Zefy Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 i was thinking of making a boat using a subaru... i was thinking of a EA-81 or 82 engine... i am thinking of an aluminum boat hull (small... 14ft and under) and then attaching it to an inboard-outboard idea... i was even thinking of a jet from a ski-do or something... i'm not expecting it to be fast or anything... just a fun boat that i can say is a subaru... i have seen many people who say it won't work... an aluminum engine can't take the stress??? i would always respond with "its no ordinary aluminum engine... its a subaru engine!" but that not holding up to well... and now for my actaul design... i haven't drawn it up or anything but i got it all in my head... i want an aluminum twin hull for stability(i know a twin hull in 14ft is very uncomin)i would cover the front of the hull for a big boat look and a place for a gas tank... have the interior of the subaru in the boat... seats, dash, steering wheel, the whole bit... and behind it all a nice subaru engine... i would swap in a fresh water cooling system and what not... i would also remove the air cleaner and have a big tall snorkle for a odd look... maybe a frame over the boat for protection and look... thanks for all your imput, PS: i'm not really sure where to post this so move it if i have it in the wrong spot... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccrinc Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Subaru engines are used in lots of boats. We've sold quite a few to Louisiana for "duck" boats. Both EA81 and EA82s. Some boat "kit" companies recommend a Subaru engines in their plans. The fresh water cooling isn't a good idea: your water pump will rust out in no time! The ones I've heard of actually have a cooling system under the "floor" of the boat. The interior idea sounds unique and definitely an attention getter! Good luck. I think you're going to have to make your plan a little bigger, but it's do-able! Emily http://www.ccrengines.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. RX Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Emily, I'm curious, why would the water pump rust out with fresh water? If this is a problem, maybe youy'd have to come up with a way of by passing the Subaru water pump (which appears to be the weakest link). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GLCraig Posted July 31, 2004 Share Posted July 31, 2004 Emily, I'm curious, why would the water pump rust out with fresh water? my guess would be the lack of rust inhibitor that they put into antifreeze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccrinc Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Yep, it's steel, it rusts Antifreeze/coolant has rust inhibiting properties. Emily http://www.ccrengines.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. RX Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Gee, I never had that problem with the small block Chevy I used to run in my boat. Ran it in both fresh and salt water, but I always flushed it after running in salt. Ran the boat for three years, almost all summer long, never had one bit of trouble with the water pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratty2Austin Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 heh... I have a boat I have been waiting to work on, and had plans to use an ea81, self contained.. with an inboard... I have the hull (fiberglass) ready to begin construction for the motormounts... probably going to use an old ea81 Xmember.... anyways... if you need a boat hull that would be perfect for the job, I have one.. (i am short on money and space, so I could give up this project.... ) and it comes with a trailer too! good luck on the project though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silent Bob Posted August 1, 2004 Share Posted August 1, 2004 Glad to see I'm not the only one with this silly idea... I'm thinking about 16', plywood/fiberglass construction (easiest way to build a good one-off boat) and a jet drive out of a 1200 Yamaha PWC. The only hitch I've been pondering is the RPM issue, since most skis seem to run at about 6-8000 rpm & I'd like to keep it turning under 5500 at WOT. Guess I'd have to gear the pump up a little instead of direct drive. Or maybe a nice Hamilton... From what I understand, Subaru engines are a common choice for jets in New Zealand where jet boating is a popular pastime. The weight and low center of gravity are what appeals to me. I figure that an ea82 coupled to a pump would be roughly equivalent to a 60-65hp jet outboard in power and should not weigh any more. Plus the advantage of having the weight of the engine farther forward in the boat, instead of hanging off the back. FISH BEWARE!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 I have a boat with a EA-81 engine. It is keel cooled (water circs through protected radiator under boat). Flywheel is machined for a marine damper plate. A 1 - 1 Borg/Warner marine transmission with F/N/R coupled to the engine with a custom made aluminum bell housing. Stick rudder steering. 