I just picked up a new 4.3 Engine for the Boat! 1996 Wellcraft Eclipse Rescue Part 6

Racer X Garage Episode 91: This is Part 6 of our abandoned 1996 Wellcraft Eclipse 1950s. It has taken some time to find a new 4.3 engine for the boat since the old Mercruiser 4.3 V6 was found to be cracked. But at last, thanks to Facebook Marketplace, we have a new heart for the old girl! Check it out!
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[@CMC-ei4lu]

Old buddy old pal. I really enjoy watching you do what you enjoy. The memories man. It's all about the memories. The classic R.B.cough in an episode really takes me back. Be well old friend. Still loving the content.

[@RacerXGarage]

Thanks Chris! Y'all have a great Christmas

[@onebadlt123]

Heck yes! Can't wait for more boat content!

[@RacerXGarage]

Hell Yeah Brudder!

[@the3rddecline]

I'm glad you found an apparently good engine! I'm excited to see this project going forward! Thanks for sharing!

[@RacerXGarage]

Thanks for watching! Will be picking up on this after Sick Week in February

[@johnnypalacios848]

Glad you got you were looking for can’t wait to see what you do with it🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@RacerXGarage]

Us too! Took us forever to find one that met our needs. Thanks for watching!

[@jerryrichter4904]

good job again

[@RacerXGarage]

Thanks as always Jerry! You're the best!

[@ronhutton9739]

Good find. Same thing happened to my boat. Got a bayliner with the 5.0, rebuilt carb, new fuel lines, new fuel pump, new separator, got it running, noticed a ton of water in the bilge, crack in the block on the outside spilling water, I know the feeling of defeat.

[@RacerXGarage]

its awful! so much work, sorry to hear

[@bbqpitmaster8908]

Just finished watching all your boat videos was great you guys have about the same luck as me when it come to working on my toys...lol... when you boys gonna that motor put together and in the boat, running... i love those Wellcraft Boats... please have more of the boat content asap...im a new subscriber now

[@RacerXGarage]

Thanks so much! The boat def got a lot of attention, we'll have an update video on that soon!

[@warrenforeigns4898]

Love this boat series! I binged it and now I need more, can’t wait for some more vids. I just subscribed

[@RacerXGarage]

Boat stuff we're hoping to be back on in spring time. We had some setbacks, one being building my shop, but we are itching to get back on it and pull the motor out. Thanks for watching and subscribing!

[@warrenforeigns4898]

@@RacerXGarage that will be cool! after watching your videos I started looking at boats on OfferUp here in AZ and found a 2000 glastron 195 with the 4.3 motor. Seller said it needs work but he’s not sure what, asking $3k and looks very nice cosmetically. I’m going to check it out this weekend and will be using the knowledge I picked up from your videos to see if the engine is ok. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@KevinSmith-pp2ll]

Love your videos about boat. I bought a boat few weeks ago and having same exact issues as you. I have motor out of a truck that needs trimmed not sure what I want to do yet so I pulled it. Bought a marine motor and started to go through it well the block was cracked under intake as well… now I’m thinking of timing the truck motor and go through it now…. Inboards are a stress for sure.

[@RacerXGarage]

Thank you! We're going to get back started on here again before long if we can get schedules right. Hope you stick around for that. Good luck on your project!

[@KevinSmith-pp2ll]

@@RacerXGarage I just redone mine and literally just put it in boat. Going back out to start buttoning up

[@stevewade6438]

A friend of mine picked up a 19ft Rinker that had not started for 9 years , yesterday we got it running, I'm hoping it won't have a cracked block like your old engine

[@RacerXGarage]

Oh that's awesome! Fingers crossed your motor is good to go!

[@jeremytucker1588]

Just finished my swap with a motor from an s10. My original motor was a 1994 and the truck motor was a 1996. Heres a few differences i ran into. 1. Intake manifold bolt pattern is different on the 1996 due to it being vortec heads. Had to swap my old heads to the new engine to use my intake. 2. I reused my oil pan from the mercruiser. The newer motor came with an aluminum oil pan and the bolt pattern is different. I didnt want to buy a new one so i drilled and tapped new holes in order to use my original steel oil pan. 3. The bolt that holds the dipstick tube to the block is not on the truck engines. I also had to drill and tap that. 4. Timing chain cover was different on the 1996 motor and was plastic. Had to order a new one which are not supposed to be reused anyway. 5. Camshaft was different in the truck motor despite reading online that they were the same. I reused my mercruiser cam. 6. I replaced freeze plugs with brass ones Other than that everything else bolted up just fine.

[@RacerXGarage]

Nice! Ours is a Vortec so I'm hoping 99% will be the same. Going to start this pretty soon

[@cartsquads47]

When you re used your merc cruiser cam did you buy new lifters and pushrods? Or use your old ones. I'm only asking because I'm about to do mine.

[@garrethbert]

Good luck!

[@RacerXGarage]

Thanks!

[@JeffJackson86]

how are we looking, its boating season! is it running yet?? I just bought a 1989 version of this boat. Pretty glad my engine runs, but interested in seeing this boat fresh and ready to go!

[@RacerXGarage]

Well unfortunately it is July in south Texas, and its pretty much the equivalent of living/working in a pot of steaming hot gumbo... We're going to let it cool down and then get back on the boat. We have to take it to a friend's shop to use a forklift to pull the motor out so we're arranging that now.

[@kundrew1990]

Amazing you dont have more views maybe come up with more trendy titles lol...I love this content keep it up thank you.

[@RacerXGarage]

Thanks Andrew! Truly appreciate the kind words. We will be getting back on the boat project in the fall. Have to bring it to a buddy's shop to be able to have access to a fork lift to get old motor out, and new motor in.

[@shekharmoona544]

That's a GM 4.3 V6 motor. Throw it in a S10 and run it.

[@RacerXGarage]

Almost the same exact engine that was in our boat, very minor differences between the truck and the boat engine.

[@cartsquads47]

Just came across your channel after searching for engine swap videos. I just bought me a rinker boat. What year vehicle did this engine come out of?

[@RacerXGarage]

This motor was out of a 2001, but the true vortec motors are anything 1996 and up I believe. Sounds like you got a good project on your hands. Good luck!

[@jomersnick2792]

What's the latest on the boat project?

[@RacerXGarage]

I'm going to make a video here soon on all of that

[@jeremytucker1588]

Did you just look for the same year engine or did you match up block cast numbers? Im doing the same thing with my cracked 4.3.

[@RacerXGarage]

There are basically only 2 different 4.3's. early models and vortec's. Easiest way to tell is from the valve covers with the early 4.3's having stamped steel valve covers and vortec's having plastic valve covers with "vortec" casted I to them. Our boat motor was a Vortec motor so we went with another Vortec block