beaver 3

Hey guys im not new to boating or building engines but i am new to building boat engines. Any how ive got a 22 pachanga with the 330/ alpha combo. Currently engine and drive are in great shape just would like a little more topend and faster cruise speed Im going to be collecting parts this summer for a mild build next winter. I have some aluminum 496 take off manifolds that will be going on later this month.

So far ive picked up a set of 781 heads. Plans with them are a casting clean up with larger stainless and inconel valves. Ill be doing the cleanup on them and my machinist will be doing the valves. Hes a car guy but what should i have him set the valve clearance at? With harland sharpe roller rockers that i already have.

On top of the heads i plan to use an oval port eddie airgap and holley 750 or just keep the quadrajet with larger jets, Plans for the cam are the Crane 132561 with new lifters as long as you all think that my 496 exhaust will be ok without reversion.

All of this will be going on tthe stock bottom end and i really only want to make about 400-415 as an attempt to make my alpha live for a couple more seasons where i can upgrade to a different boat or bravo.

Boat gps'd at 63 in perfect conditions looking to get up within a couple mph of 70.
Thanks for reading and posting.

Don Johnson

My suggestion, start by replacing the Alpha with a Bravo with external steering, . Going faster with that Alpha drive could be unsafe when it comes apart. The build you are considering should take your boat over 70 MPH and the boat really needs external steering to be safe, at minimum a single ram setup, does not necessarily have to be full hydraulic helm.

Relative to the engine build I think 781 or 049 heads would work fine as an solid economical head on a 454. They are a large oval port, open combustion chamber I think 122 or 124 cc. Need to confirm current combustion chamber size or could be changing pistons too. I am not aware of that cam but I would consult with Crane and get their recommendation on a good marine grind, don't run a street rod camshaft. Virtually any carb is better then a stock quadrajet and a Holley 750 would be perfect. You do not want to RPM that stock short block as I believe it has cast pistons so that means you need a cam that builds HP in lower RPM so you can pull a bigger prop to meet your goals.

Hope this helps.

beaver 3

Yea i have definite plans for an add on ram. Ive driven a 25 nordic with full hydraulic steering and it was really nice but i just cant see putting a full system on this boat . The alpha will stay for at least another season or two even if i have to put another cheap one on it to limp me through a couple seasons.

The cam from what ive read on this site was factory in the hp420,500,etc. the specs are
Part Number CRN-132561
Basic Operating RPM Range 2,800-5,800
Duration at 050 inch Lift 228 int./236 exh.
Intake Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio 0.530 in.
Exhaust Valve Lift with Factory Rocker Arm Ratio 0.551 in.
Lobe Separation (degrees) 114.

I dont plan to spin it above 5,000 because of the cast bottom end and alpha. 90% of the time we just cruise to a cove, anchor, and float all day. We do occasionally go on a 50mile cruise for the weekend though and hit up cumberland to watch the poker runs. Id say we make about 5 speed attempts a year just to get the gps number if the conditions are just right, otherwise its a waste of time. Playing with the merc slip calculator if my slip stayed the same and i spun the prop to 5,000 i would be above 70 that would be faster than i need (not want though) but i try to stay responsible. It is only 22 ft and can get hairy fast at those speeds. Mainly wanting to raise my cruise speed considerably, sound and look a whole lot better, get a gps number. In that order of importance.

Thanks for looking everybody

beaver 3

Does anybody else have any input on this?

JRider

iTrader: (1)

I didnt think that cast crank was up to the task of more hp.

FIXX

iTrader: (2)

i would ditch the iron heads and go with the edlbrock ovals with the 110 cc chambers,fot the extra cash its well spent with the increase in hp..you really need to bump the compression to get the power your looking for and to really take full advantage of that cam..

SB

iTrader: (1)

-Seems like you are on a good path.
-No reason to spend the $$$ on iconel exhaust valves for your build.
-Your compression is a little low for that cam, as Mr Fixx stated. Look for something around min 218° to max 224° on the intake at .050" and 112°LSA.
-Don't worry about the cast crank.
- Cast pistons...depends on your tune but 5k and 400-425hp or so okay. Don't run lean and definately don't detonate !

#1 killer of Alpha's is shifting at too high or an rpm. It tolerates 800rpm okay, but not much higher. 900rpm will hurt it eventually. A couple of 1000rpm shifts and it's over.