10" 2-blade SS prop. Seat is mounted over the engine. Boat carries 2 people. RPM is 5300. Top speed is approx 40 mph in very shallow water 6-8" and less in deeper water. my email is ryker725@cox.net pics are available if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowman Posted January 12, 2005 Share Posted January 12, 2005 Mud, could you get some pics up of your boat? I saw pictures once of a carbureted EJ20 in a jetboat. It looked SICK! As far as cooling, freshwater cooling wouldn't be a good idea. Too many issues with rust. Also, what if little water-borne creatures get inside the engine and make their home there? There are two ways to cool a marine engine aside from freshwater. Keel cooling like Mudboat mentioned is probably the best because no water is drawn in or out of the boat in order to cool the engine. You can also run a heat exchanger, in which the water outside of the boat is circulated in an exchanger and transfers the heat away from the water that runs through the engine. This setup can have problems with leaks, and of course you get all the risks associated with pumping water into the boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stinky Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 what about a subaru buggy with a fiberglass bottom / sides and the drive shaft switchable between driving the rear wheels and a prop ? Subaru amphibian! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I don't have a server or a web page to host any pics, but I'm more than willing to email pics to those who may be interested. I went out in it yesterday afternoon to feed my deer herd in the marsh. I opened it up in a straight stretch for a few seconds. Man that was a rush... Note: We run our boats through a floating marsh, in ditches that are approximately 4' wide. Your steering had better be up to snuff when running at this speed in a 4' wide ditch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 I don't have a server or a web page to host any pics, but I'm more than willing to email pics to those who may be interested. I went out in it yesterday afternoon to feed my deer herd in the marsh. I opened it up in a straight stretch for a few seconds. Man that was a rush... Note: We run our boats through a floating marsh, in ditches that are approximately 4' wide. Your steering had better be up to snuff when running at this speed in a 4' wide ditch. Mudboat, since you have an account on the board, you automatically have access to a photo gallery... click the PhotGallery link in the gray bar near the top of the page. once you get there, there is a link on the left side for "My Gallery" Click that, then you can upload pics from there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 stinky wrote: "what about a subaru buggy with a fiberglass bottom / sides and the drive shaft switchable between driving the rear wheels and a prop ? Subaru amphibian! :)" It's already been done. I know a guy who runs a Subaphibian in my area. He uses it to ride up to his deer feeders in the marsh so he can fill them without getting his feet wet. It's too wide to run through the ditches, so he uses trails. His wheels are front and rear dualie style ATV gumbo tires to keep from sinking too low in the marsh. His cooling system is both a car radiator with fan and keel cool. No switching from wheels to prop. They all spin together. I'm not sure how he has the drive train rigged, but I'm sure everything is hand made. It is very slow on land and in the water, but it works. I'll take pictures of it the next time I see him out in the marsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 Mudboat, since you have an account on the board, you automatically have access to a photo gallery... click the PhotGallery link in the gray bar near the top of the page. once you get there, there is a link on the left side for "My Gallery" Click that, then you can upload pics from there.... Man, you learn something new every day!!! You guys are cool! I'll pull out my pics when I get home this evening and post a few. I don't have any at work... Thanks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s'ko Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 A subaphibian would probably be really slow in water. Depending on how the hull was done it would also be very limited in where you could drive it. Now if you could get enough thrust to make it a hydrofoil, then that would be pretty sweet. What would also be cool is if you could make a soob hovercraft. I am talking take a soob, remove the wheels and put a hovercraft skirt. THat would be cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudboat Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 A subaphibian would probably be really slow in water. Depending on how the hull was done it would also be very limited in where you could drive it. Now if you could get enough thrust to make it a hydrofoil' date=' then that would be pretty sweet. What would also be cool is if you could make a soob hovercraft. I am talking take a soob, remove the wheels and put a hovercraft skirt. THat would be cool.[/quote'] I don't know if anyone has ever attempted a hydrofoil with a soob, but I do know there is a guy building a 15' modified tunnel hull with soob and V-drive. I saw the hull after he popped it out of the mold. It weighs about 120 lbs. He figures with the EA-82, 1-1 ratio v-drive and a racing 4-blade prop that it should push it close to 70 mph... I'll snap some pics of that one too when I pass by his shop again.... He said that it should be ready by this spring. Now on the Subaphibian... The guy keeps it parked on his waterfront property. He drives it directly in the water at the boat launch and travels by water a very short distance (1/4 mile or so) to his hunting lease, which is a floating marsh. He drives it up a ramp he built out of lumber with 2x4 cross members for traction. From there he travels around in the marsh on the wheels. I've seen it running in the water and in the marsh and it travels about 5-7 mph tops either way.. The wheelbase looks to be approximately 8' or so. The hull width is about 3', but