TomZ

iTrader: (2)

Stainless Marine and Hardin make tails to fit the factory Merc manifold if that's a direction you want to go... would eliminate reversion issues anyway. Or do as hotrodford said and just extend the inner pipes (a competent welder could do this pretty easily).

getrdunn

iTrader: (7)

Just close to the time when they started putting mags in from the factory but hear what your saying. What was it around a 2,500 upgrade. Those were the days. Wow has that ever changed.

Fman

Looks like casting number by bell housing is 361959 or 361859. The one by the water pump looks like c9 424974.

Another number I found by the bell housing starboard side was b217(8, 0, or 9) hard to read last number

Baja Rooster

iTrader: (1)

I'd find some good exhaust, get a bung welded in for with a wideband or maybe even consider this unit,
http://fitechefi.com/default.asp.pg-...m4-InjectorKit

And then enjoy the summer while planning next winter's activities.

endeavour32

iTrader: (4)

But the confusion continues. The 330 Alpha's were called 454 Magnums, but they were just 2 bolt, peanut port engines.

endeavour32

iTrader: (4)

I agree- It's too late in the spring to be tearing apart engines. Change the exhaust and deal with the rest later.

Fman

Now i know I'm getting off my own topic here and I'm sure they are all really close but what would you guys consider order of quality/best out of these brands?
Gil's, Stainless Marine, Dana, or EMi? I was eventually going to do my own build on it just was not hoping this soon lol.

mcollinstn

Really, you need to buy a $15 borescope/endoscope from Red China off of Ebay to fit your smartphone. Then you can stuff it in the sparkplug hole and look around, you can run it down the carb and look around without even taking it off (get the 5.5mm one).

Here's what you need to figure out with the scope.

(1) go thru the carb down an intake runner and see if the rectangle port intake meets up with rectangle port heads. If not, try to determine whether the ports are standard oval, or peanuts (look them up on the web to find photos).
(2) go thru the spark plug and figure out what pistons you are running. Are they dished or flat. Do they have none/2/4 valve reliefs? Also while in there, see if you can determine the chamber style/configuration.

(3) pull a valve cover. Put a dial indicator on a spring retainer and turn the motor over with a wrench to check the lift. If it matches your cam card, then you probably have that cam. If it does not, then you don't. If you have room to put a degree wheel on the crank, then you can "map" the valve events to figure out the rest of the cam specs to verify it.

(4) run a compression check. Check all the cylinders you can easily get to. It will give you an IDEA of the compression ratio (but you will also need to know your cam specs and also what it's installed at).

Finally, it won't HURT your boat to run it like it is as long as it isn't pinging or overheating or reverting water in the exhaust. It may not run optimally, and may stink or be cantankerous, but if it's gonna run and push the boat, then ENJOY IT.

Just check the plugs to make sure they aren't picking up aluminum dust or too hot (the heat line on the electrode), listen for pinging, and be a little easy slowing down to keep water from getting sucked back up the exhaust.

It's boat time. Fall/winter is motor teardown time.

getrdunn

iTrader: (7)

I can see where that would be really confusing. I didn't know that actually had engines they were calling mags with 2 bolt mains. Seems like I heard that some even had forged internals. Maybe a bit of a hit and miss type deal that was going on? Late 70's early 80's? Wonder how many years they even put alphas behind 454. I remember seeing some in the mid 80's or so but didn't think it was real common. Could have as that was when I got my first boat and running 55 on the water was cool.

SB

iTrader: (1)

They where just ready to come out with the Bravo and they had just dropped the TRS.

330hp/454 with Alpha with 1.36 gears to try to keep them together with smaller props then would be needed with 1.5 gears

They did this for just a year or two. I think it was just one.

Okay, found it. http://www.boatfix.com/merc/Bullet/97/97_06.pdf
1986-1988.