Cost of 454 to 540 upgrade?
02-01-2008, 01:51 PM
#31
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If your engines are in good running condition, then the plan someone else above suggest might be best - sell them outright and build up a set of 467 or 496's from scratch using good but budget minded parts.
If you are set on using your 330's, there are options but not with a lot of bang for the buck. Probably for your application it would be new pistons, new heads (049's or 781's or somethink like Edelbrock aluminum oval ports), bigger cam and new exhaust and intake manifolds. But like others have said above, at that point you've tossed out most everything on your engine so you might as well start from scratch.
So, sell the 330's and build up some nice 496's would be my suggestion. Bounus points if these 496's had aluminum heads (Edelbrock?), aluminum intake (Performer RPM?) and aluminum exhaust manifolds (496HO take offs?) then you would have one helluva weight savings (500lbs for 2 engines???) vs what you have now!
Last edited by ECeptor; 02-01-2008 at 01:55 PM.
02-01-2008, 01:52 PM
#32
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The reality is you might be able to get 30-40 horsepower with the heads and exhaust you have now. You'd have to replace the cam, manifold & carb. Power comes from increases in displacement, RPM, compression and cam timing- usually at least two or three are required to have some effect. Then you need related componentry on the intake/exhaust
to make it happen.
If you really like the boat, I'd say go for it. You have to stop looking at what it's worth and what you'll be spending. You do need to consider all the expenditures though. There's no sense in getting halfway thru and discovering you can't afford to finish it. At least it runs now.
to make it happen.
If you really like the boat, I'd say go for it. You have to stop looking at what it's worth and what you'll be spending. You do need to consider all the expenditures though. There's no sense in getting halfway thru and discovering you can't afford to finish it. At least it runs now.
02-01-2008, 02:13 PM
#33
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If I assume 7000lbs, 620hp at the props, 70mph that gives a hull constant of 235.
Keeping all things equal and adding 80hp nets you 4mph. That might be optimistic.
Going to 2 x 500hp (470hp at the prop) 496's nets you 86mph. Again, sounds optimistic to me, but you get the idea.
02-01-2008, 02:19 PM
#34
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500 hp and 86mph seems ultra optimistic to me. I think at one time they produced an SS version of this same exact hull and they were equipped with B1's and hp500 merc's and were running 79 and 80mph.
02-01-2008, 02:20 PM
#35
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A good builder could probably assemble a pair of 468's for you for under $3000 each. Iron head, hydraulic roller, holley 800, msd ignition, etc. You'd see 475 hp or so. That wouldn't kill your drives. That should give you 10+ mph and they'd be 500+ hour motors. You'd need exhaust and external steering though. That might make more sense.
02-01-2008, 02:23 PM
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There you go. Hard data points are always better than a calculation. But, that calculator is the only one I've seen online.
02-01-2008, 02:24 PM
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1-2 mph on top. A little more pull getting there.
A good builder could probably assemble a pair of 468's for you for under $3000 each. Iron head, hydraulic roller, holley 800, msd ignition, etc. You'd see 475 hp or so. That wouldn't kill your drives. That should give you 10+ mph and they'd be 500+ hour motors. You'd need exhaust and external steering though. That might make more sense.
A good builder could probably assemble a pair of 468's for you for under $3000 each. Iron head, hydraulic roller, holley 800, msd ignition, etc. You'd see 475 hp or so. That wouldn't kill your drives. That should give you 10+ mph and they'd be 500+ hour motors. You'd need exhaust and external steering though. That might make more sense.
02-01-2008, 02:24 PM
#38
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1-2 mph on top. A little more pull getting there.
A good builder could probably assemble a pair of 468's for you for under $3000 each. Iron head, hydraulic roller, holley 800, msd ignition, etc. You'd see 475 hp or so. That wouldn't kill your drives. That should give you 10+ mph and they'd be 500+ hour motors. You'd need exhaust and external steering though. That might make more sense.
A good builder could probably assemble a pair of 468's for you for under $3000 each. Iron head, hydraulic roller, holley 800, msd ignition, etc. You'd see 475 hp or so. That wouldn't kill your drives. That should give you 10+ mph and they'd be 500+ hour motors. You'd need exhaust and external steering though. That might make more sense.
I could swing $3k for an engine that will produce 475hp
02-01-2008, 02:39 PM
#39
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The Merc 330's should bring a decent buck, offsetting your cost- or paying for that external steering.
02-01-2008, 02:44 PM
#40
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Scott is a good guy - the internet and national dragster and PB are great places to advertize and I'm thrilled to hear that Scott has built solid product - but as you guys have expereinced - organization and cleanliness is not his specialty. But Scott alone helps to keep other supplier cheap - for that he is good -
