I think the 454 was one of the most popular engines ever put in a boat as far as big blocks are concerned. The 496 might be catching up in terms of market share but there's still an absolute ton of 454's around and still running.

You should check out the thread on "Stock oiling system?" . I learned alot from that after I destroyed a cam. After reading the post I upgraded my oiling system and have not had a problem since.

I had an engine that did the same thing twice. What I discovered was that some one had installed an oil pan on the engine that was designed for a drag car. It had the trap door in it and what was happening was when I installed the marine dip stick, it would hold the trap door closed and not let enough oil get to the pick up. I installed a marine pan on the engine and never had another problem.