I know the cradles tie everything together but he isn't using them.. The mounting plates that he is using I would think would bend or break from all the weight thats bearing down on them plus add the pounding that they will take!! Personally i would box the ends in and move on!

I would just mount the shift linkage on the transom then. Thats what I did on my Pantera.

If you are not already - I'd suggest using SS nyloc nuts.
Even if you double nut, make the outer one is a nyloc nut.
Extra security.

Thats right, particularly on the bottom nut. If not too late you should also look closely at your splines in the couplers as they are probably shot due to the engine mounts loose.

Loose great, good job!

BT

Totally agree about the couplers. I have seen it before, one was so out of round / warped that almost sounded like a crank bearing knock.

Thank you all for your suggestions, Griff, unfortunately I dont have any room on the transom. Just the way the boat was built so I will have to either modify the bracket or mount on the stringer. 40gt, yes I am using grade 8 nuts with nylock SS nuts to lock them in. Blue thunder & BUP the couplers were starting to go on the 496's, These engines came as complete drop ins with new bellhousings & couplers that is also why I am replacing the gimble bearings that & they are not servicable. I have been putting a lot of thought into this project to deal with problems before they happen, As you all probably know things got a lot more expensive as a result. Things like the shift bracket I thought were solved but not to be, I never would have thought about mounting on a stringer but why not? I do have a question about the msd box, the power wire, does it need to be hooked to battery direct or switched power? Thanks again for all of your help & advice. Randy

Brother Randy , do yourself a huge favor , do it once do it right . You took your time and made everything nice now take your time and make it strong and worry free . Cradles are cheap and very , very easy to mount . I did mine and never even saw one before . Once it's in it's permanent and so is your engine alignment . I never could understand why so many guys here build huge horsepower and torque monsters and hang them on mounts that were engineered for stock power . One must try and see down the road further than the end of ones nose and recognize all the consequences of the changes we make . What will be safe and what will not . I would like to see your really nice work become really great work . Sam....the deep

Plumbing, wiring, & shifter
 

When I decided to drop the coin & make this project happen I was just going to pull out the 496's, clean up the bilge, fix or replace whatever wasnt working, drop in some new power & go boating. After cleaning I saw the runs in the paint & just a dingy look overall, so out came the sandpaper & off to town I went. I was able to sand & paint without completely disassembling everything, now going back together I am taking my time, taking pics of my progress & after reading the build threads here on OSO decided to do the same. After reading comments/ advice & talking to a few people I have made a few changes from the original plan. I was going to bolt in new power with the same hardware that came with the boat. I talked with Sam " the deep" the other day about installing engine cradles & he offered some good reasoning for going that direction, I dont think I am going to do that just yet after looking things over considering the previous engines were loose & moving around nothing was broken but some bolts were bent, I have adressed that problem by replacing the bolts with larger bolts. I do want to go on record & say that if I do have any issues with engine mounts Sam has first dibs on telling me " I told you so". I dont think I will have any problems as this boat has had this kind of power in the past without problems but I will keep my eyes open as I break in these engines. With that said here are some pics of progress, plumbing, wiring, & shifter placement. Again thank you for your comments/ advice I do take them into consideration & nothing is set in stone yet. Randy

looks good,get her done and drive the hell out of her.

I intend to!! Just waiting for the weather to warm back up so I can finish running wiring then I will drop the other engine in before putting in storage. Randy

You better hurry. I think you are running out the possibility of warm days real quick around here.

I know I think this week is just about it. Randy

Pressure relief valves
 

Hey guys, I have to run a couple of dumps for pressure relief valves for the cooling system, where would the best place be to put them, should they both go to the same side? out the back? or does it matter. Just asking before I drill holesm thanks Randy

I would put them on the transom and get angled dumps that put the water right onto the tops of the drives.

Fits like a glove
 

Engine #2 is in!! No hammers or chain saws she slid right in like she was comin home. Now I have more work to do.:Score-101010::signs069::bong::signs069:

Looking real good!! Great documentation of all the work!!

It is really satisfying to see the work I'm doing coming together like this. Since I quit drinking I am feeling more confident about doing things like this. Last year at this time I was making arrangements for my wife in case I drank myself to death. What a change!! I think I will stay on this side of the grass for a while longer. Randy

Did bullet take your motors on trade? How long did it take to get them from the time they were ordered. Looks very nice.

bigboat28, Yes Robert took my 496's in trade, these engines were already built they were in the classifieds here on OSO. Not sure how long the build time is but you can call & ask 613-634-3618 Robert @ Bullet Engines. Hope that helps ya out, Randy

No couch potato for me
 

:party-smiley-004:Both engines wired & plumbed except inboard headers, Need to get a few more this-n-thats to finish up & these beasties should be ready to fire!! The wife was just saying its too bad it costs so much to take the boat anywhere ( A nice little hint to road trip to AZ) Yea I know dear, Xmas is coming you never know......:bananalove::boat::signs069::signs069::s igns069:

Looks nice! I'm a bit behind you as I'm still building my motor, but look forward to putting the motor back in and getting to where you are. Looks like fun!

Looking forward to reading your results with the new engines.