#2 holeshots...like any other drive. Hard to resist with new power.

bobl

Have to agree with SB, stay away from that 561 cam. It's a pretty lumpy cam and needs higher idle speeds or it will revert water. The lower you can keep the idle, the longer that Alpha will live. I think you will need some more compression to hit your 400+ HP goal though. A set of vortec heads might just be your best choice.

beaver 3

i know this is an old thread by now. but ive let my build spiral out of control. i keep finding good deals.

so to bring this thread up to pace. i installed the 496 manifolds and didnt see a difference all season except the one time i didnt have my gps. it was just me and a buddy low on fuel running my other buddies dad in a 40 baja. we were on the ohio and his boat runs 63 gps no matter what the ohio can whip up. it was pretty nasty that day for the 22, though nothing for the 40. any how it was the most awsome blast ive had in my boat to this point. we put our lifejackets and the lanyard on and went after him. the 'changa was getting all kinds of squirly rocking side to side, airing out just perfect with the prop not leaving the water. it was all perfect for speed and we walked off from him. we both agree that it was doing a solid 65. this was in july and was a one time deal. but the $300 and elbow grease painting and polishing as well as moving alot of items to the transom was worth the looks and sound. 2mph guessed was just a bonus.

come to the beginning of September. its my bachelor party at lake Cumberland. (we got married the weekend of poker run, i guess she wants to spend every anniversary at the poker run hahah.) 14 of us rented a houseboat and took 3 boats down. a master craft, a nova, and the pachanga. my boat blew the drive the first night there. it sucked. a GREAT guy from back home drove down the next morning to let me borrow his 33 donzi for the weekend so long as it had as much fuel as it did when he gave it to me. i dont think ill ever be able to repay him. SMI MARINE IN LOUSVILLE IS AWSOME.

so boating stopped there for the season. i started working the **** out of overtime, also moved to second shift for a $1.50 shift differential raise, and have a lot more money to spend now. i also acquired a LWP bravo lower for free. so a bravo swap is also underway.

i pulled the engine out and was pleasantly surprised to find a 4 bolt block. all the research i had done said 330s were 2 bolt. the heads were peanut ports, flat top cast pistons, 3/8s rods, a cast crank, flat tappet cam. all of that was expected. two of the lifter bores were starting to mess up so im glad i pulled it out.



that high lift is not what i used to pull the engine btw. it just happens to look like it. thats from somone who couldnt pay a bill so that was given to us in exchange. the engines was locked up and im rebuilding that too to rebuild and sell.

so now the plan has changed somewhat. as ive bought some things.

- nodular iron 4.250 crank i got deal on. maybe not so much the crank itself but it came in a package that made it worth it. ($800 for an 18,000 mi 350 engine for a tahoe i bought cheap so the wife could have a winter beater to keep her mustang out of the salt and the crank.)

- morel roller lifters, adjustable timing set, and two powdercoated battery boxes with step plates from wildthing357 on here. he sent the parts before ive given him money. he says if i dont like them, then send them back. if i like them then give him money. cant ask for anything better than that. the stuff should be here tomorrow.

- i think im going to go with eagle or scat h beams and probe pistons to set me just below 9.5:1 which should be ok with iron heads on 93.
if something else sounds better let me know!

- ive picked out this cam. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/hr...make/chevrolet
.578/.618 284/288 @.50 .231/.235 i think this will be right at the limits on reversion on the 496 manifods and risers. have no fear as i am positive i can make tailpipes that will dump water further back that will hold atleast 60psi of pressure.

ive done it with mild steal but will be teaching myself to tig stainless so i can polish it. a distant friend (more than an acquaintance, less than a buddy.) is having an engine dyno installed so i will be breaking in / tuning / modifying / learning there.

- i have lead locally on another pachanga that was totaled on the trailer. the skeg and entire starboard corner of the boat is gone. but its supposed to be fully rigged with a bravo and hydraulic steering which im working things out on .

being as real as i can about this i think it will make 480hp and push the pachanga to 76-77

im used to hanging out on yellowbullet so dont hold back and be nice in your replies. give it to me PHUCKERS!!! yellow bullet members will understand the last part. its a rough place over there.

glassdave

iTrader: (1)

lol, yeah I check into Yellow bullet from time to time . . . on one particular thread anyhow

Gotta love it when a friend saves the day, especially one that tosses ya the keys to his boat. Cumberland is awesome we use to go down there every year and do a house boat trip out of State Dock. 480hp ought to get you pretty close to your goal, thats a realistic number.