Irwin,
I'm starting to take offence here.
Crain has been junk for years. There I said it. I try not to cut on other manufacturers products but the facts are the facts. I know when they were taken over recently every cam that they already cut had to go in the trash for being way out of spec. How many of those cams do you you think made it out on the market before they closed? So every manufacturer has their issues. Scat used to be junk. Now they are considered a premier crank maker. Don't believe me talk to a machinist who does cranks. So to each his own.
Before I use anything I always do a ton of research online, phone calls to people use them and machinist that see the failures. No one I talked to said the lifters were bad so I gave them a try. Beat the piss out of them in the first motor I used them in and since have used them in a couple other motors. All is good. So I will stick with my "cheap eBay lifters" until something changes.
Also remember I understand that some of you are building hundred thousand dollars boats and you want the best of the best. I probably would too. I mean when you spend six or seven thousand on a set of exhaust what is a couple hundred extra dollars on a set of lifters. I use Mercruiser aluminum 496 exhaust. If I was six or $7000 into exhaust it would almost double the cost of the boat. lol. Just not worth it for me. But there is some of us out there that do this whole boating thing on a budget and like I said I just like to pass on what has worked for me because I wish somebody would've for me years ago when the whole goal was to just get on the water. Why do you think you see so many boat sitting around that will never be used? 3 to 5 grand for exhaust, five grand just to build a motor out of what you have. No one is going to dump 10 grand into a boat that's only worth 10 grand if it was perfect.
One of the things that irks me the most is when someone will come on here and say I got a 330 Mercruiser and wants to add power. Same post, over and over. "Dump it and get a 502". Seriously? A couple thousand dollar or less upgrade and the first some want to do is turn it into a $10,000 plus upgrade. Not everyone can afford it. I'm just trying to get it so a few more can.
I did what I did, it worked and here are the results. You can make up your own mind from there.

Think about this. Howards cams are half the price of Crains. Why? Their specs are on. Also the billets come from only two manufactures that according to a well respected cam guy that is recommended all the time on this board says that both manufactures are just as good as the other. I know its hard to believe in this day and age but sometimes more expensive is not always better.

f-insreenname I agree with what you are saying.Not all people have deep pockets like a lot on this site.I come from the old school the poor school.I have had many boats in the last 50 years and some that ran the best were from used parts I picked up at swap meats and from guys who didn't need them.Horse power has a lot to do with money invested but I think much more to do with knowledge and determination.As for Howard stuff it works!!! they been in the business longer than most guys have been boating and still doing fine.Everyone has a opinion and not all big buck engines run My 2cents JOHN SR

Yea some people on this website really need to understand that not everyone is loaded especially when they are giving advise, ive been steered wrong a few times because of it myself. Theres the best way of doing things and the way that works good enough, i try to find somewhere in between

Please do not be offended. Im just stating that the lifters that you chose to run are not the same as crane cams that's all. They may work perfectly fine for what your doing. Im sorry to offend you I never meant for you to be offended. Im personal friends with chase knight from crane and i asked him one time if his lifters were made by morel because they look very similar and his head about spun around.....lol. All that matters is that your way of doing things is working. So keep doing it and having fun.

I love all the advice u can get on this site some guys are great at giving it. But there are some that do expect everyone to have money. I come from have a family to provide for and I work in the construction bussiuness so I don't make much money compared to others. I boat because I live this sport and its super fun. Granted it so dang exspensive to have a power boat, but I don't try to be cheap I just do the best I can with what I have. Also any motor builder out there know that the quality of the parts and the time u out into the motor is what make a great motor. It's not about who can stick the most money in there motor and have the fastest boat it's about who's not broke down in the water. Cuz last season I was broke down ever other weekend. So this year I'm hopeing not to breack down at all that why I ask so many questions. I want to learn as much as I can, so I can build a reliable boat and have a few hp's behind it to.

So thank u to all u boaters out there that give advice and are proud of what they do in this sport.

Well just ordered my crank and pistons I know it's a little late. But my interior bill was a lot more than I wanted it to be and could afford. So the motor will go to the machine shop as soon as they get in so hopefully I can have her running by the end of the month.