CDMA
10-29-2000, 12:37 PM
Well here we go….
So it is a nice cold blustery morning here where it feels like it is three degrees from Canada. So this morning myself and my other boat nerd buddy go down to the South shore to test a boat with T/454’s in it. So we show up at this guy’s house and he seems nice enough. Follow him to the boat and we get on this retched piece of crap. Some express cruiser, I think it was a Cruisers but it was horrible. So this guy has decided that he wants diesels. I am really not sure why anyone would put this type of money into this boat but oh well. So it was good for me.
We get on the boat and pop the hatches. Now this 32/33 foot boat has get this 2 454’s to Alphas!!! Literally getting the inside plugs out were a bitch. There are only 3 inches between the inside risers. So the first thing, which catches my eye, is the nice word Magnum across the flame arrestor. So that really made me happy. I was under the impression that Magnums were 350 hp but this said 330 on the valve covers. It may be different being this is a Gen 4 as well as an Alpha combo. I am interested if anyone knew about the Magnums when hooked up to the Alphas. Are they the same as the 350 hp Magnums and if not how? So I go through everything pretty well. Looks really nice. I am primarily interested in the port one. It has a whole bunch of new parts. So I concentrated primarily on that one. The engines we stone cold when I got there which I was happy about. They both started right up and idled nicely. No leaks, oil looked good and so forth. The hour meters both read 604 hrs and looked original. The engine I as interested in had to following…
New Carb
New Intake
SS manifolds
New Cast risers
Redone heads (more on that later)
New thermostat housing
New Crank driven RW pump
All new bellows/ hoses /belts
New pan
So it seems to be well gone through. It all is repainted and it was nice to see the “before” engine next to it with little to no rust.
So we head out (windy as all hell). The engines run smooth, really smooth. So we do a little low speed stuff with each engine. Both sound the same act the same oil pressure the same temp the same. Really nice. We killed one and ran the boat on one wide open. I wanted to see how much each engine alone would push the boat but the problem was one would plane the boat and we were then dragging the other drive. But both pulled alone out of the hole. If anything the port one seemed a little stronger (the one I want). So we get it up on plane and this thing moves!!! Nice slow cruise and smooth temp steady and so forth. Had both hatches off running so I am watching each engine as we go. I thought I may have heard a little valve noise for a second but I am honestly not experienced to know what I am listening for. Well what went away and they were really quite and smooth. Come to think of it that valve noise was on the starboard engine (one I don’t want) when it was still cold. So we are cruising along at about 3200 rpm. Everything comes up to temp and he lays into it. This piece of junk moves!!! You could feel the secondaries open up and the boat surge forward. He held it there for a good 2 minutes. Redlined out a 4600 rpm no temp or oil pressure problems. Really was impressed.
What I liked even more was the guy. He seemed straight up but more importantly he took car of his stuff. I don’t think he was loaded but his house his car and his bilges were clean, cared for and in good shape. He had a genuine care not only to sell me the engine but he liked quality…or so it seemed…someone should tell him about his boat.
We came back into the slip and I checked the oil and went through everything again. The only thing I may have noticed was a possible seep out of the front of the pan. If it was actually a seep it was little. There were just a few drops of oil on the bilge floor I was unaware of where they came from. I really was not too bothered because I do plan on drooping the pan anyway just to look.
Pulled the plugs and did a compression test. All was well. I would have liked to do a leak down test but I was short on time and materials. So as I am doing the compression test I notice something odd. I keep having a hard time getting the socket onto the plugs. I loom over and low and behold they are angle plugs. I was under the impression Mercruiser used straight plugs. What is the deal with angle plugs? Good bad or what? He said the head ports are ovular but they are the large oval port heads. I was not willing to tear apart this guys engine in the boat so I had to take his word for it. I would have bought it anyway.
So then I had him run it again and went around with my little raytech infrared temp gun and shot each water jacket. All 16 were acceptable with a slightly (10 degree) difference between the first and the last cylinders on all banks. My logical guess would be due to the nature of the water flow…correct or no?
