marine engine, late model

[zzebby]

Not really OT as they are different and have some hot rod ideas.
A buddy just bought a big cabin cruiser,2006 vintage, and since it was twin screws I was keen to see what it had.  Mercruiser and so I expected an LS2 or LS6,  but no it had the old std small block chevy ?? Actually two of them and yes one of them ran backwards.  The decals on the valve covers said 6.2 liter.........which is about 380 cubic inches. What gives  Or is this our 383 small block?  Factory ? It was fuel injected of course and looked a little like the LT1 of the mid 90's.  Is this the original RAM JET or it's descendent ?  Very cool looking injection system.  Any one know if they made them closed loop which would be a good street setup.  Mass air flow ? I'd grab a computer if that was the case.
I think he said they were 380 ponies each.  They had wet exhaust but did not use the lake water for cooling.  Each engine had it's own sealed system, aluminum radiator and electric fans.  I assume this was to get around the salt water corrosion problem,  but then why not use the later LS2 thru LS6.  They are proven tough by now aren't they ?
A lot of trick wiring and mounting brackets...........is there a junk yard for boats ?

[enjenjo]

We have boat salvage yards up here, along with farm equipment salvage yards.

[donsrods]

Hi guys, haven't been around for a while, but thought I might shed a little light on this engine for you.  The 6.2 is 377 cubes and is Mercruisers attempt to get a little more torque out of a small block to move heavier boats.  Since the 7.4 (454) isn't being made any more they needed a way to get that torque and yet have a lighter, smaller package.

I don't know a whole lot about them as I worked in the office end of the marina business, as opposed to turning wrenches, but I do know the Techs had respect for them and felt they were pretty good engines.  They share a lot of other 5.7 components, but the fuel system, intake, etc is different to get better flow.

I am running a 5.7 marine engine in my 23 and it is virtually identical to what you would get in a Chevy car or truck, except for a few minor differences.  The cam profile runs out of steam at 5,000 rpms, and the head gaskets and freeze plugs are corrosion resistant for salt water use.

To get back to your original question, would one of these 6.2's be good for a hot rod?...........I guess it could be made to work, but it is not the 383 stroker it appears to be.  A better value would be to simply add a stroker kit to a 5.7.  Cost would be another factor and because the 6.2's haven't been out there for lots of years they still would bring good money, if you could find one, far more than you would have in building a 383 from scratch.

I know this wasn't a ton of info, but hope it helps a little.

Don