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

What a beautiful original. The real teak looks beautiful My mentor hooked me in 1979 he purchased a brand-new 30 ft scarab. Great memories. Enjoy your new boat

Thank you 90viper!
Nice boat geojojo. We were running plain mercruiser 330hp bottom ends with the factory large oval port heads with 2.19 intake(I've mistakenly called them other sizes, I couldn't remember) and 1.88 exhaust valves. Edlebrock air gap intakes and holley 750's, factory exhaust, and we were seeing 63-65mph at WOT turning 4400-4500 rpms.

In other news, engine guy has the rotating assemblies off to the balancer. More info here...
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/d...eciated-4.html

Here's the engine bay on mine, I just got the engines running after 8 years of sitting, check out those stainless manifolds!!! I'm still learning all about this boat and I'm not sure exactly how much power each engine is putting out, the engines put out 420 horsepower from the standard cams, but the previous owner installed different cams so they're putting out a little more then that
http://i.imgur.com/wElMClE.jpg

Sounds good geojojo. In other news the K Planes came in today. We hope to get them painted tomorrow and installed this weekend. Greg said the engines are about 2 weeks out. we'll have the boat pretty much how we want it minus hydraulic steering. Looks like we'll do that this winter...


http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps7r9rvheg.jpg

Where are you thinking of putting the pumps for the trim tabs/k planes? Mine are under the back seat under a hatch in the floor on either side of the gas tank, and of course the outdrive pumps are on the back wall.

It was suggested to me to mount them to the transom. Not real sure yet.

We spent this evening checking how my Gil exhaust is gonna fit. I borrowed a 396 bare block and used my bad head to mount the exhaust. We're gonna have to get some wedges, and slot my outer (left port and right starboard) tailpipes prolly about 3/16" and clock them inward 1 1/2" at the rear to get them to point at my existing holes. I'd rather do this than have to recut the transom.

I took the k planes apart and got them primed. Hope to get them and the transom painted by Saturday. We'll see...
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psafix9xcg.jpg

Got the transom pretty close. Hope to prime it tomorrow...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psxozbt9av.jpg


http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pss459s1uj.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psrdxkh1im.jpg

Got the k planes test mounted

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psd7umq96m.jpg

Got the K Planes painted and the transom finally painted. We decided to paint the engine accessories and exhaust manifolds, as well as the engines and probably intakes too. The manifolds powder coating was peeling pretty bad.

We're still waiting on the engines. My engine guy had some howards cams custom ground. They're not back yet. We're still waiting on them. We're supposed to go to the gulf this Thursday. We'll see how that goes...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psjvjb1msc.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pstfp4lxyi.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pszkuigiuk.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psyw7tw3eb.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psp2j462d4.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psjhukljcn.jpg

Coming along real nice! Sucks working on it in the summer though when you should be out using it! I know what that's like as mine is also dry docked this summer :(

Thanks brother. Yeah it's no fun being down in the summer. We had planned to have it together for this weekend to carry to gulf shores. Still waiting on the engines. The cams and valve springs are still not in yet. My engine guy called today and said he was finally able to get in touch with howards cams. Apparently they grind your cam when you order it, and they are completely out of the blanks to grind.

He's hoping to get the parts in the next 7 to 10 days and I'll have the motors shortly afterwards.

Engines finally back...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pspbi0pluw.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psxjg7z6zt.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psiexnpxun.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psx6b2nkfn.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psanuouqod.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pssw1pqjed.jpg

Got the other engine painted. These engines are completely new parts minus the bare blocks and naked heads. We upgraded the valves to more durable units, scat rotating assemblies, 489 c.i. On a .030 over bore. Howards roller cams, forgot spec, will get that and post it here. Roller rockers. I bought some used Gil exhaust. I'm excited to see the change in performance. Forgive me for going crazy with the paint gun. I just can't help myself. Hope to get manifolds painted, and motors on boat this weekend...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psgs9f9fxw.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psn8yqndtf.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pswqtvrcws.jpg

Starting over with new hour meters...
http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps0j6hjrrv.jpg

We finally got the exhaust manifolds painted. The powder coating was peeling and was quite a pain to feather edge. I'm not a big fan of powder coating except for certain things. It's kinda like srayable Bedliner. People seem to want to use that stuff on everything, but when it peels it's an act of congress to remove.
Hope to put the boat in some water Friday or Saturday...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psdsgnvynf.png

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...pslsgrwmaw.png

She Lives!!...

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...psugbcyqrz.jpg

Awesome, awesome, awesome!! So jealous of how much space you have in front of your engines! :)

Looking real good man!

Thanks, I was afraid we may have used too many different colors. The white on the pulleys is a tri coat pearl color. Shines bright in the sun. It took longer to get the engine in the boat than I had planned. Hope to be in the water Tuesday.

Got the left side going last night. Ill be glad when this thing is done lol. Another late night. Hopefully today we'll be in the water.

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps3ymfinln.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps4qlcjp1n.mp4

did you use roller lifters or flat tappet? what horsepower are you thinking.

Hydraulic rollers, and still running the 750 holleys. Engine guy was thinking 550 maybe more with a bigger carb?

We took it out tuesday and had a little problem with the right transmission. Turns out the cable shift adjustment was a little off. I hope we didn't damage the transmission. We plan to take it back out this afternoon. From what little bit I throttled it I could tell it's gonna be a whole different boat. Probably won't be able to go full throttle til we get hydraulic steering. Here's both motors idling yesterday...

https://youtu.be/HlY0xUMLxOI

Turns out the right transmission is damaged. It slips and has very dirty fluid now.

This is the same transmission that was on the engine that was dropped. The case was cracked in the fall so I swapped all the internals out to another good case that I had. Apparently something did not go right. We will be pulling the starboard engine and transmission out again and sending the trans back off to KC transmission in Washington state.

:(

are they Merc trans missions or Velvet drives?

They are merctrans II

Upgrade to the BW! I got two good running ones that you can have cheap!!

Well boys lets try this again. Transmission is back. Engine/Transmission mated, hanging in the air. Plan to put back in the boat tomorrow. Might have this going by Thanksgiving. :lolhit:

And no Jim, I don't want your borg warners! :angry-smiley-038:

What a bummer sorry that happened. Not questioning your knowledge just wanted to make sure you realize you can not hear detonation in a boat.