Do you favor American over European or the Japanese V4 boat bangers? American manufacturers favor iron for sea-going dependability; while the Japanese models are aluminum and shouldn’t stay in the water 24/7. If you’re trailering your boat to the water, this isn’t that important and you’ll be in the company of thousands of other satisfied boat owners.
But, if you’re hooked up to a pier, plan on plenty of maintenance. If you’re going American, Chrysler hasn’t made a marine engine for some time, so finding parts for boat banger repairs will be more difficult than going with, say, a Chevy motor. In addition, the Chevy will get better fuel economy, and the parts are readily available and cheaper.
You might think about replacing your 4-liter boat bangers with 4.3-liter V6s. There’s plenty of power, as well as reduced fuel consumption. Your cruising speed will determine the actual consumption but Chevy 350s burn about 7 or 8 gallons per hour each.
Swapping out your boat bangers means you will have to pay attention to the size of your fuel tank and whether or not it can handle the larger fuel flow. Another consideration is the shaft size. The V8 shaft size is 1-1/4” compared to the smaller size of the V4 engines. Be prepared. The newer engine will be a bit larger, too, so be sure you’ve considered room for future maintenance. There’s nothing more irritating after installation than finding out you can’t access your engine. If you’ve had the work done by someone else, check this out in dry dock before you find yourself with a stopped engine when you’re out to sea!
For the ultimate in power and economy, you can’t beat the Japanese diesel-fueled boat bangers. But, if cost is a factor, you could probably buy two gas-powered engines for the price of one diesel, which leaves plenty of money for gas and cruising. Maintenance is about 1/3 the price, as well. No matter what you decide, diesel or gas-powered, your choice of boat bangers will always have pros and cons. It is up to you to determine which features you can live without and which will make everything all worthwhile.