Looking for a used V8 flywheel forward, rev rotation.

[mfine]

I have a 1962/63 Chris Craft Ski-Jet which is basically the 16 foot ski boat fitted with a buehler jet drive rather than a traditional inboard. The original engine was a "283b" which as best I can tell, was a flywheel forward reverse rotation 283. The drive shaft connects directly to the rear of the engine and to the jet unit, with no transmission.

The previous owners tried to fit a 350 car engine in it and reversed the blades on the jet but that did not work because there are curved stators in the jet unit. So, I am looking for a proper rotation engine to put in her and get her back in service. I figure anything in the 283-350 range should work, but my biggest concern is making sure the accessories like water pump, starter etc. are turned in the proper direction.

So, I am either looking for a fairly complete engine, or someone who knows what they are doing who can help me out. I am in the Rochester/Fingerlakes region of NY.

Thanks for any help you can give.

[campjer]

Keep your eye on eBay. I've seen several over the past few months... though there's only one up now and I'm not sure if it's FWF or now.

Check it out

[farupp]

Dick Baner in IL had a 283 flywheel forward engine late last year. He is on the forum.

[mfine]

Thanks for the replys. The one on E-bay looks like the standard rotation FWF 283 but I will ask the seller.

I will search for Dick.

Thanks again.

[farupp]

The 283 FWF engine in the Sea Skiff I bought from Dick late last year was an opposite rotation engine that Dick converted to standard rotation. He said it was fairly easy, accomplished by changing the opposite rotation timing gear set up to the standard rotation timing chain set up. Dick had a spare 283 FWF engine that I could have bought for a very good price but I didn't have room to take it back to SC with the boat and trailer.

Here is Dick Baner's contact information:
608 Lake Road
Eureka, IL 61530
309-467-3208
[email protected]

[mfine]

Thanks again! I sent Dick an email, and saved his contact info.

[evansjw44]

So far no one has asked whether the 350 you have is a good serviceable engine. Is it? It's not all that hard to reverse the rotation. Replace the cam shaft with a reverse rotation cam, change the chain cam drive with the gear drive, rewire the distributor. You'd need to either re-pipe the water pump if it is a gear type or simply replace the neoprene inpellors if it is that type and set the offset for the opposite rotation. You'll need a diffefrnt starter as well.

But, consider any engine you buy needs to either be rebuilt by a builder who has set it up for opposite rotation, or consider it a core that has to be rebuilt by a qualified rebuilder.

[mfine]

So far no one has asked whether the 350 you have is a good serviceable engine. Is it?

No, it is not. It appears to be a mix between a car 350 and the Chris Craft 283 accessories. The exhaust, carb, water pump (2 in 2 out Sherwood gear driven), alternator and other parts appear to be original. The block and heads are GM, and the intake manifold and valve covers are modern Eddlebrock. Best case, the block needs to be rebuilt and I believe it will need to be bored out and fitted with even larger pistons. I am not excited about that since this is a 16 foot boat with a small fuel tank, so a 350 is already overkill.

Thanks for the info on the accessories. It sounds like I would need a new starter. How about the alternator? Both looked like they were from the factory engine, but I could definitely be wrong.

Basically I need something that will hook up to my drive shaft and turn it counter clockwise (viewed from the stern) or what CC called L.H. rotation, like a 307QL. I figured a used engine with life left would be the easiest and most cost effective way to make sure I had the right accessories and mounts. It would be easy enough to have rebuilt or to get a rebuilt long block when needed. I could also get the rebuilt block now, but I need someone local who knows what they are doing to install the accessories I have, replace what needs replacing and put it in the boat for me. My concern with this approach is finding the right shop who knows what they are doing, and the cost of getting things piece by piece seems to be much higher than the cost of a complete engine.

[mfine]

Here are some images of what I have now. In the rear shot you can see there is no transmission on the back of the engine. The drive shaft bolts right on but you can see it is unbolted and laying there in the photo.



Here is a front shot. I was surprised to see the distributor at this end. It seems to always be at the rear on these installs.

[mfine]

One more of the engine tag on the exhaust. This was the first clue that she was turnin' the wrong way.



and the wear on the trailing edge of the rear impeller had me scratching my head until I figured it out.