So that was it. I was happy. We wrote up a deal, I left him a deposit and the engine is getting pulled next weekend.
So now I have officially given birth to my new project. The old Small block is out of Patience and I am at a loss what to do with it. It is in such good shape. The new BB is complete. Mounts, carb, pan, risers, EVERYTHING. He also threw in a spare brand new Gen 4 Thunderbolt dist, used intake, and another new oil pan despite the new one already on the engine.
The old transom housing and the Volvo are getting stripped and painted with some kind of paint. I used Glasso on my boat and have some left in black for the brackets and so forth. The engine has to be Chevy orange and I want it to be painted and done right so it will not rust. Scott: what do you recommend to paint the engine (orange) and drive (Volvo white). I want something that will stick like no tommorow. A nice gloss finish would be nice as well.
I am unsure about my plan of action regarding the engine. It runs great so it would be a shame to mess with it but I would love more than anything to actually build an engine myself and use it. I really want to learn how and the only way to is to do it. I may leave it together, I may re ring and bearing, I may gut it and build a killer engine. It really is going to come down to $$ and time. I have picked up a few BB performance books and the Marine performance book is coming. The first issue I have to deal with is exhausts. I am going to have to move the hole locations so that means more paint work but I liked painting my boat so I don’t mind. I will eventually convert over to a Gil or Stainless marine exhaust but not how. I think whatever I do now will have to be sufficient with stock exhausts. The only thing I would consider doing would be to put SS long tube risers on the SS manifolds for like 500 or maybe if I can find anything used. This would at least help stop reversion, look cool and be all SS. I understand that I will not get the scavenging affects of an isolated runner exhaust but I mean really 2 grand…. ouch.
Do the aftermarket exhausts require moving the holes from the stock BB location? I sure don’t want to move the holes twice more
So that is about all I can remember now. I will keep you all updated.
Think I can get 450 reliable hp?
Also check parts for sale for SB parts and FYI BB cost $1200 complete
So it is a nice cold blustery morning here where it feels like it is three degrees from Canada. So this morning myself and my other boat nerd buddy go down to the South shore to test a boat with T/454’s in it. So we show up at this guy’s house and he seems nice enough. Follow him to the boat and we get on this retched piece of crap. Some express cruiser, I think it was a Cruisers but it was horrible. So this guy has decided that he wants diesels. I am really not sure why anyone would put this type of money into this boat but oh well. So it was good for me.
We get on the boat and pop the hatches. Now this 32/33 foot boat has get this 2 454’s to Alphas!!! Literally getting the inside plugs out were a bitch. There are only 3 inches between the inside risers. So the first thing, which catches my eye, is the nice word Magnum across the flame arrestor. So that really made me happy. I was under the impression that Magnums were 350 hp but this said 330 on the valve covers. It may be different being this is a Gen 4 as well as an Alpha combo. I am interested if anyone knew about the Magnums when hooked up to the Alphas. Are they the same as the 350 hp Magnums and if not how? So I go through everything pretty well. Looks really nice. I am primarily interested in the port one. It has a whole bunch of new parts. So I concentrated primarily on that one. The engines we stone cold when I got there which I was happy about. They both started right up and idled nicely. No leaks, oil looked good and so forth. The hour meters both read 604 hrs and looked original. The engine I as interested in had to following…
New Carb
New Intake
SS manifolds
New Cast risers
Redone heads (more on that later)
New thermostat housing
New Crank driven RW pump
All new bellows/ hoses /belts
New pan
So it seems to be well gone through. It all is repainted and it was nice to see the “before” engine next to it with little to no rust.
