I talked with my engine guy this morning. He's thinking the piston failed, causing the problem. This is the starboard engine that had all the pistons replaced last summer after the cam failure. I'm done with the cast internal parts. We were only turning 4500 rpms.

CDShack, sorry to say (not really)but we are going with a stroker kit and roller cam setup. Keeping the 049 heads for now. Looks like I'll be needing to find some hydraulic steering, better exhaust, and k-planes down the road too.

What valves are you using? Looks like the valave failed. Been there. . Have you noticed any surface rust on the valves when you pulled the heads ? Or any water in the manifold port? I am curious if you if you have had any reversion?

No, there's no surface rust on any of them. Greg was telling me that usually there's something left of the piston when the valve fails, but when the piston fails it will sometimes disentegrate like this. Interesting. I'm doing research right now on the 496 stroker. Ready to order a couple of kits. Anyone have any particular recommendations or experience?

So there were no signs of reversion? I keep forgetting you had cast internals. Did it take out the block? With what you will spend and if you are willing to get away from carbs or not in the long run it would be less expensive to buy some 502 bbc magnums takeouts which have all the forged stuff in them. If you find someone repowering you would have the large retangle port heads 4 inch stroke all for what you may spend stroking. Just a thought
how much do you want to spend? Internal external balancing. Calais is very durable. Are you going with h beam or i beam rods. Do you want to increase power later.
I would recommend if you have an inkling that you want to do something more later on (horsepower) that you by the best (most durable ) instead of what i have done everytime which is buy/build what i think will be satisfactory and then not be happy with the speed gain and want to add more horsepower later on. Then you are on swapp shop selling parts to buy better more durable stuff which you will end up waisting a s@#t ton of money.

sorry to read this! But man, 38 in timing is a lot! imagine if your zero is not a perfect 0, and, if ever by badluck your toming light is off 1 or 2 degres, like it happened to a friend, you were maybe at 39-41 degres...

better check the other engine before its too late.

good luck repowering!

Yep cast internals. I plan to take out the crank, rods, pistons tomorrow to see if the block is damaged. I assume it is we'll see.

I've been looking at stroker kits. My engines have the original bore so I guess it would be a 489. I'm leaning to keeping my oval port cast iron 049 heads. I just had the 2.15 intake and 1.88 exhaust valves installed less than 20 hours ago.

I'd like to find somebody with a 489/496 stroker engine with good results and duplicate what they have.

Thanks for the input, hullofjustis, yes I'd like to go ahead and do it all right now than do it over again next year. But I don't think I'm gonna buy already built 502's. Thanks for the input, I appreciate it.

Go ahead and buy a stroker oil pan!!!! (don't ask!)

did you get the PM I sent?

rgr that CDShack. I haven't gotten any PM's hull.

Just out of curiosity, what kind of speeds are you getting out of it? I just bought my 1979 scarab 300 this month, just got the engines running, it has twin 420 horsepower performance series 454s
And over the next year or 2 I plan on taking on a restoration a lot like yours