Mercury (Ford) 289 marine, worth buying?

[Caprimaniac]

Hi. Some of you know I've been looking for a 302/289 SBF block for some time....

A well used marinized factory Mercury 289 V8 is up for sale, and I Wonder if it's Worth buying, Or, is it most probably rust- filled With thin cylinder walls etc?

I need it bored to +030. Will og in a car.

A friend told me the marine blocks had higher nickel- content; is that a fact?

Thank you

RS

[mag2555]

Was the motor run in a Boat with a closed system, or open?
If open,then pass on it!

[Caprimaniac]

That is one of the things I have asked the buyer. He hasn't even left a phone number, so it's hard to get hold of him...

[Ohio Rob]

I don’t believe the marine blocks had a different composition in regards to nickel content.
As has already been said, if it was freshwater cooled, it’s probably fairly rusted inside the water jackets.

[Caprimaniac]

Ok, good to know.

And I got an answer.... he doesn’t know wether heat exchanger (closed) or not....

He’s got a bid at 200$, I can stretch to 250.

Either it’s worth 0 or some, maybe 250- hard to tell.

[Steve.k]

Never knew they even existed. Be cool to have just anyway. There extremely hard to find here in any form.

[Ks Fats]

As Rob stated above: There is no difference between marine and passenger car blocks and "high nickel" is a myth. Since it is a 289 that should give you an idea regarding how long it has been in service. That many years service in that environment with a thin wall casting will dictate a block change. IF (big "if" here) it is complete it may be worth picking up just on the chance other parts are serviceable. Since you are in Norway and seem to be dealing with this engine family often offer him $225 just to build up the parts reserve.

[Caprimaniac]

Ues, agree to that, the parts themself, as a marine- package should be worth something. But, I dont think the headers come with it, so a vital part missing there... I offered him 250, and told him i could pick it up tonight. But, didn’t hear back...

I an considering a new ‘Boss’ block, bit at 3000+ $ honed and ready to go...I don’t know...

[frnkeore]

The Boss, is a much better block. It has heavier main caps and 5.150 long, 3/8 rod bolts, same as the 271 HP, 289 and 302 Tunnel Port engines but, I don't know that it's worth $2750 more. A main girdle and after market rods, are much cheaper! The cylinders are a little longer on 302's so, if your planning on a stroker, that would be a little better.

For 289's, there are 2 bell housing patterns, 5 bolt and 6 bolt. 5 bolt stuff, to attach anything to the block, is getting very hard to find. Also, 221, 260 and 289's before '65, have smaller intake valves, 1.68 vs 1.78.

[Caprimaniac]

Oh gosh- you reminded me og something important there... need to check if it’s 5- or 6- bolt....

[piston guy]

6 bolt, No marine 5 bolts. NOTHING special on marine "destined" blocks , standard production parts . Different cams , carbs and distributors.

[PackardV8]

I need it bored to +030.

FWIW, we just shipped a box of Packard V8 parts to Norway, so it can be done. Are there 302" roller cam blocks available in Norway? How much would one be worth there? We could even bore one .030" prior to shipping.

[Paul Kane]

Caprimaniac,

As an avid hot boater for several decades I can tell you that an open cooling system in a V8 powered boat does not make an issue with corrosion, and in fact I have seen far worse corroded cooling systems in V8 powered cars that experienced maintenance neglect.

The issue with marine is when the engines are operated in saltwater, particularly open cooling systems in saltwater, but even closed cooling system engines in saltwater make for a bad environment overall for the engine.

An open cooling system in freshwater lakes is no big deal, save for any buildup of silt/sediment due to neglected occasional flushing. But even if that's the case, the similarly neglected flushing of the daily driver car is often far, far worse than an engine with an open cooling system operated in a freshwater lake.

P.S. We build, sell, and ship engines worldwide, so if you want a small block Ford long block (not just the cylinder block) then maybe we can help. Feel free to email me if interested.

[Paul Kane]

I don’t believe the marine blocks had a different composition in regards to nickel content.

There is no nickel (read: zero nickel) in the metallurgical recipes for V8 cylinder block grey iron, not in the small block Fords, not in the big block Fords, not in the "010" chevys, BBC etc. I oversaw metallurgical analysis of all these engines, with a scanning electron microscope, so as to dispel all those regurgitated rumors and claims.

[PackardV8]

There is no nickel (read: zero nickel) in the metallurgical recipes for V8 cylinder block grey iron, not in the small block Fords, not in the big block Fords, not in the "010" chevys, BBC etc. I oversaw metallurgical analysis of all these engines, with a scanning electron microscope, so as to dispel all those regurgitated rumors and claims.

Don't we wish those could be dispelled by facts. The "high nickel" claim goes around most ever marque in the old car hobby and it's impossible to stamp out.

The performance engine guys are just as bad. Just the other day, we had a guy bring us a SBC block with the main caps having "N" cast in them. "Paid $750 for this 'un; one of them rare high nickel blocks. Betcha you don't see many of those."