Hi all. New to this forum, so please be gentle team.
The Barra I am referring to here is the Ford Falcon motor - not the fish, but we all would enjoy catching the latter!
I am restoring an old wooden clinker boat and want to replace a tired old Volvo Penta petrol motor. It has been suggested I fit a Ford Barra six-cylinder motor (used right up until Ford stopped producing Falcons, Territory's etc) here in Australia.
Yes, I realise there are many other varieties of motors that fit in a boat. But I don't want a V8 due to space limitations and a diesel would likely be too expensive. A used Barra motor with lower K's can be purchased reasonable cheaply. So a straight six appeals.
Therefore, why not the Barra with MPI and ECU rather than, say, an old Mercruiser carby version or whatever? What will the Barra need to marinise it (heat exchanger acknowledged, alternator, starter motor etc)?
Does anyone run a Barra in their boat? How does it perform? Did you marinise it yourself or get a marine mechanic to do the work? Estimated costs? Dog clutch or Borg Warner Velvet Drive? (I have one of those, a 70C, rated to 200hp - will it handle the Barra power?).
I know petrol inboard motors need specific safety components and insurance might be an issue ... but hey, that's what the old boat started out with back in the early 1970s.
I would appreciate any advice and suggestions (I already have a boat with an outboard and, no, I'm not going to use the old Golley for barbecue wood!)
Thanks in advance.