pullmytrigger

Very hard to knock the BBC off its throne.
even harder in this economy.....if you got coin today for a build up or a new boat probably 9 times out of 10 your going to go with the tried and true BBC....you can have an old 80s 23' foot boat with a 330hp BBC/ Bravo set up and literally bolt 1100hp right in its place almost overnight with packages available from any number of companies.....thats pretty hard to beat.

These companies need to to set up some boats and run them in the Shootout or the Poker Run circuit and show what they can do if they ever hope to make headway in unseating the King

Sonic30ss

http://www.1800runsnew.com/panther_new-perf.html
These seem pretty reasonably priced

buck183

Not necessarily true. Lots of boats looking to repower are limited by space and the use of a BB is not even an option. I'm seeing that in three of the replies on this thread already. I know it applies to me too.

Buck

HarleyDavidson88

I think it's more of an issue to trying to get people away from the stigma that BB=big power SB=small power. The LS series motors have been getting BB power out of a SB platform for years in the automotive world. The only limiting factor at the moment seems to be the marine aftermarket. I completely agree that someone needs to show what this platform can do in the marine world.

missy

700hp, weighing only 560lbs, closed cooled, supercharged, reliable, gm based, for less than $17,000 , that is a hard to beat package

Wasted Income

I respectfully disagree.

When the 454 in my jet-boat puked it's guts out, I chose to go with a warmed over 6.0L LQ4 as the replacement. I got a high tech 21st century motor with 6-bolt mains, aluminum high flow heads, coil near plug ignition, sequential fuel injection, knock control, and the potential to get stoopid with boost....and even in near stock form makes MORE power, and weighs LESS, for the same or less money than it would have cost me to re-build the 454 and pay the "big block tax" on all those parts....and still have an iron head, carbed relic.

My 6.0L is stock with the exception of a healthy cam and valvetrain, and an LS1 intake....I picked up 3 mph over the 454. Certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Plus, I will argue that the asthetics of the LS are far superior to the BBC...that that is definitely subjective



That's my story, and I can't imagine that it would be much different with a sterndrive.

handfulz28

Didn't you have to hack & fab a Ford exhaust to work on the LS? Might've been someone else....

No manufacturer wants to put the R&D into an engine that will be superseded in the next few years. Crusader and Marine Power seemed to be the only ones offering the LS for something other than a ski boat. Almost everything on the LS has to be fabricated, nothing off the shelf fits except the bellhousing.

Wait until direct injection comes to the SBC/LS/xyz....that should be a game changer.

pullmytrigger

Dont get me wrong I like the LS series engines.....I want one for my race car....but heres another problem for the Marine environment.....how many places are making hot LS marine engines???....two or three in all of North America???.....great if one of them is in your back yard but what if its not???....you going to get one of these for your boat and trailer 1200mi to fix a small problem????....not likely....I bet every person on this site can name a place within 200mi of them that they would trust to build them a brusin' BBC.....its not all about power to weight.....so not

Heres another problem....Im not saying they are but are these things made with a bunch of one off custom parts????.....if they are what if this place goes out of business??.....a very real possibility in this economy.....can you go down to your local speed shop and buy every part for the thing???...a BBC you can.

Wasted Income

Yep. It's called hot rodding

Really? When was the last time GM put a big block in anything?

You can build an LS with almost zero GM parts, and will still be able to once they are phased to direct injection...there are aftermarket blocks, heads, cranks, rods, pistons, oil pans, exhaust....I'm not really seeing your logic about why it needs to be in production to be a viable power option?

Why isn't this a problem for the V-10 Ilmors? Same scenario...except not even the bellhousing fits. See a few of those out running around every so often.....but why not any LS motors that are turned up? That is the root of my question.

Wasted Income

I can definitely see the concern there.
It's not a concern of mine, however, since I turn my own wrenches, but yeah....I am sure a lot of the guys who are able to pony up for twin 700 SCIs or bigger would rather have the warranty, and have somebody else repair them when they break.

There is nothing exotic in any of the LS engines that most speed shops don't have, or aren't able to get. About the hardest to get parts would be heat exhangers and/or sea water pumps that may be LS specific. Basically the bolt-ons to dress it out for marine use.

If the LS aftermarket doesn't already rival the BBC aftermarket, I don't think it will be long.


I'd love if any of the engine suppliers (Raylar, Mast, LPG, Ilmor, etc) would chime in and provide some feedback/insight on any testing and development they've done in-hull on the LS engine packages they advertise.

I also wish there was a marine equivalent to Hot Rod Magazine who would take one hull, and test a 700 SCI back to back with a 700 hp LS based engine....just to see what happens?