MerCruiser-Ford race engine

Cfeco · 12/4/22, 7:01 PM

Hi, new here, and thanks!...has anyone heard of the 4 cylinder MerCruiser engines which used a 460 Ford head, came out as 3.7 liter? They were used in circle track racing in the 80's-90's I believe, with many parts made by Ford. Someone said they were used in Midgets so I figured I'd try looking here, for parts, as a start. Anyone have any knowledge of these or ideas where to look? Thanks again!
This pic is the Drag race version of the "little" boat motor...

PIT CART · 12/4/22, 7:06 PM

Nick Landon ran something like that at the rumble. I know it was a boat engine but not sure of the brand.

martz32 · 12/4/22, 9:28 PM

I think someone ran an Evinrude at Belleville in 1993 or 1994. It was #76

TQ29m · 12/4/22, 9:48 PM

An ELTO?

TQ29m · 12/4/22, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cfeco

Hi, new here, and thanks!...has anyone heard of the 4 cylinder MerCruiser engines which used a 460 Ford head, came out as 3.7 liter? They were used in circle track racing in the 80's-90's I believe, with many parts made by Ford. Someone said they were used in Midgets so I figured I'd try looking here, for parts, as a start. Anyone have any knowledge of these or ideas where to look? Thanks again!
This pic is the Drag race version of the "little" boat motor...

Several years ago I happened on to a seller on eBay who was selling a bunch of Cosworth parts, all brand new, for a defunct engine that had financial difficulties, in about this time frame, I was in need of injection assemblies, so I bought all I could, these were all for a Ford midget engine. I didn't buy anything I couldn't use, so I didn't buy anything else, he quit selling his stash, and I never heard from him again, but I'd love to hear if anyone else shared anything from him. I have nothing left of what I bought.

badcoupe · 12/5/22, 8:15 AM

I’m well aware of the 3.7 that was in boats but not with a bbf head. The midget engines that were popular used a Yates ford nascar head, Ed pink built a ton of those as well as earl gearte. There were also some Brayton ford engines.

rickyj51 · 12/5/22, 12:20 PM

mercrusier made a 4 cyl copy oo the chevy 2 engine that was cast iron and the head was cast iron as well it was the head that we used on the midgets because it had dividers between the intake ports and the stick chevy2 's did'nt ., but that being said I think the block you have is a Fontana aluminum block that he made with ford part numbers years ago it was for a drag racing class and had to have the Ford part numbers on it . Midgets also used them with ford heads as the bolt pattern was already there without altering the block .Ricky Johnson 602-723-0554

Pitdad · 12/5/22, 1:12 PM

Mercruiser cast an aluminum block with cast iron liners specifically as an inboard marine engine. The 3.7L used 460 iron head and shared the bore and stroke of a 460, used the same rods, pistons and timing components.

TQ29m · 12/5/22, 2:53 PM

I was working at a Chev dealership at the time, and I sold a lot of components to build the midget engine of the day, not the fastest but definitely the least expensive of the day.

sprintracer82 · 12/6/22, 10:49 AM

The car I drove at Rumble was a reverse rotation all iron mercruiser also known as a chevy II. I am currently building a chevy II with a Barnes head and injection. The mercruiser Ford is a huge heavy engine. I've never known anyone who raced one. But im not an expert, only pretend to be.
Nick Landon
Feather Ruffler Engineering