Good luck

Thanks cp5899 it has been fun so far I'm starting to jones out because of how close I am but I keep in mind that if I hurry anything along I will overlook something. If I do anything like this again it would be a good idea to keep a log book & check things off as I complete them. Do you have any pics of your project? Thanks, Randy

The only pics I have so far are of the boat when I picked it up. I've had so little time that when I did get to work on the boat I forget to take pics, but plan on taking them as things slow down for the holidays. Mine had a stock 502 mag in it. I have taken the motor out and disassembled it to inspect the parts and what I will use. Everything looked good so I'm building it to a 509, new custom roller cam, roller rockers, going to a dart 1 intake with a 850 Holley, ported 088 heads. I'm hoping for 600 hp or as close as I can get. The boat is a 98 velocity 280. With the factory 415hp it would run 71-72. With the new power my research has shown it should get into the low to mid 80's. I built a 235 Baja last year and only got 63-65 out of it. That being my first performance boat I didn't know it was a slower hull going into it, but it was a fun introduction to the sport. This new boat and power should be a ton of fun! Plus going to a larger boat is going to be nice.

This is the only pics of the new boat I have at this point. When I picked it up.

http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/...3C33C0EAC2.jpg

I'm going to start a new thread with build pics in the next week or so.

cp5899, Nice boat looks fast even sitting on the trailer. I look forward to your thread. Randy

YAY no boom,zzztt, or smoke!!!
 

Got the rest of the exhaust installed & plumbed. Batteries charged up, crossed my fingers & hit the battery switches. No smoke or zzztt try the keys, turned over just fine, COOL! Finish draining the fuel before I connect to the filters & still have throttle linkage coming. Clean up my footprints & stuff then on goes the bonnet. I hope it fits! By my measurements it should be close. :party-smiley-004: I need this.

Nice work Randy but choes you don't need no stinking choes . :lolhit:

Thanks Sam I will donate my choes to the dog so he can finish eating them,:lolhit: Randy

Wow , how could a person feel any stress looking at that picture . By the way i meant wearing choes on your boat , thats a keel hauling offense up in here !! http://i1243.photobucket.com/albums/.../th_twitch.gif Your boat and puppy look awesome .

Yea this dog is a trip that 1st pic gave me the idea for his halloween costume, as far as choes on the boat when working on,yes. When using only if your life depends on it:lolhit:Getting him used to boats, halloween, Desert Storm 2011

I saw my old 496s in the classifieds today, if anyone is looking at them the oil was changed every 25-30hrs no problems with them at all. The waterpumps were replaced last yr when I checked the impellers & the shafts fell out of them but they were still pumping ok. 170hrs more idle time than anything else if anyone has any questions about them feel free to contact me

Got my hatch bolted on today & checked clearance with air filters I guess thats what all of those little marks on a tape measure are for, LOL I measured when putting together & knew it would be close. There is between 1/2-3/4 inch clearance, is that enough? I can trim the filter bases 1/4-3/8 if needed otherwise have to find something else. Randy

That amount of clearance should be fine as long as the hatch does not have any flex when people are laying, sitting or standing on it.

Thanks Griff I will do the putty & walk around test just to make sure, If I needed a couple of inches I would have to start looking for different filters. Randy

Paint & clearcoat
 

:boat:Just got the boat back from getting some paint work fixed, Looks good now if spring will grace us with it's presence.....

I finally got time to fire up the engines, They sound good. I wanted to post up a video of the sound. I just have a couple things to do but I should have it together by this weekend Randy

Well guys, I finally got the boat out on the water today. After all of the work, double checking all of my work, the weather, getting the engines fired up for the first time, and having to go to the hospital a few times, I borrowed a set of 32p bravo 1s & got the boat wet. I have a couple of gauge gremlins to chase down, temp, water pressure not reading correctly. I verified temp was ok, verified water pressure was ok, I put a couple of hours on the engines tooling around checking different rpms, how the boat cruised, planning, low & mid range acceleration, I pulled a couple of short almost full throttle passes to see what I could get. 82mph @ 5200rpm with 32p bravo 1s with a 1" spacer on a -2 " shorty 1.50 gear ratio. Not too bad, I think with some more time on the engines, checking the tune on the carbs, & maybe try some different props, change my spacers if the boat likes it I hope to see a few more mph but 12mph out of the box isn't too bad, What does everyone else think? Randy

Sounds great Randy. Nice work. I just read through the entire thread, somehow I had missed it. Thanks for posting all of it. Gives me some ideas for mine next winter.
Is that hull the same as a Drone?

Thanks Payton, after checking out your redo I would like to see it up close. Fantastic job! As for your question, yes the hull is the same as a Drone. I was told this hull is a fountain splash. It does handle the snotty water pretty well so they made it from a decent quality boat anyhow, LOL. I need to figure out where to go for dial in so I will probably give Brett a call from BBlades & see what he says.Thanks for checking out my work. Randy

I was thinking the Drone was from a 32' Midnight Express. ME made 2 32s one with an 8' beam and one with a wider beam like yours. The 8' beam mold became the SH, the other a West coast manufacturer. I have always liked the shape of those..
I used Cutting Edge this last time and was very happy, I have used BBlades in the past and was very happy with them as well.

The person to answer that question is six feet under so I don't know. My boat has 1 very small step in the hull but I have never put it side by side with anything similar. I started a thread a couple of yrs ago about Super Hawaii to find out info on my neighbors boat & I think you are correct about yours, I am not sure with mine as they are way different in the design as far as side by side & staggered engine set up. Randy