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454 (330hp) winter upgrades

Old 10-06-2010, 12:12 AM
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Default 454 (330hp) winter upgrades

Ok guy's,
I have some questions maybe you could help me out with. I have a 1989 warlock Euro 24 (fairly light boat) with a 454 (330hp) The guy I bought this boat from said he believed it does have a small cam in it but we'll take that at face value. The motor is all stock with the exception of a aluminum intake that has no #'s or i.d of any kind on it. I have recently bought a complete msd ignition system for it and a holley marine 750 dp (to do away with the quadrajet that's currently on it).

1.) I am going to swap out the "spread-bore" intake that's on it for either a "square-bore" edelbrock preformer rpm or rpm air-gap (WHAT INTAKE DO YOU GUYS SUGGEST BETWEEN THE TWO???)

2.) I need to buy spark plugs...(WHAT PLUGS AND PLUG GAP DO YOU RECOMMEND???)

3.) WHAT SHOULD THE ADVANCE CURVE ON THE MSD BE SET UP AT???

4.) IS IT WORTH WHILE TO UPGRADE FROM THE STAMP STEEL ROCKERS TO MAYBE A 1.8 RATIO ROLLER ROCKER IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN SOME EXTRA RPM OUT OF THE MOTOR??? (I don't see any reason to do a head and cam swap on this motor because I have a 502 in the works but it's a ways away)

5.) AND WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH THE CIRCULATING PUMP AND RUNNING A CROSSOVER???? (DO I NEED TO UPGRADE THE SEA PUMP WHEN DOING THIS???) I've heard and read it's worth a little horsepower?

NOTE: I am upgrading the exhaust this winter from the stock manifolds to more than likely stainless marine exhaust with new risers and relocating the exhaust to above the water line (can't help it...i want the sound!)

I have also decided to upgrade the commander 3000 shifter thats currently in the boat to a side mount dana marine unit this winter. I cant stand the commander 3000. It's just a cheap feeling and troublesome shifter imo!
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Old 10-06-2010, 01:43 AM
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1. Air Gap
2. NGK BR6FS or AC R43TS. Gap at about .040-.045 with an MSD.
3. About 20* of advance all in by 3000-3500rpms.
4. No.
5. Not worth it on a basically stock engine. You will gain 6-8 hp which = maybe a 1/2mph for about $400.

Why not just spend the money on the 502 to start with????
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Old 10-06-2010, 02:38 AM
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Hey Griff,
Thanks for the reply! As for the timing...what do you suggest for total? 32-34? maybe? Of those two plugs you suggested, which do you like the best and why?

Maybe you can help me out with this one too?, Do you know by chance where the fuel filter screens are located in the fuel system? I am currently having a problem with my fuel filter showing gas at times (as the boat sits it "bleeds" down) sometimes the filter will fill right back up and other times it seems to take awhile for it to "re prime". I dont know what to make of it. I did noticed that the motor had a slight miss when running the boat last time in the mid-upper range. I've heard and read that the water seperator and quadrajet do have screens in them but havn't inspected either yet. I just replaced the pump with the replacement carter mechanical marine pump (the old one broke at the end of the arm inside of the pump) before the last trip out where I was experiencing this "miss" problem. I think my best approach at this time would be to inspect and replace any worn fuel lines, replace any fuel filters, clean or replace all of the fuel screens and check the pick up in the tank for debris and or cracks when I install the new intake and holley carb. I just need to find out where they are located.

The 502 is going to be a really nice motor when it's finished but I don't want to rush it. There is still quite a bit to do to it so it's pretty far away at this point. Mean while most of the parts I have bought for the 454 can x-fer over to the 502 when that time comes. I know there will be some exceptions to that rule such as the holley carb will be to small and I will probably run a merlin or dart intake on the 502 but as for the exhaust, msd, etc.... I'll just use it on the bigger motor. I hear ya though!

Also, I have to upgrade the steering to external before I drop in the 502 for safety issues so as the 502 sits...it's a "slow build project" for the time being while I gather up other parts.

