Lil help for a newbie?
12-28-2003, 07:13 AM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Lil help for a newbie?
Hi all, looks like you guys have a killer site here!
I'm new to hot rod boats, having been running SBCs and bigbore bikes for years.
I bought an 87 Sea Ray 22' Pachanga with a 454. The motor was built by Grimes Racing engines and the seller claims it to be a 415 HP motor. It has a quadrabog and stock mercruiser intake, stock exhaust and Thunderbolt ignition.
OK, my silly questions---I bought a Dart alum intake off ebay for $200, looks good except the thermostat seat looks rotted. It came from Jersey so I'm assuming it was on a saltwater boat.
Can this seat be built back up with JB Weld or do I need to have it welded?
Should an 800 CFM 4150 Holley be suitable?
Will replacing the ignition with all MSD help over the Tbolt?
What's the highest I should rev this motor?(no prior BBC experience) Previous owner said don't rev it over 5K
The boat has a stainless 4 blade on an Alpha 1 "SS" drive. I've searched google but can't find much on an SS---it's a real short foot. ANother guy who's got a fast Skater says it's a kickass racing drive. Any info?
Boat ran indicated 70mph at 4800 rpm yesterday with 10 gallons of gas and me, 185 lbs.
Help, folks! I wanna go faster!!!
I'm new to hot rod boats, having been running SBCs and bigbore bikes for years.
I bought an 87 Sea Ray 22' Pachanga with a 454. The motor was built by Grimes Racing engines and the seller claims it to be a 415 HP motor. It has a quadrabog and stock mercruiser intake, stock exhaust and Thunderbolt ignition.
OK, my silly questions---I bought a Dart alum intake off ebay for $200, looks good except the thermostat seat looks rotted. It came from Jersey so I'm assuming it was on a saltwater boat.
Can this seat be built back up with JB Weld or do I need to have it welded?
Should an 800 CFM 4150 Holley be suitable?
Will replacing the ignition with all MSD help over the Tbolt?
What's the highest I should rev this motor?(no prior BBC experience) Previous owner said don't rev it over 5K
The boat has a stainless 4 blade on an Alpha 1 "SS" drive. I've searched google but can't find much on an SS---it's a real short foot. ANother guy who's got a fast Skater says it's a kickass racing drive. Any info?
Boat ran indicated 70mph at 4800 rpm yesterday with 10 gallons of gas and me, 185 lbs.
Help, folks! I wanna go faster!!!
12-28-2003, 07:33 AM
#2
Charter Member #927
Charter Member
It depends what intake is on the boat now. The dart would be an improvement over ther stock 330hp 454, but if you have the 454 mag intake, you won't gain much.
You had better have the intake welded and presure tested.
A properly tuned Q-jet will run fine on that engine assuming it's the 750cfm Q-jet. The 800 Holley will work also.
I would look to upgrading the cam and exhaust before the ignition.
A 454 Mag can safley spin to 5200 although should be propped to 4800 to 5000
Becareful 415hp is a lot of power to put though an Alpha. It may have an SS gearcase, but the internals aren't much stronger than a regular Alpha.
You had better have the intake welded and presure tested.
A properly tuned Q-jet will run fine on that engine assuming it's the 750cfm Q-jet. The 800 Holley will work also.
I would look to upgrading the cam and exhaust before the ignition.
A 454 Mag can safley spin to 5200 although should be propped to 4800 to 5000
Becareful 415hp is a lot of power to put though an Alpha. It may have an SS gearcase, but the internals aren't much stronger than a regular Alpha.
12-28-2003, 07:41 AM
#3
I have a 22 Pachanga also, they are great little boats.
I`ve played with the SS drive on my boat and it actually went faster with the stock drive. The 'X' dimention is really high from the factory and when you install the short SS drive it puts the propshaft above the keel.
As far as making more power, don`t even try unless you are willing to install a Bravo drive. The Alpha is not going to last very long with your current set up. Not trying to be a dick, just have been there too often and have blown up plenty of Alphas. I seem to blow atleast one a season with my stock 350 Mag.
The 454/Alpha combo was only available for one year, 1987, then promptly discontinued. It just was not designed to handle the torque of the 454, (and that was the entry level 330 hp model) another point of confusion is the 1987 454 Magnum was just a 330 hp cast crank, cast piston, oval port head motor. The 1988 Magnum was the real deal, forged pistons, crank, rectangle port heads and high rise aluminum intake.
Does your motor have the stock high rise black painted aluminum intake or the flat cast iron intake?
Good luck with your 22 P , We really like ours and use it pretty much every day during the season.
Kurt
...also, the Alpha SS drive is fetching a pretty high price these days, very popular with the classic Donzi guys, you could probably sell the SS drive and buy a complete used Bravo set-up for the same $$$ !
I`ve played with the SS drive on my boat and it actually went faster with the stock drive. The 'X' dimention is really high from the factory and when you install the short SS drive it puts the propshaft above the keel.
As far as making more power, don`t even try unless you are willing to install a Bravo drive. The Alpha is not going to last very long with your current set up. Not trying to be a dick, just have been there too often and have blown up plenty of Alphas. I seem to blow atleast one a season with my stock 350 Mag.
The 454/Alpha combo was only available for one year, 1987, then promptly discontinued. It just was not designed to handle the torque of the 454, (and that was the entry level 330 hp model) another point of confusion is the 1987 454 Magnum was just a 330 hp cast crank, cast piston, oval port head motor. The 1988 Magnum was the real deal, forged pistons, crank, rectangle port heads and high rise aluminum intake.
Does your motor have the stock high rise black painted aluminum intake or the flat cast iron intake?
Good luck with your 22 P , We really like ours and use it pretty much every day during the season.
Kurt
...also, the Alpha SS drive is fetching a pretty high price these days, very popular with the classic Donzi guys, you could probably sell the SS drive and buy a complete used Bravo set-up for the same $$$ !
Last edited by Biggus; 12-28-2003 at 07:48 AM.
12-28-2003, 08:11 AM
#5
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Thread Starter
What's the other board?
Thanks for the help, guys. Sounds like I need to go Bravo before I start trying to make more power. I'm going to take some pics and post them of the intake/heads. I THINK I just heard I probably have oval port heads and this Dart intake won't even work. I think the intake is cast.
Thanks for the help, guys. Sounds like I need to go Bravo before I start trying to make more power. I'm going to take some pics and post them of the intake/heads. I THINK I just heard I probably have oval port heads and this Dart intake won't even work. I think the intake is cast.
12-28-2003, 08:13 AM
#6
Registered
Thread Starter
biggus, I hear you about the Alpha. My old boat was a heavy Chaparral 230SX with a 350 and Alpha1, I trashed it 3 times before I sold the boat. I thought that was just a lemon drive...
12-28-2003, 08:34 AM
#7
If you have the cast intake, most likely you have the oval port heads and the Dart will not match up.
I`d just leave it alone and have fun with it. The 330/454 is a great motor with excellent longevity, I racked up over 800 hrs on a pair of them in a 28 Baja I once had. It`s still going fine.
I`d just leave it alone and have fun with it. The 330/454 is a great motor with excellent longevity, I racked up over 800 hrs on a pair of them in a 28 Baja I once had. It`s still going fine.
