Glen-L Hot Rod

1–2. All mounting plates were sandblasted, primed and painted before final assembly. We've added triangular webs along the v-drive's thrust centerline to stiffen up the v-drive plate.

3. The stuffing box was installed with stainless steel hanger bolts.

4. The frame truss plate was cut down to conform to the bottom of the transmission.

5. The front engine mount stringer bolt holes were bushed with fiberglass bushings.

6. The tubes were epoxied into the bolt hole bores and allowed to cure.

7. Bushings were fabricated from 6-1/2 ounce fiberglass cloth.

8. There's no limit as to what can be done with epoxy and fiberglass !

9. We fabricated adjustable front engine mounts using flat plate and tubular steel.

10. Vertical travel can be adjusted by turning the 1/2" nut located beneath the strut.

1. The Hardin Marine thermostat housing required us to re-plumb most of the engine plumbing.

2. A Glenwood oil cooler was mounted to the stringer. This should reduce engine oil temperature and increase engine life.

3–4. Yet another Glenwood oil cooler was installed below the Velvet Drive's fill plug level. This adds extra capacity to the system and ensures that the trans is at its maximum fill level at all times. An MSD billet aluminum marine distributor, digital ignition box complete the engine installation.

5–6. Last of the hydraulic steering components were installed. A Gil offshore sea strainer filters raw water before feeding it into the cam-driven water pump and oil coolers.

Lately, a hot topic on Glen-L's Boatbuilder Forum has been automotive engine conversion for marine use. If you've been dreaming about building an inboard powered boat but are intimidated by the installation process, this article may answer a few of your questions such as 'where do I start' and 'what are my options'. A good place to start is by reading the book Inboard Motor Installations written by Glen L. Witt and Ken Hankinson. This reference book covers all aspects of engine conversion and installation and should provide the insight and inspiration to tackle the job yourself. You'll also need a repair manual covering general overhaul procedures for your specific engine. Haynes Publishing Group offers a well written book that's easy to follow. One option for many boatbuilders is to purchase a ready-to-run marine engine. For a lot of builders this solution may be out of reach. Another more afordable option is to purchase a good used truck or auto engine and convert it for marine use. Lastly, a more economical option is to find a recent take-out marine engine with most of the marine parts already installed. Depending on engine condition, engine rebuilding may be required to ensure reliability and restore performance. Several Mail Order companies provide complete marine engine rebuild kits for many popular brands (Chris-Craft, Crusader, Indmar, Mercruiser, OMC, Pleasurecraft). You can either order the parts or have the machine shop quote you the parts and assemble the engine yourself. It's a good idea to have them quote the assembly labor. This way you know exactly how much you'll be saving by providing the labor. In this article, we'll present the first installment (engine disassembly) of Bruce Dow's engine rebuild. A future article will cover engine assembly and include a video of the engine break-in. Glen-L Monaco 283 Rebuild

Glen-L Monaco 283 Rebuild

1–2. In February 2007, another Glen-L builder, Bruce Dow from Toronto, Ontario acquired a reasonably priced 1962 Chris-Craft 283 HO engine complete with transmission. It too was salvaged from a twin engine cabin cruiser that had been damaged beyond repair. Bruce installed it in his Glen-L Monaco, completed the boat in July 2008 and launched in August 2008.

In October, we towed both of our boats to Glen-L's Boatbuilder Gathering in Guntersville, Alabama. Unfortunately Bruce had some major drivetrain issues that will require some attention. After we got back from our trip, I offered to rebuild his engine and transmission over the winter. The following photos chronicle the rebuilding process.

3. We loaded up our portable gantry crane and left Chelsea, Quebec at 8 AM. Picked up Colin, (our Chief Class A mechanic) in Franktown, Ontario at 9 AM and arrived at Bruce's place at 2 PM. Bruce had already prepped the driveline for removal, so we had it plucked and loaded in record time. After soup and sandwiches we headed back to the shop.

1. First step was to drain the engine oil and remove the transmission.

2. The Paragon HF7 1:1 ratio hydraulic transmission was slipping badly so it will also be rebuilt.

3. The transmission's splined input shaft mates to the crankshaft-mounted drive plate hub.

Moving the boat from its cradle to the trailer went extremely well. The 6" wide x 12' long I-beam is supported by jackposts which adjust from 7' to 9' in height. The 3" C-channel base is supported by 8" steel casters. Note the freshly carpeted trailer bunks.