Reggie

This is an awesome thread, I really enjoy looking at your boats, it takes me back.
I had a 1988 Liberator with a 460 Ford, and King Cobra drive, loved the boat.
I guess, I'm old school too, and really love the boats

sprink58

We are now at the re-power stage. Tired 260's are being replaced by a pair of strong Vortec Roller Motors. I have made a serious decision to move up from Alpha/Merc No 1 drives to Bravo I's. The old 260's are out and the 2008 Bravo Transom assemblies complete with rams, cables, hoses and pumps are on the truck from Texas...should get them next week.

This old 'bird is about to get a serious kick in the ass!!

New Engines:

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Old 260's coming out:

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Clean 33 year old bilge ready for Transom assembly removal and rigging....waiting on 2: Bravo Transom assemblies.



The Formula 255 Lib on New all American 10200 lb Twin Torsion Disc Brake Trailer.

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Next is template drill of 2: additional holes for the Bravo Transom Assemblies, install same along with new trim pumps, bilge pump and plumbing, bilge blowers and plumbing.

Meanwhile...Engines are being set up with all of the brackets and accessories from the 260's that are worthy. Then we paint every thing. I am still engineering the exhaust and cooling. At this point we are leaning towards aluminum Hi Po manifolds through the Bravo Y pipes. I am still undecided on whether to pull raw water through hull or through the drives.

I am going to be seriously looking for a pair of Bravo I drives soon.

I can see it all coming together now. Cant wait to get this classic back in the water.

POWERPLAY J

I didn't know those were mounted sideways in Formulas LOL. Cool project!

sprink58

Yeah I know...I had some serious gymnastics going on to get those engines out as a unit without tearing them down to the long block. I just had to have my plan worked out and my friend playing surgeon with the fork lift controls.

At this point we realized that this is serious "Grown Man" work going on!!!

vintage chromoly

sprink 58, have you considered a through hull exhaust setup? i bet it would really sound good and may even wake up those new engines.

cool project either way!

have a good day, rob.

sprink58

I think about it every day. I probably will not know which way I am going until I get ready to drop them in. The Bravo Transom assemblies are already blocked off and it would save me a bit on the Y pipes. I would need to put some silencer tips on it though because the noise Nazis are out in full force down here. Every time something that sounds REAL good pulls up to a waterfront restaurant on the Intracoastal here in SE Florida the people in the restaurant put the "stink eye" on everybody in the boat...they don't care what it is or who you are.

The Florida Power Boat Club folks get a pass because most of those guys drop a thou every time they pull up.

vintage chromoly

i have a hotrod small block ford in my little searay (look a few posts back) and i run a through hull setup in it. i used a pair of stainless tips with built in mufflers. it's got a nice soumd but is not obnoxious.

i bought the tips off ebay and they were 200 for the pair. if you do a search they still come up.

again, nice project!

TOASTY

Sprink, Can you share the details of the new SBC? they look good! What hp? Ci? etc etc

Thanks, project looks great and so does your engine room, spotless!

sprink58

Thanks for the words ...I'll check it out.

Your Sea Ray reminds me of my first Formula...a '78 F-18 with a 302 Ford 188 horse on a Merc I. With a 19" prop bone stock the F-18 would make 47 mph. I had that little boat 9 years and over that time I modified that little motor with a Iskenderian copy of the 271 horse/289 cam, an Edelbrock Performer intake and a Holley 600 CFM double pumper. With a 23" stainless prop it would run 65 mph!! I put Bennett trim tabs on it to be able to control it over 50....it was a serious chine walker. I got my best over all performance with a 21" prop...would still pull about 60 at 5800 RPM.

I have to tell you...I ran the bejeezus out of that little Ford and it never had any problems in 900+ hours of use.

sprink58

Thanks man...still have a ways to go but it's starting to come together.

They are a pair of 355 Marine 4 bolt main bearing cap Vortecs . They were built with Comp Cams Extreme Marine Roller with Comp Needle Bearing rockers, forged pistons, Z/28~LT-1 forged rods, forged cranks, hardened pushrods, high volume oil pump with the entire rotating assemblies computer balanced. These engines were run in on the dyno and made 365 horse power at 5000 RPM...390 horsepower at 5600 RPM. Torque was 425 Lb ft at 3200 RPM. The torque curve stayed over 400 ft. lbs. from 1800 RPM to over 4000 RPM...that's big block territory. These numbers were attained running a Holley 750 CFM Marine Double Pumper on an Edelbrock Volvo/Penta High Rise/Dual Plane Marine aluminum intake with brass lined water passages. Ignition is Davis Unified Ignition with 32 deg total advance. The heads are stock Vortec with Comp springs and retainers, port matching and mild cleaning of burrs in the intake passages. The valves are stainless with a 3: angle valve job...nothing exotic. The dyno operator said that when he loaded the pumps that these small blocks behaved like big blocks the way they pulled down....thats what you get with roller cams and Vortec heads.

Installed in the boat with real world exhaust I figure I will loose 5%~10%. As compared to the old 260's they are replacing which I bet would do good to pull 200 horse each, the difference will be DRAMATIC.

That torque curve was what ultimately helped me decide to go Bravo. I run to the Bahamas across 50 miles of open ocean and don't want any surprises.