Why are boat engines soooo expensive?!

[Boschma]

I've always wondered why boat engines are so expensive. I understand they have good parts and the drives are expensive...but $30-40k for 900hp with a stout drive! REALLY?!

Just seems like you could have a wicked engine built for a hot rod or muscle car with equal power for close to the $10-12k range.

Is it just a boat thing....they charge alot because they can? Or does it really cost that to build them?

 

[ChumpChange]

Drive your car all the way to Vegas in 2nd gear and see how it holds up. :cool

 

[ChumpChange]

...... and because they can!

 

[hplavey]

Drive your car all the way to Vegas in 2nd gear and see how it holds up. :cool

Up a hill

 

[Boschma]

I understand that there is more load on the engine.....but does it really cost that much more money to build?

 

[djunkie]

The rocker arm setup on my boat engine cost more then what I spent rebuilding the sbc in my truck.

 

[Boschma]

The rocker arm setup on my boat engine cost more then what I spent rebuilding the sbc in my truck.

Ouch, ok it's making more sense now.

 

[hallett21]

Buy an outboard

 

[Boschma]

Not to mention that 900+hp engine probably won't last very long, and comes with a 6 month warranty, maybe??

Ya! You'd think for the big money they charge you'd hope to get at least a 150 hour warranty. How many hours with normal use could a guy expect to get out of those big power engines? How often should they be freshened?

 

[ChevelleSB406]

I always used to think the same thing, but the ways I can make power in a car engine aren't as open in a boat application, aggressive cam profiles for example can cause water reversion, and where t he power is made in te power band is quite different, but mainly the load plays the biggest role from my novice understanding. My 427 abc makes pretty big power up top but would not even get there if it was trying to push a boat through water. Oh, and a bit of "because they can." But boat application are so much cooler in forced induction just because of the infinite inter cooler that is the body of water. That makes them more fun to build

 

[Waterheater]

Almost to the first card stop.

Sent from the Galaxy

 

[Hammer]

I've always wondered why boat engines are so expensive. I understand they have good parts and the drives are expensive...but $30-40k for 900hp with a stout drive! REALLY?!

Just seems like you could have a wicked engine built for a hot rod or muscle car with equal power for close to the $10-12k range.

Is it just a boat thing....they charge alot because they can? Or does it really cost that to build them?

Bow tie block,dart etc... Tall decks aren't cheap for starters figure 2500, not including the rotating assembly plus having everything balanced... A good set of heads are 1500 +/- bare, by the time you put valves ,springs ,guides etc your probably be up around 3500 by the time you have them assembled. Haven't even gotten into the intake system yet and we are already at .....

I built a blown 540 myself and even getting deals here and there I was over 20k easy by the time the engine was finished.....

 

[Vmjtc3]

I know Teague and Mercury have some limited warranties on their high HP engines, but idk exactly what that warranty covers? It just seems like with any high HP blower engine its only a matter of time before something goes wrong, right?:thumbsup

From what I gather, the Merc racing engines now a days are pretty solid:thumbsup

 

[Tank]

You're also paying a hefty price for the years and years of R&D. The 1350 turbo motors where in R&D for 7+ years before released. Not to mention the market isn't there to get mass units out. So the price goes way up.

150k for 1 merc 1350 w/M8 drive.

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

I know Teague and Mercury have some limited warranties on their high HP engines, but idk exactly what that warranty covers? It just seems like with any high HP blower engine its only a matter of time before something goes wrong, right?:thumbsup

Wrong

PR, I have a Gen 4 502 that is now 510 inches with a 10:71 little field on top and a Lee industries intercooler. It has been in three boats now. A 21 Daytona, my 250 Daytona, now my 21 Daytona copy :eek. It has been "freshened up" four times in 15 years. Never once a catastrophic failure. It makes 1100 HP. I drive the piss out of it, but take extremely good care of it. Larry Peto builds engines that can take season after season of hard use, a couple valve adjustments a years and it's all good. Good parts, good fuel and common sense.

Steve

 

[GET SOME]

State emissions are killing builders..

 

[cave]

Steve, I lack that common sense part.lol

The cost of my head work alone, plus the stud girdles, enconel valves, triple rate springs match to a motion pro 3/4 race cam Dam that's near 3k without the heads. Add in the bottom end and dam I could of bought a small house here in AZ. Dammit. lol

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

PR,

Also, sitting here thinking about this, I think a contributing factor to premature engine failure, wear and poor reliability in general is, high quality components cost significantly more than just average stuff. If you push an engine hard with marginal stuff, it's lifespan will be proportionally shorter.

I think there is always temptation to just build an engine with "acceptable parts" rather than truly exceptional parts and assembly methods of the big power experts, Teague, Peto, Boost etc.