Thanks for all you help!
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Old 10-06-2010, 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by mustangmark
Ok guy's,
I have some questions maybe you could help me out with. I have a 1989 warlock Euro 24 (fairly light boat) with a 454 (330hp) The guy I bought this boat from said he believed it does have a small cam in it but we'll take that at face value. The motor is all stock with the exception of a aluminum intake that has no #'s or i.d of any kind on it. I have recently bought a complete msd ignition system for it and a holley marine 750 dp (to do away with the quadrajet that's currently on it).

1.) I am going to swap out the "spread-bore" intake that's on it for either a "square-bore" edelbrock preformer rpm or rpm air-gap (WHAT INTAKE DO YOU GUYS SUGGEST BETWEEN THE TWO???)

2.) I need to buy spark plugs...(WHAT PLUGS AND PLUG GAP DO YOU RECOMMEND???)

3.) WHAT SHOULD THE ADVANCE CURVE ON THE MSD BE SET UP AT???

4.) IS IT WORTH WHILE TO UPGRADE FROM THE STAMP STEEL ROCKERS TO MAYBE A 1.8 RATIO ROLLER ROCKER IN AN EFFORT TO GAIN SOME EXTRA RPM OUT OF THE MOTOR??? (I don't see any reason to do a head and cam swap on this motor because I have a 502 in the works but it's a ways away)

5.) AND WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK ABOUT DOING AWAY WITH THE CIRCULATING PUMP AND RUNNING A CROSSOVER???? (DO I NEED TO UPGRADE THE SEA PUMP WHEN DOING THIS???) I've heard and read it's worth a little horsepower?

NOTE: I am upgrading the exhaust this winter from the stock manifolds to more than likely stainless marine exhaust with new risers and relocating the exhaust to above the water line (can't help it...i want the sound!)

I have also decided to upgrade the commander 3000 shifter thats currently in the boat to a side mount dana marine unit this winter. I cant stand the commander 3000. It's just a cheap feeling and troublesome shifter imo!
Theres a little more to is than that. The 330 has cast internals, small port heads and small oil cooler. To get any power you will need to start from scratch. When you replace your crank use a stroker crank with offset pistons.
The exhaust is a good place to start, that would be needed for a cam upgrade.
Do not get a intake untill you figure out what heads you want to use.
I use the Marine DUI distributor, many guys have complained about the MSD rusting.
Roller rockers would help but go with 1.7 and get a cam from RMbuilder.
I use the crossover with therm and bypass hose. Used with the bigger oil cooler my temps are more stable. Do not look for a speed increase with this mod.
Or you could sell it as a running engine and get a 502mag or Merc racing engine. It all depends on your budget, prepair to spend 12 to 14k in parts to do it right.
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Old 10-06-2010, 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by jeffswav
Theres a little more to is than that. The 330 has cast internals, small port heads and small oil cooler. To get any power you will need to start from scratch. When you replace your crank use a stroker crank with offset pistons.
The exhaust is a good place to start, that would be needed for a cam upgrade.
Do not get a intake untill you figure out what heads you want to use.
I use the Marine DUI distributor, many guys have complained about the MSD rusting.
Roller rockers would help but go with 1.7 and get a cam from RMbuilder.
I use the crossover with therm and bypass hose. Used with the bigger oil cooler my temps are more stable. Do not look for a speed increase with this mod.
Or you could sell it as a running engine and get a 502mag or Merc racing engine. It all depends on your budget, prepair to spend 12 to 14k in parts to do it right.
I am planning on pulling the intake soon (before I buy the air gap intake so I can see what heads are on the 454 but I do suspect to find peanut port heads on it). I have already bought the msd and carb so I'm ready to go there. I guess what I'm after in the long run is a little more power from the 454 that's in the boat now. I'm not trying to look for unrealistic hp gains with these bolt-on's. I'd like to get an increase in the mid range and maybe if it's not too much of a stretch....gain 5 mph in the top (even if that meens changing the prop which is currently a 21p. I have a 23p but havn't tried it yet. both are 3 blade) I just don't know if adding the holley 750 dp, air gap intake, msd ignition and stainless marine exhaust with a prop change is going to put me there?