the tires stick out the sides about 2' on each side (it is a front and rear dualey). I think that it is strictly rear wheel drive, not 4 wheel drive. It carries 2 people and their gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noguitar Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Hey, folks,......new to this site.Glad it's here. I'm in the final stages of completing my soob mudboat and have a bunch of questions that I'd like to throw out to y'all. Like,....I have an ea71 dual carb engine that I'm using and had a rear seal that was leaking.So I thought , since it was an older engine that I would break it down and inspect rings, bearings, etc. while I was at it....until I realized how much of a pain it's going to be to split the cases to change rings, etc, since the crankshaft is covered up by the cam and lifter housing.. Anyone with some experience with this one? By the way,..before I stripped it down, this boat ( flat boat design) is 15' long,44'' wide, glass construction with ss trim tabs, direct drive ( u- joint) with a 10x10 prop did right at 40 mph at about 4500rpms.Once I figure out how to post pics,I'll get some up for ya'.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthWet Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 They were having hydro races in our area this last weekend, and some competitors displayed their smaller boats in the local shopping mall. For safety reasons, they had their engines removed... ... looked like about enough room for a 4 or v6 cylinder engine and not much more.... so I was thinking... ...they could use a Subaru engine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TurboSPFI Posted August 16, 2005 Share Posted August 16, 2005 Guy I know made a pretty nice airboat using an EA82. Making a boat is definately possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusza Beben Posted August 28, 2005 Share Posted August 28, 2005 Oooh, I like the airboat idea. Makes a lot of sense seeing as how they convert subie engines for aircraft use. DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eponodyne Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 I've been thinking about building an ekranoplan using my spare EA82t engine; an ekranoplan is essentially a very low-flying seaplane. It takes advantage of a phenomenon called ground effect, where the air is actually compressed under the wing; typically flies at an altitude of under a foot to around three feet or so. But it doesn't fly at all out of ground effect, so it's really not an airplane. What I'm thinking of has been used in the former Soviet Union for years, so it's a pretty well-tested technology. Google "ekranoplan" or "wing-in-ground-effect" for lots and lots more info. The advantage to this is that you move at light-airplane speeds, and it can carry quite a bit of weight, but it's licensed as a boat. I figure it'd be perfeet for South Florida along the Indian River, because it's a protected body of water, and I wouldn't have to worry about running down a manatee. They're pretty cool critters, but they don't fly:). Also, about ten years ago, a publication called WoodenBoat ran a contest for boats designed using the EA81/2 series of engines. They have a website that might have a link to the designs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted August 30, 2005 Share Posted August 30, 2005 That would be sweet! Do it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailgatewagon Posted September 5, 2005 Share Posted September 5, 2005 the acrono sounds nice i remmber seeing a special on the USSR's they were huge. the thing that makes ground affect relly cool is that the induced drag is almost absent so its very effishant. (sorry just woke up and cant spell yet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5150 Posted September 7, 2005 Share Posted September 7, 2005 Hello everyone, I am new to this site, forum and Subarus. First a little about me. I am a long term auto tech. I own and operate my own small business in Arizona along the Colorado River just off Interstate 40. I have been interested in Volkswagon aircooled engines and performance of them for many years. Though I got away from it for a while i am back to the interest again. I had thoughts of a Subaru swap into a VW years ago. I didn't do any research on the matter. Recently my son, also a motorhead, has taken a keen interest in Mazda rotories. I was impressed in the rpm and torque capabilities of these engines. However, the cost is not kind to your wallet. Yesterday I saw a sandrail with a turbo 16v engine, I was informed it was a Subaru and produced 250 hp. Now that is impressive! So here I am to pry into your minds and dig for info. I own an old 17 ft. boat (1974 Rienel) that has been pushed through the water by a Volvo Penta AQ130 engine (2.0 ltr.) and it is getting very tired. I have contemplated rebuilding and a swap. The rotory was an idea until I looked at the cost of all the parts and engine to make it work. I now would like info on Subaru engines and possible configurations. I understand that these engines are relatively inexpensive and seem to be durable. I would like to bump hp to somewhere around 150. I am not a big fan of turbos, nor do I need to do 70 mph on the water. I would like dependability foremost and economy to be the main factors. We are hitting $3/gal. here for regular now, so economy is a factor. Thank you for having me here. And thank you for any input on this project you may be able to lend. 5150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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