Diesel, Gas, a new take......

ya-know, there is another line of reasoning here...... one that no one has yet brought up, or to my knowledge, taken advantage of in the real world. the is a *mercruser* standard-issue engine out there called the iron-duke. it's a marine version of an old chevy 4-banger. but whats nice about the thing is that it will run all day and night on ten gl's of gas with the right jetting in the carb, and at the right load at 1600 RPM. these things have a top HP of about 120. and as they are a standard full-size engine; i don't think it would be hard to find a nice little 2:1 parigon, or other such tranny to bolt up. now you may be saying that why do i want that much weight in my boat. but i bet chevy has a newer aluminum block version of this engine. and i would even go on to bet they have a fuel-injection to go with it. but of course, i realize sailors are not much for reengineering. nor new untested ideas that are not off the shelf. and while we are talking about it; did you ever have trouble with the stern bearing in your old parigon, twin-disk, or velvet-drive transmission? when you are out there choosing your new *Power-Package*. have the salesmen show you the rear bearing in the transmission on the *Hurth* you are about to buy. stick it on your thumb and look at it real good (i think it will fit around your thumb). and then remember there is only one of them in the back of that transmission. and that is all that is holding-up your prop-shaft between there and the damn prop! Gee! maybe i should put a *thrust-bearing* on the forward end of my prop-shaft (and a rubber coupling) if i am going to buy that light-weight of a transmission. it's much cheaper than a new tranny...... fiver **************************************See AOL's top rated recipes (http://food.aol.com/top-rated-recipes?NCID=aoltop00030000000004)