You could also try BES racing engines, they are local to you and could possibly have something.
http://www.besracing.com/

Scat makes a nice conn rod for the 496/8.1 and its a toss up for the heads. Diamond makes a nice piston for the 496. Why buy a new crank if you can get a nice steel used crank for 1/2 the price. Or, call Raylar and get a stroker crank for it fore the same price.

Raylar makes aluminum and DART makes cast. But, if you buy the dart heads bare you end up spending more than the Raylar heads. (been there done that)

Add $2500 to your budget for the Raylar heads. They are nice and worth it, the stock heads are beyond junk. Just get a reputable machine shop to build the shortblock and the rest is easy.

If you plan on adding better heads, cam, Stroker cranks, you will need to have the ECM tuned for these. You will need at minimum a scan tool and 02 data logging capability to record these numbers for a custom tune to your setup. Sounds like the OP just wants a reliable Whippled 496. If so, upgrade the bottom end, have a good valve job performed on the stock heads. I would upgrade the stock valvesprings to the Raylar springs. The weak stock spring psi I don't like with a blown application. Use ARP head bolts or studs and a Cometic MLS headgasket vs stock. You allready have the Whipple and ECM. Simple plug and play, reliable 496.

BTW. Didn't Dana Marine go out of business? I thought they were out of the exhaust game?

Well looks like I am going to be replacing the heads after all. I am buying a 496 mag that had the whipple on it and the piston came apart at the skirt in cyl #5. I already bought the whipple and parts from the guy. Now he is willing to sell me the whole motor with ecu wiring harness and everything for $1,000. From what I understand, the head is junk on that side as the piston ate it up. The cylinder wall is scored but not too bad from the pics? I am taking a gamble on the block not being cracked but worst case I can find one at a junk yard for $500. So I guess I will be getting the Raylar heads also along with the cam, pistons, rods, etc... Yes I knew about Bischoff, I have a few local machine shops I was going to check out. One was Steve Butler in Owensville. Dana did go out of business but now they are operated as Marine Industries West and still making products. I will also be sending the ECU back to Dustin at Whipple for reflash according to the parts used.

ok, why? you already have the whipple set-up. now you want to buy a fuel injection setup for 1000 bucks that only fits a very few engines. and then you are gonna spend 2500 to replace the heads and maybe have to replace the block too? just to have an oddball big block that there are very few parts for? i would think starting with an earlier gen 454-502 block would be a more sensible way to go.

Well if the block is good I might still buy it. If not then I will probably do a 502 MPI build.

That FI and Wiring Harness and all the brackets and stuff off that blown 496 is worth 1000.00 or more. It will able to make decent power with just a Fuel Pressure adjustment and or a remap from raylar. It is NOT JUNK. I have actually sold one to Raylar just like that. So If thinks its not junk then it is not junk.

Chris

i wasn't saying it was junk, but it only works on gen 7 heads, forcing you to go get a gen 7 block and raylar heads.

$500? Dude get on craigslist and search 8.1 or 496 and buy the truck block. Ive done it twice for $100 and $200 a piece. The only thing that was different was the whole engine is metric but the bellhousing bolts were american. Dont know why, but it was.

Scrap the stock fuel pressure unit. They are junk. cut it off, weld a AN fitting to the fuel rail and put an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump and regulator combo. Its worth it. If you ever see a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel line after you fool with it it is scary.

Here is a fuel pump and regulator setup on a Raylar 600 with Dana exhaust:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx0-guxrsWk

Well here is the deal, I bought the Whipple charger with the intake, fuel reg, and tensioner pulley bracket that this 496 had on it because it was too good to pass up! So now he was going to send me the rest of the parts (aeromotive pump, crank pulley, alt spacer, ecm and fuel cool) along with the whole motor for $1000. I don't know exactly how bad the head is messed up yet? Might still be useable? However, I was planning on building this motor with the forged parts and the Whipple to set it up with around 625HP. I read another guys build on here and he did the same exact build on stock heads and it was 635HP. At the end of the day I'm not opposed to using Raylar heads if I have too or scrapping the whole motor and keeping the complete Whipple kit. I just thought I could build a great reliable, fuel injected motor that had great HP and was fuel efficient for not much coin to drop in my next boat.