331 Marine HEMI cam

I have a lead on a 1956 331 Chrysler Marine engine. It is the 200hp@3800 version (2x1bbl carbs). Anyone know the lift/duration of the solid lifter cam?

Anyone de-marinized one of these for street use???

 

They can be made to run on the street, there are quite a few minor differences that you can find by visiting the 'Hemi" sites Q&A boards. You should also check to see if it is a right or left handed motor.. on the ID tag the third digit of the model number will be a R or L.

CC

 

Is "R" the normal engine, or is "L" the normal rotation? I'm thinking the R and L have to do with where they were mounted in the hull, not which way they rotate.... right?

 

in a twin engine,twin prop setup boats have a motor that turns R & one that turns L this way it'll steer straight,they counterbalance,it would probably spin in a circle otherwise.
which would be lots of fun on the street.
Bob

 

Right side is the starboard side,the engine turns right.
Left side is the port side,the engine turns left.
If it came from a single engine boat it will be right hand rotation.

 

Didn't Smokey Yunick qualify a car once for N.A.S.C.A.R. that had a reverse rotation engine in it?

 

Give Chris Nielson at Nielson Cams in Farmington Utah a call . I'm pretty sure he will know. He is about the best Guy I know with 331 to 392 Cams. Darn nice guy too. I have 3 cams boxed up here ready to send to him right now.
( 801)451-7745 leave your number & he WILL call you back.

Dave

 

According to reports... the marine Hemi have firing order that is different from the car engines, & the 2 (LH & RH)marine engines don't have the same order either.

 

And exactly what does "right-hand rotation" mean? Normal or reverse? Bear in mind that "right-hand" or "clockwise" changes when viewing from water-pump side or from flywheel side...

 

Viewed from driven side , flywheel.

 

Thanks for the info, Dave. I'll check into it.



Blownolds:
As for right hand/left hand engine rotation... Imagine your right hand in a fist with the thumb pointing towards you. See the direction your fingers point? Your thumb represents the power flow direction (from the flywheel towards the rear axle), and your fingers tell you the direction of rotation. In other words, the typical car engine is a right hand engine.

 

The firing order is different between the two engines since they rotate in opposite difections to achieve counter-rotating props. Additionally, the firing order of the RH engine is different than a car engine, since the cylinders were re-numbered since the engines are installed "backwards" in the boat (gearbox driven off end opposite flywheel).

This stuff I thoroughly understand... I was curious about the solid lifter cam specs.

 

I realize this thread is 3 years old but I just came across it. I have never been into boats but I was always told the difference in rotation was when two engines were used inline they were mated front to front with gears with a drive out of only one of them for a single screw.
The gears on the front of mine certainly are heavy enough to take the torque of a Hemi output. The cast housing also seems to match the rear pattern of the block it would mate to.
If a twin screw boat had opposite turning screws it seems it would be like two rowers paddling in opposite directions, geting dizzy going around in circles

 

OK tbucket, look at the boat from the rear. one prop is CCW and one is CW. No rowing action, just straight linemovement.
BTW, did you do an intro??

 

Same thing applys to multi engine airplanes, torque needs to be offset.

 

Marine rotation is always determined from behind the engine. Must have gear drive to be a "reverse roataion" motor. Any marine cam will make a car fall flat on its face. These engines run between 4000 and 4500 rpms all day. Their power is needed at the low end to get them on plain. Same thing, put a car motor in a boat and it wont get out of its own way. Was the motor fresh water cooled or salt water cooled? Fresh water meaning it used anti freeze. If it only used river water, you might as well throw it away now as soon as it gets anti freeze in the water jackets, it will overheat and fall apart from the inside out. Hot tanking will destroy it as well. Trust me, I am a master certified Marine tech in multiple lines and it kills me to see how many big block chevys get tossed every year. Even see alot of 427 Ford get tossed because they were raw water cooled.

Just an FYI, yhere is no longer a current reverse roataion marine engine as it is now done in the gear case or transmission.

Good Luck.

Jon

 

E-mail Bob Walker at [email protected] He is the Man when it comes to early hemi stuff

 

Wow what a bummer! I just brought home a marine 331. I want to put t in my ride. I planned on a new cam, lifters, timing cover, crank etc.. I didn't plan on it decomposing upon resurection!!!! It doesn't have a "tag" on it. It is dry and shows no wear and little use inside. How can I tell if it has been run with fresh or antifreeze? Would I be better off to just sell it as is? What is it really worth?

 

If it looks clean in the water passages, I'd press on!