So we head out (windy as all hell). The engines run smooth, really smooth. So we do a little low speed stuff with each engine. Both sound the same act the same oil pressure the same temp the same. Really nice. We killed one and ran the boat on one wide open. I wanted to see how much each engine alone would push the boat but the problem was one would plane the boat and we were then dragging the other drive. But both pulled alone out of the hole. If anything the port one seemed a little stronger (the one I want). So we get it up on plane and this thing moves!!! Nice slow cruise and smooth temp steady and so forth. Had both hatches off running so I am watching each engine as we go. I thought I may have heard a little valve noise for a second but I am honestly not experienced to know what I am listening for. Well what went away and they were really quite and smooth. Come to think of it that valve noise was on the starboard engine (one I don’t want) when it was still cold. So we are cruising along at about 3200 rpm. Everything comes up to temp and he lays into it. This piece of junk moves!!! You could feel the secondaries open up and the boat surge forward. He held it there for a good 2 minutes. Redlined out a 4600 rpm no temp or oil pressure problems. Really was impressed.
What I liked even more was the guy. He seemed straight up but more importantly he took car of his stuff. I don’t think he was loaded but his house his car and his bilges were clean, cared for and in good shape. He had a genuine care not only to sell me the engine but he liked quality…or so it seemed…someone should tell him about his boat.
We came back into the slip and I checked the oil and went through everything again. The only thing I may have noticed was a possible seep out of the front of the pan. If it was actually a seep it was little. There were just a few drops of oil on the bilge floor I was unaware of where they came from. I really was not too bothered because I do plan on drooping the pan anyway just to look.
Pulled the plugs and did a compression test. All was well. I would have liked to do a leak down test but I was short on time and materials. So as I am doing the compression test I notice something odd. I keep having a hard time getting the socket onto the plugs. I loom over and low and behold they are angle plugs. I was under the impression Mercruiser used straight plugs. What is the deal with angle plugs? Good bad or what? He said the head ports are ovular but they are the large oval port heads. I was not willing to tear apart this guys engine in the boat so I had to take his word for it. I would have bought it anyway.
So then I had him run it again and went around with my little raytech infrared temp gun and shot each water jacket. All 16 were acceptable with a slightly (10 degree) difference between the first and the last cylinders on all banks. My logical guess would be due to the nature of the water flow…correct or no?
So that was it. I was happy. We wrote up a deal, I left him a deposit and the engine is getting pulled next weekend.
So now I have officially given birth to my new project. The old Small block is out of Patience and I am at a loss what to do with it. It is in such good shape. The new BB is complete. Mounts, carb, pan, risers, EVERYTHING. He also threw in a spare brand new Gen 4 Thunderbolt dist, used intake, and another new oil pan despite the new one already on the engine.
The old transom housing and the Volvo are getting stripped and painted with some kind of paint. I used Glasso on my boat and have some left in black for the brackets and so forth. The engine has to be Chevy orange and I want it to be painted and done right so it will not rust. Scott: what do you recommend to paint the engine (orange) and drive (Volvo white). I want something that will stick like no tommorow. A nice gloss finish would be nice as well.
I am unsure about my plan of action regarding the engine. It runs great so it would be a shame to mess with it but I would love more than anything to actually build an engine myself and use it. I really want to learn how and the only way to is to do it. I may leave it together, I may re ring and bearing, I may gut it and build a killer engine. It really is going to come down to $$ and time. I have picked up a few BB performance books and the Marine performance book is coming. The first issue I have to deal with is exhausts. I am going to have to move the hole locations so that means more paint work but I liked painting my boat so I don’t mind. I will eventually convert over to a Gil or Stainless marine exhaust but not how. I think whatever I do now will have to be sufficient with stock exhausts. The only thing I would consider doing would be to put SS long tube risers on the SS manifolds for like 500 or maybe if I can find anything used. This would at least help stop reversion, look cool and be all SS. I understand that I will not get the scavenging affects of an isolated runner exhaust but I mean really 2 grand…. ouch.
Do the aftermarket exhausts require moving the holes from the stock BB location? I sure don’t want to move the holes twice more
So that is about all I can remember now. I will keep you all updated.
Think I can get 450 reliable hp?
Also check parts for sale for SB parts and FYI BB cost $1200 complete