored out to a 428. or was it to a 427. i think it was to 428. butt o do the test you have to take out a freeze plug to check the distance between the cylinder walls. one place i knwo you can find the answer for sure if no one comes up with it is. fe forums or network 54 there are two of them. both of them are different. network 54 is fast paced and busy. you have to watch your topic because it is mixed in a message board type of thing. fe forums is a godd place. i like it and the owner of it to. he helped me when i first came onto the net about a service block i had given to me.
for some reason i cant copy and paste the links. they are on the links page with all the other good links for our trucks.

[DuckRyder]

Try this:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/se ... sort=match

On the reverse rotation engine it may have oil groves cut into the rear backwards in an attempt to direct oil back in away from the rear main.