Ford/Sabre 2704et's into 38' CC Offshore

Are you going to keep the same clutches and shafts? What reduction did you have and how much room do you have for wheel diameter?

Sabers

FYI:

Those engines are the same blocks but Sabre machined the piston crowns out to lower the compression ratio and spares maybe hard to get. Also they could not keep them in cylinder head gaskets until they realized the heads and blocks were to finely finished using the traditional grinding so they changed to end mills.

....and as for heat exchangers, good luck.

Rather ironically I worked on a lot of them on vessels built in England and they were also called "Offshore's"

So your working up a whole drive package from gas V drive inboards to diesel stern drive.
Can you share your thoughts on this drastic change to stern drives vs diesel inboards?

For parts on older Sabres, I've always used Lancing Marine. They are very knowledgeable.

Welcome to Lancing Marine

So you have really not decided to go with the bravo drives then.
Since you had responded with the Z drive idea, I assumed you had some ideas on it.

I would think a hassle with little return.

I would think keeping the inboard setup would be reliable and cheap.

If a shallow draught is needed why not look at a transom mounted drive rather than outdrives? Will still need g/boxes though.

http://www.lancingmarine.com/databook5pages/lmtransom.pdf

Sabre

I can not remember the actual setting for the head bolts but there was a set sequence that you must stick to then when all torqued down mark the bolt head and then turn additional quarter turn.

Lancing Marine, now there is a name from the past. Excellent company 30+ years ago and glad to hear they are still going.

The first 212 hp motors from Sabre were put into the marine patrol boats on the river Thames in London. That is when the issues with the finish on the heads & blocks were discovered and all 12 or 14 engines were taken out.

Those were remanufactured and put into the offshore lobster boats.

Yes the 275 hp versions had major issues and most of the fisherman chose the 212's.

Perkins bought the company years ago, not sure if Sabre are still going without doing a search but back then they were very helpful once they knew who you were.

Arneson Drives

If your going to do it, go Big!!

I just remembered an old event of mine;
If you can still find any info on them, The U S Army had some river boats with the turbo Sabre with jets. I found one on the surplus sales list years ago and am still laughing at it. Out of Ft Stewart, GA. It looked like a new boat (surplus??) And they wanted to get rid of it (quickly). I was looking for a tow boat and everybody told me to steer away. Later I figured what they meant.
Perkins, Ford and many others have found, When you have a reliable block, sooping it up does not work.
I hope you bought all 4 on that trailer.

I am a big fan of Arneson Drives. Those diesels will not push them for more than a few minutes.

Hind sight sux. AND, I don't want to bust your chops;

If your talking about easy cruising, then go for an inboard installation with what you have, (gas or diesel).
If your thinking about Z drives (or more) and expect performance, then think big bux.
You like gas, then large block Mopar or Chevy. If you really want performance diesel, check a few credit card ballances...

You already have the Sabre's, Maybe the bell housing is already Borg or close compatible. Go there and enjoy some easy cruising.

Then the big question; What you do now, may not pay off in the future re-sale.

Keep us up on your thoughts. I've been enlightened before and enjoy (done properly) to get corrected with my ideas.

,rc