Conversely if you basically "overbuild" your power and ask less of it than it is capable of, it will live commensurately longer and give you many trouble free years. My power could handle much more boost (with better fuel) and make 1200-1300 HP.

Steve

 

[TBI]

Up a hill

in a snow storm

 

[Ziggy]

B O A T
Break Out Another Thousand

From my POS T-mobile thingie

 

[Skinny Tire AH]

Steve, I lack that common sense part.lol

The cost of my head work alone, plus the stud girdles, enconel valves, triple rate springs match to a motion pro 3/4 race cam Dam that's near 3k without the heads. Add in the bottom end and dam I could of bought a small house here in AZ. Dammit. lol

I hear ya Cave, This shit is nuts expensive, but buying less expensive parts and just turning a blower faster is a recipe to a short summer. The pain is temporary.

 

[TBI]

B O A T
Break Out Another Thousand

I always thought it stood for Fix It Again Tony?

 

[Hammer]

I always thought it stood for Fix It Again Tony?

Lmao !

FIAT .

 

[DaveH]

the single biggest problem is most engines are built custom. even merc, who probably sells thousands of engines per year, thats PEANUTS compared to what Ford or GM crank out on an assembly line using mass produced parts.

even the big names in the marine industry who build "package" engine i doubt have 5-10 engine sitting around ready to go.

and obviously, marine engines get worked way harder then a production line engine, so premium parts are used, driving up the price very quickly.

people complain about the cost, but few people probably really know how much effort goes into building a premium engine. and its not just the cost of the parts, the overhead to support all the hi dollar machines, dyno's, shop space etc is staggering.

for as much as these motors cost, i bet the margin the builders make is actually quite small.

 

[Kylemenz1]

And because no body "needs" a high horse power boat motor.


Sent from my iPhone

 

[Cajun]

I hear ya Cave, This shit is nuts expensive, but buying less expensive parts and just turning a blower faster is a recipe to a short summer. The pain is temporary.

And this is what kills me. A pulley swap and I go from 600hp to 860, but it's the fuel requirement that keeps my shit straight and on pump gas.

 

[Outlaw]

I've always wondered why boat engines are so expensive. I understand they have good parts and the drives are expensive...but $30-40k for 900hp with a stout drive! REALLY?!

Just seems like you could have a wicked engine built for a hot rod or muscle car with equal power for close to the $10-12k range.

Is it just a boat thing....they charge alot because they can? Or does it really cost that to build them?

You have a great source for a marine engine right in your back yard.

Next time your in Lubbock
Go by and talk with Tracy @ Sunset Racecraft They are just off the loop
On the east side of town

http://www.sunsetracecraft.com/

Tracy has a Eliminator Daytona so he
Knows how to build a boat engine
And his engines are the ones to have
If you drag race.

They did all the machine work on mine
Plus assembled the rotating assembly

 

[TPC]

The upgrade from the 383 to the 8.2 was a $12.500 per motor hit when we ordered our latest boat.
Danny Donahue told me stfu,,, that's about par.

Damn,,, I miss Danny.

I priced 1000 hp Mercs with the Super Bravo out drive at $100k, zero warranty.

Ya gotta pay to play.

 

[Hullbilly]

Wrong

PR, I have a Gen 4 502 that is now 510 inches with a 10:71 little field on top and a Lee industries intercooler. It has been in three boats now. A 21 Daytona, my 250 Daytona, now my 21 Daytona copy :eek. It has been "freshened up" four times in 15 years. Never once a catastrophic failure. It makes 1100 HP. I drive the piss out of it, but take extremely good care of it. Larry Peto builds engines that can take season after season of hard use, a couple valve adjustments a years and it's all good. Good parts, good fuel and common sense.

Steve

I agree, too many people fall for the, " oh the mechanic said I have 250 hours on it, time for a full rebuild." If you build it right, and maintain it years of service is completely do-able. Buy cheap and treat it like a wondertard better plan on lots of repair bills.

 

[f_inscreenname]

I'm not doing anything close to you guys are but the numbers add up quick and if you keep track of the cost of every nut, bolt, fitting, hose clamp, etc, etc even a cheap motor adds up quick.

 

[pronstar]

Supply and demand.
If we all drove boats instead of cars, prices would change accordingly.


2 Tapatalk 1 Cup

 

[Trash]

http://www.competitionproducts.com/540ci-Street_Strip-Marine-Long-Block-Chev-BB-951-CR/productinfo/TSELB540095/

This might be an affordable start.

 

[ChumpChange]

And because no body "needs" a high horse power boat motor.


Sent from my iPhone

Watch yo mouth!

 

[Hammer]

http://www.competitionproducts.com/540ci-Street_Strip-Marine-Long-Block-Chev-BB-951-CR/productinfo/TSELB540095/

This might be an affordable start.

That's a good deal, dunno anything about patriot heads.