The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop GM/Mercruiser 3.0

Has anyone ever used the GM/Mercruiser 3.0 in anything? I had one in a boat. It would run all day at 4 grand, and never run out of gas. Since it is the big brother to the 2.5 Chevy II's and GM still makes it, seems like it would be a good swap into quite a few different things. I've always wanted to put one in a Jeep or S10. It has good HP and Torque numbers, would even be good swap for a 1/2 ton with a 216/235. Plus you would drop some front end weight.

Those were based on the 2.5 that came int the 60's Chevy II Nova. I happen to have a 66 chevy II. I've thought seriously about putting a stroked 3.0 Liter in it with a big turbo. I love pounding rice burners with the original "sport compact".

In my research, I found that GM came out with an HO version of the engine in 2004. It has 10:1 compression and 2.00 and 1.6 valves. Its design is intended for it to be more efficient when used with LP gas. You can get them with a 1 or 2bbl manifold, not to mention fuel injected too. I also know that the sprint car guys used the 2.5 with the 3.0 head. There is a guy on the inliners site that has stroked a 2.5 and installed the 3.0 head. He is planning on putting it in a Jeep. I've always thought it would be great in a 4 cylinder S10. The power of a v-6, but the efficiency of a 4. It has better Horsepower and torque number than a 216. I'm sure it would get better fuel economy too. Not to mention the bonus of losing that dreaded front end weight.

Or a square nosed S10 Blazer with a 5 speed and a turbo.

I think it is a cool idea to do SOMETHING with that little mill, but I can't see putting one in anything on this forum. They are also a bit heavy for their size, around 375 lbs. of cast iron!

Les

I have a 1970 Toyota PU with the 151 version, It also has Jeep 4x4 running gear.

Back in the early 70’s my brother and I were into midget auto racing. I was driving a
Kurtis midget with a 153 inch Chevy II that my brother had built. The basic engine was
Chevy but obviously the cam was ground for the circle tracks and the pistons and rods
were not stock. The head was a Merc Cruiser head that Mercury had cast across the
border in Mexico. The head had higher compression, bigger ports and bigger valves than
the stock head. We ran on 100% methanol thru a Hillborn mechanical fuel injection set
up. I don’t remember all the particulars because it was 40 years ago. Back then only the
best of the best had access to dynos so there was no way of knowing what the horsepower
actually was but estimates were well over 200 hp and some of them were reported to
pump out over 300 hp. Of course you have to take into account that RPM is a major
factor in the HP rating and you wouldn’t want to run your Stovebolt around town at 5K
plus would you?
Me at rest in my younger days: http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/135614047
Me at speed in my younger days: http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/image/135614062

A Chevy II would surely fit with no problems and with some minor mods it would put out
plenty of power compared to a stock 216. But before I would even conceder swapping
the inline six for a four cylinder I would look into some minor mods for a late model 235
or 261, a lot simpler and it would give a stock small block of that era a good run for its
money.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Well, hello there- - - - -Elvis!

Jerry

Aw shoot, my secret's out now.
Oh yeah, there was a time before my teeth
and hair fell out and my 30" waist line turned to a 38" that I didn't have a
problem impressin' the gals. Thank god I got that to look back on while I'm sitting
in the rocking chair.
DG

Music highway isn't that long is it?

I don't plan on using one in anything currently, just wanted some input. I've always like the motor, just never saw one in anything but a boat. They have 140 Hp stock, and with a little work, I'm sure you could squeeze more power and torque out of the 4 cylinders.

Denny Graham,
Enjoyed your Midget experience post. I could have written the same words, time frame and all, except I had a driver. Changed my Kurtis 4 bar Offy to Chevy II. NEMA allowed 153",Hilborn, meth. Sold it to someone in IN. I'm on the Mass coast so I see these marine 181"s. Have one at 192" (offset ground crank). Setting up a 153" in a John Deere 400 garden tractor. One difference today: I envy your 38" waist. David

Denny Graham,
Enjoyed your Midget experience post. I could have written the same words, time frame and all, except I had a driver. Changed my Kurtis 4 bar Offy to Chevy II. NEMA allowed 153",Hilborn, meth. Sold it to someone in IN. I'm on the Mass coast so I see these marine 181"s. Have one at 192" (offset ground crank). Setting up a 153" in a John Deere 400 garden tractor. One difference today: I envy your 38" waist. David

As the old saying goes David, you are what you eat. Just pokin some fun, me and my "big
old wife" have a constant battle going on with our waist lines.

We swapped the Chevy II for a Sesco the next season and then put that in an Edmonds
chassis. My nephew still has the Edmonds with the Sesco in it and he's been taking it to
the nostalgia races around the mid-west for the last few years. He was just a kid when we
were running with UARA and BADGER back in the day and he is trying to make it to all
of the tracks that we raced the car at back them.

I took my wife and daughter to some midget races a couple of years ago and after
qualifying they asked if that was all and if it was time to go, SO WE WENT. That was the
first time I'd been out to the track in nearly 40 years and probably the last time. I've
simply moved on to things more suited a man of my age.

Been thinking, lawn mower racing lately, if I were to get back into it. That would fit right
in the back of my 1950, 3604.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL