Drozz, let me know what you find in yours....

Well today we started putting my motor back together. Here are some pics of todays progress. It'll be a complete roller motor, roller lifters and rockers, double spring valve springs. Drilled and tapped the rocker bolt holes and put in studs for roller rockers. Will probably put the heads together tomorrow. I will post more pics as I go.

I also picked up the original teak swim platform for my boat in excellent condition. I sanded off the mold that was growing on it and reapplied about three cans of teak oil. It obsorbed the oil as fast as I put it on, probably hasn't been oiled in 30 years. I'll post up a pic when it's fnished...

interested in see this.. after pics id like to know what steps and product you used as you can see in my thread mine is dry as well

I still think your big single 260 is wicked cool. The teak platform will give it a deceptively original look

I need someone to measure their platform and let me how far below the rub rail to mount it. If some pics and measurements it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Heads are done and back on the block. Still have to put the roller rockers on then the Eddie Marine aluminum valve covers & red intake. More tomorrow,I'm getting excited to hear this thing run. Still have to pull the old block out of the boat, been raining almost everyday here...

I'm getting ready to pull out the old motor and put in the new one. It's a fresh Mercruiser 454/330 with roller lifters and rockers, double spring valve springs. Edlebrock intake and a Holley 750 Marine carb, 4" Stainless Marine thru hull exhaust with a Bravo One. I went from twin 350's to a single BBC. I'm guessing the weight didn't change much. Stock weight was 3450 lbs or so. I have three props 25, 23 & 21 pitch. Which prop should I run and what kind of speeds should I expect to see? I heard the 454 turned a max of 4400 rpm's. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Well...according to Wellcraft it weighed 5600 lbs dry with twin 260's. Removing the twin SBC's and going to a single BBC you shed about 1000 lbs and lost around 200 horsepower. According to some old boat tests the 26 with twin 260's ran out 60~65 top end with a light load. I'm guessing you will be about 8~10 MPH slower with a single BBC at 330 horsepower. You can get most of that back by adding 100~125 horsepower to the single installation.

You have a full roller set up and much more spring tension than a stock 330 or even a 365 Mag, in a street/strip car, your set-up would run too 5800ish (maybe a little less depending on rods/bearings) but I have to imagine that you are going to be in the 4600-5000rpm range now on the top end. Maybe as high as 5200. Someone with more experience than me will chime in though.

As for speed, I bet a prop that properly carries the bow, puts you right around 60. You are likely in the 375hp range