HaxbySpeed

This is completely false.. An intercooler even on a small blower is a huge benefit. It creates a cooler denser charge and more power or a margin of safety if needed. The 174 is perfect for a mild 454. They work best with 8.5 to 9-1 comp and 4.5-5lbs boost. At 9-1 or higher an intercooler will help it live and you'll need to run less boost and good gas. About 80% of the engines I build are forced induction and I gaurantee once you've had boost you'll never go back!

northernoffshore

a good set of heads and the right other stuff is more cost effective than the 174,and can create more power, IMO. I think merc only rated that motor at 490 hp overall, ,adding the intercooler didn't seem to do anything for the hp.The bigger 250 is a different story.

HaxbySpeed

Don't mean to pick on you but this is also completely false.. There is no better bang for your buck then a blower. The heads, cam, valve train, and intake you would need to make 600hp with a 454 will cost considerably more then a 174 blower. If you're starting with an engine with too much compression then it might not be worth going the blower route.

Griff

What engine are you talking about???? A 525SC????? Its 525HP at the crank/490 at the prop. An innercooler and smaller pulley will give a 50hp gain on it and a cam change will gain another 25hp.

MILD THUNDER

Also, a 454 that makes 600HP without a blower, is gonna be one radical motor having to spin 6500rpm to get 600HP. High compression, long duration, high lift cam, etc...

I'd take the mild build motor with the blower on top.

blue thunder

These small blowers work very well in marine engines with relatively high compression. I know because thats my combo. 9.5:1 compression 468cids with 177 blowers. The higher compression crutches up the small blowers and makes good power with low boost. Pushs my panther to the low to mid 90s which is really doing something. I do run aluminum heads which is key.

Baja226sport

This is true, the last motor I built was a 496 stroker motor that mad a hair over 600...it did not last long. AFR heads, 10 :1 compression, custom cam with over .650 lift, can't remember exact duration but a 108 degree center line and had to spin it close to 6000 rpm to get to the power....It had a short life unfortunately...

bigboat28

Bluethunder, how many hp are your engines making and why is aluminum heads so beneficial?

Baja226sport

I am pretty sure that besides the weight savings with aluminum they dissipate heat faster than iron so the engine will run cooler......

blue thunder

I never dynoed them but a good guess would be 650hp. The aluminum prevents detonation which in blower applications quickly causes holed pistons. This is as baja said due to the fact alum is a good conductor of heat. You'd need to be at least .5pt lower in compression with iron and that still might be pushing it a bit.