You need 23" to pull a cam out the front of a big block. I used a hole saw and drilled the bulkhead in my Donzi when I put a cam in it. $1500 is rediculous to put a cam in a motor. It only takes a couple hours to put a cam in with the motor in the boat. If the motor is out it should be an hour tops. Most shops assemble a whole motor for $1000...

umm, this might be a little optimistic, and impossible on a GEN 6 or roller cam. Even on a MK IV I would pull the motor to change the cam IF you have access to a forklift/hoist.

The first shop that I called was not confident in picking out the right cam as with the high comp pistons with pump gas can create a lot of issues, but the shop that will be handling this specializes in high performance/hotrod marine motors and will have no problem spec-ing out a cam. $1500 is a lot of money, but it does require all new lifters (hydraulic) with the cam as well. I got the boat cheap enough that I'm still ahead of the game, and from what I understand owning boats is not for those thin in the wallet or time. And some of the high cost is because I live in a ridiculously expensive part of the country so shop space is super expensive.

Drilling a hole is a good idea and worth a consideration, but the point of the timing cover is also a good point!

I'm still also checking out other motors to just swap out.

Thanks!

Would that be hydraulic flat tappet or hydraulic roller cam for that price, do you know if the original builder used marine gaskets and brass freeze plugs in that motor

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-14097395

The 350 Mag MPI has that camshaft. From mercury the cam is 450 bucks, summit, 179 bucks. Its a GM cam.

It was all general ballparking over the phone, and we aren't even positive of what's in there. If it already has rollers then they can be reused and save money there. I asked about the gaskets before I bought the boat and should be fine but I'm double checking.

What does a roller cam or gen 6 mark Iv block have to do with anything???

The front of the oil pan protrudes into the front cover, so the cover won't slide off the crank snout without removing the pan. The pan pretty much has to come all the way off IMO to get a good reseal where the pan meets the front and rear caps. Also, the intake has to be pulled to access the roller lifters. Maybe if you can pull flat tappets through the push rod opening on the heads (I don't know)...then maybe 2 hours if someone is handing you tools. Lots of silicone and gasket sealer to clean up, Jnstall/remove hamonic balancer, etc, etc. Heck, you''lI have an hour + verifying pushrod lenght and adjusting lash. just didn't want this guy think he could do the job between Monday Night Football and bed time,

I did the job in an evening after work the hardest part was pulling the timing gear off the crank to change the cam timing. If I had a gear puller that wasn't frozen it wouldn't have been an issue. If you pull the seal out of the front cover it gives you more room to take the cover off. Don't need to do this on a mark Iv block. I've pulled roller lifters out of motors with aluminum heads without pulling the intake just have to fish them out with a magnet. Much easier to just pull the intake... If you get a cam with the same lift you shouldn't have to worry about pushrod length. Most cams today are ground with the same base circle. Still should check once the cam is installed. I guess it could take an hour to check pushrod length and adjust the valves if you sit and look at it for 50 minutes and work on it in ten minutes. The point that I'm trying to make is for a professional the job is no big deal. I could talk on the cell phone and have the cam out of the motor in less than an hour. I just can't see charging someone $1500 to install a cam in a motor. That's just taking advantage of the customer.

Rooster, how are you intending to use the boat? Will it be more of a family pleasure type open bow application where you are pulling a couple of kids around on a tube, or a balls-out, WFO-all-the-time deal? If the former, I really think you will be happier in the long run going back to a stock Merc 7.4 or even a 454 mag. If you want more oats, find a 502 mag take-out. Looking at the price of that engine on the eBay listing makes me leery of the attention to detail that went into building it. A Baja Islander is going to have better resale with a stock engine than a hot-rod engine, and you can plan on spending a good part of your summer wrenching on it. If that's your thing, then go for it, but if not, I would sell this engine and put the money towards a stocker. JMHO.