Is anyone familiar with the challenges or benefits of replacing a
typical diesel marine engine with a stern drive engine?

I have an older, 40 foot wood boat with a single prop Detroit Diesel
6-71 that is located approximately midship. To create more room below
decks and add the security of having two engines, I am considering
removing the old engine and installing two stern drive engines near
the bow, just below the cockpit.

On Oct 18, 4:35*pm, Ted wrote:
Is anyone familiar with the challenges or benefits of replacing a
typical diesel marine engine with a stern drive engine?

I have an older, 40 foot wood boat with a single prop Detroit Diesel
6-71 that is located approximately midship. *To create more room below
decks and add the security of having two engines, I am considering
removing the old engine and installing two stern drive engines near
the bow, just below the cockpit.

I don't really know, but it doesn't sound very practical to me. I can
see doing so to the back of the hull, but up front int he bow area,
well....

have you seen that before?

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 14:35:17 -0700 (PDT), Ted wrote:

Is anyone familiar with the challenges or benefits of replacing a
typical diesel marine engine with a stern drive engine?

I have an older, 40 foot wood boat with a single prop Detroit Diesel
6-71 that is located approximately midship. To create more room below
decks and add the security of having two engines, I am considering
removing the old engine and installing two stern drive engines near
the bow, just below the cockpit.

If the diesel is working, I'd leave it there. Have you considered a bracket
on the stern on which you could mount an outboard - something to get you
back home?

I'd sure be looking at something like that before I'd go for a couple
gassers.
--
A Harry Krause truism:

"It's not a *baby* kicking, beautiful bride, it's just a fetus!"
[A Narcissistic Hypocrite]

"Ted" wrote in message
...
Is anyone familiar with the challenges or benefits of replacing a
typical diesel marine engine with a stern drive engine?

I have an older, 40 foot wood boat with a single prop Detroit Diesel
6-71 that is located approximately midship. To create more room below
decks and add the security of having two engines, I am considering
removing the old engine and installing two stern drive engines near
the bow, just below the cockpit

..

I assume you meant installing the engines near the stern, not the bow.

Regardless, a boat is designed (or should be) with a specific weight
distribution that affects the center of buoyancy, and other sea handling
issues. I know of gas to diesel retrofits in originally well designed
boats that totally screwed up the boat.

I'd look into this project carefully.

Eisboch

On Sat, 18 Oct 2008 19:13:19 -0400, "Eisboch" wrote:

I'd look into this project carefully.

Absolutely, really carefully.

If the 6-71 is running well I'd leave it alone. They are one of the
most reliable engines ever built.

If not it can be totally rebuilt for about $11 to 12K, far less than
your proposed project.

I'll go with the others on this and just say this isn't a good idea
for reasons already stated. oh what the hell, it bears repeating.
Changing weight distribution, bad idea. Diesel to gasoline, bad idea.
Straight drive to stern drives, bad idea.
If you just want below decks storage , maybe you can create storage
space where you were thinking of installing the stern drives.
Rick

On Sat, 18 Oct 08, Ted wrote:
Is anyone familiar with the challenges or benefits of replacing a
typical diesel marine engine with a stern drive engine?

I have an older, 40 foot wood boat with a single prop Detroit Diesel
6-71 that is located approximately midship. To create more room below
decks and add the security of having two engines, I am considering
removing the old engine and installing two stern drive engines near
the bow, just below the cockpit.