jason y

hey guy i have a 77 formula 255 with inline 6 292 twin power<posted in classic> am in the process of gather enough stuff to swap to 454,s <long drawn process>
have alot but need alot more and i know the original drives are only gonna take so much and not geared right

Im a v-8 type person having the inlines is like drag racing a honda .lol i loved the boat and it was priced right just wasnt the engines i was wanting

been debating about puttin 2 small turbos low psi on the inlines with blow thu four barrels on them and running them for a couple years who knows i may like them and keep em..

whats your guys opinions on this ? theres room and its doable i was told the boat run around 53 gps the way it sits..
think ill gain any mph

mach1magnum

love when somebody does something different with there ride every body swaps in the v8 but it always turns out to be about the money custom boat parts are expensive and turbos get very hot in an enclosed engine compartment and 2 turbos are heat x 2 but good luck and keep us updated

jason y

yea i know it gonna have to be water jeacketd turbos i had a old pair of rayjay,s that was but im gona look for something newer it had thru hull at one time so if i remove the riser and put a 2 inch spacer itll put the turbo exhuast right out the back and a t4 flange bolts right up to the manifold... this will be a budget build if i do it ebay turbo etc.. im very mechanical inclined and have the resources them twin v,8s sound killer though... lol still debating...

FIXX

iTrader: (2)

those 292's are little torque monsters,all the weight of the 255 hull you need the low end emuph to get that sucker on plane..you can get some decent hp numbers out of those engines if built rite,my neighbor had a pair in his wellcraft,something like 400 hp each,,25' boat went 65 mph and i think it weighed aroiund 6k..stick with the turbo idea but try to add coolers to cool the intake charge,also stick with small turbos so they spool up fast to get that thing on plane quick..

dereknkathy

another issue with v8 swap; 6's are skinny motors. they may well have put them closer together than a v8 spacing. ESPECIALLY rat motors. i have a twin 350 Nova III and big blocks will fit, but you just about hafta pull engines to do plugs. then you are really weighing the back of a small boat down. good luck.

jason y

they are set on the same centers as the v,8s ive measured them yes the v8,s would be close just like anyother ones.. it is nice to be able to kneel down beside the 6 and work on them ...that was one reason to keep it to ... yea they will be small turbos and prolly 650 750tops holleys.. i also have wideband setup that id didnt use on a old drag bike to tune with have to buy another thuogh
i plan on pullin the engines and re gasket/re ring em for the heck of it the kits are cheap

i know it wont set any records and dont expect it to if it ran 65 id be more then happy
prevouis owner told me 53 gps way it set i have no ideal didnt get to take it out but twice last year
with problems..


i actually thought about puttin a air to water intercooler on the thing as i have room for em but we will see on that once fab time comes

hope to pull engines this week just got done recarpeting whole cuddy im beat

dereknkathy

find a spare 292. put it in the garage. it seems you never need spares if you already have them. somehow the motors know they are replacable that way and behave themselves...and 292's are not real easy to find.

jason y

youd be suprised how many ive found on craigslist.. cheap... heck they used to put them in combines found one johndeere green .lol for 150 bucks running..no to far away yea if i go that route im gonna start pickin them up..

Sonic30ss

Get a hold of PSI (member here) He is running a turbo Nissan I6.......and making some big power
I'm sure he could point you in he right direction

sprink58

Jason..I would consider running them stock for a season or two while you are parts gathering for your big block conversion.

If they are solid and reliable don't screw with 'em and waste $$$ on mods that you would rather put into the big block swap.

If you have been following my project you will see that I am upgrading to Bravo drives along with a pair of very stout but reliable Vortec 355 roller motors.. Trust me...it can be done on a budget. I have the engines and Bravo Transom assemblies and have removed the old 260's. Now I'm scrounging for drives.

Some advice...as prolific as Bravo equipment has become over the last few years...don't waste time, effort and $$$$ trying to convince yourself that No 1 Mercruiser s will last behind 400 ft lb + torque that a 454 will put on them. Trust me...pulling twin engines in and out of an 8' beam boat is not something you want to do just for fun.

In summary...I think your 255 Liberator with twin 292 sixes would be sort of cool...think about the suprised looks you would get at the dock after you dust some ski rig with your 30+ year old 255 with a pair of 292's

Think about after you get the big block/Bravo stuff together in the 255...saving the 292's and No 1's to put back in it. If you find a great deal on a newer boat down the road that needs Bravo drive packages...you can switch over and put the 292's back in the 255.

FYI...Big Blocks will ride out nicely on a 255...one of the original options on our boats was twin 454/330 horse TRS's. I considered it myself but got such a great deal on the Vortecs that I stayed with the SBC's.

Just my thoughts. Keep us in the loop on this.