From what I have gathered, the crossover would be a waist of money and time for my current 454. Come to think about it.....the crossovers are NOT interchangeable from my gen iv 454 to the gen vi 502 I'm building.....right?

Thanks for your info..I appreciate it!

Last edited by mustangmark; 10-06-2010 at 10:12 AM.
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Old 10-06-2010, 10:59 AM
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If you're not going to use the air-gap intake on a 502 I would just go with a performer or a performer RPM. They're cheaper, you can find them used, and you won't notice the gain with the more expensive air-gap intake with a stock cam.

If there's easy/cheap power to be added to the 330, it's in the heads. The stock heads are garbage. Upgrade to a 049 or 781 GM casting with STOCK valve sizes, and have the bottoms milled to lower the combustion chamber size down to around 100ish (or buy a set of stock heads with a small combustion chamber and forgo some flow). If you upgrade the intake manifold, heads, roller rockers and exhaust I think you will get your 5 mph on the top end, and you should be able to do it relatively cheap. I would tend to think that with the upgrades you should be able to spin the 23p prop and get a 5-8mph difference on your top end.

I don't think there is a difference between the cross-overs for the Gen IV and Gen VI motors, but I could be wrong.
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Old 10-06-2010, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by wjb21ndtown
If you're not going to use the air-gap intake on a 502 I would just go with a performer or a performer RPM. They're cheaper, you can find them used, and you won't notice the gain with the more expensive air-gap intake with a stock cam.

If there's easy/cheap power to be added to the 330, it's in the heads. The stock heads are garbage. Upgrade to a 049 or 781 GM casting with STOCK valve sizes, and have the bottoms milled to lower the combustion chamber size down to around 100ish (or buy a set of stock heads with a small combustion chamber and forgo some flow). If you upgrade the intake manifold, heads, roller rockers and exhaust I think you will get your 5 mph on the top end, and you should be able to do it relatively cheap. I would tend to think that with the upgrades you should be able to spin the 23p prop and get a 5-8mph difference on your top end.

I don't think there is a difference between the cross-overs for the Gen IV and Gen VI motors, but I could be wrong.
More than likely, I will not reuse the intake for the 454 on the 502 when that point comes. I'm pretty set on using a single plane on the 502 (possibly with a dominator) both of these motors are such completely different animals and will be so much different from one another. If the crossovers are interchangeable from gen4 to gen6 then I might move forward with that right now though. I know these "peanut port heads" suck for power potential! I had a set on a previous motor and swapped them for a set of dart 308's then sold the boat two months later...my mistake! I should have kept the heads and put the peanut ports back on. The last boat was a flat bottom with a ton of "flash" that sounded nasty and looked fast just sitting on the trailer! That's what sold it. the boats in Hawaii now of all places!
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Old 10-06-2010, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by mustangmark
More than likely, I will not reuse the intake for the 454 on the 502 when that point comes. I'm pretty set on using a single plane on the 502 (possibly with a dominator) both of these motors are such completely different animals and will be so much different from one another. If the crossovers are interchangeable from gen4 to gen6 then I might move forward with that right now though. I know these "peanut port heads" suck for power potential! I had a set on a previous motor and swapped them for a set of dart 308's then sold the boat two months later...my mistake! I should have kept the heads and put the peanut ports back on. The last boat was a flat bottom with a ton of "flash" that sounded nasty and looked fast just sitting on the trailer! That's what sold it. the boats in Hawaii now of all places!
I would use an air gap on a 502 in heartbeat. They have been proven to out do a single plane across the power band. The last test I saw they were even on the top but were way better through the curve. Singles are good at a 540 and over.
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Old 10-06-2010, 01:17 PM
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Why not just bolt on a little 177 blower with 4 lbs of boost and get 10mph? Buy one used, and when you are done sell it the blower
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Old 10-06-2010, 02:47 PM
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I would set total timing to 34*.

I don't think you'll see any performance difference in the plugs. The AC has a slightly extended tip and burns a little cleaner at idle.

I don't think you will see a 5mph gain. probably 2-3mph or so.
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