Performance Boats Forum banner

Big block chevy or big block ford!!!!

10K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  compression355 
#1 ·
I started to redo my 1975 sleeckcraft 23ft... She has a olds 455... was going to build a bbc this winter for her,, then i was talking to buddy in town and he said i should put a Big bock ford inn her... big bore,, short stroke...... I did work inn a machine shop for a short time,,,,Just me and the owner,,, and he was a ford guy when it came to truck pulling motors... But i trying to how they are inn a jet boat....650hp would be nice..... unless you are the guy who flip his skater on the mississippi river this weekend that had twin mercury"s on the back... but seriously hope you are ok ...
 
#2 ·
i am a total ford guy and when i was lookin for my boat every one told me to get a chevy because the parts are cheaper and easier to get. any auto parts store has em. so i got a chevy i am very pleased. i have soon to find out that the 454 is like 150 pound lighter then the ford. thats alot of weight! again i am a ford guy but i would put a chevy in
 
#6 ·
i am a total ford guy and when i was lookin for my boat every one told me to get a chevy because the parts are cheaper and easier to get. any auto parts store has em. so i got a chevy i am very pleased. i have soon to find out that the 454 is like 150 pound lighter then the ford. thats alot of weight! again i am a ford guy but i would put a chevy in
Actually you aren't. You probably claim to be a heterosexual too.


S CP ;)
 
#8 ·
Well to stay on the cheap side of things.....drop the domi carb use an 850....stay closer to 508" ( .060 over-bore stay away from .080" over with an off-set ground 4.14" crank) use a mech flat tappet and good heads. (IMO)

You can swap out the heads or the cam for power, but mech rollers come at a cost the alumi heads save 80 lbs.

I wonder what Paul would use if he could only use one of the two, good heads or the roller?

S CP :)bulb
 
#7 ·
I started to redo my 1975 sleeckcraft 23ft... ..
I looked at one of those for a friend a while back.........it had a 460 in it, I told him if he was going to rebuild it to save up a few bucks and get a stroker kit for it. build something from 508" to 540" pretty easy. Offset stock stroker with a 4.14" stoke the kits are pretty inexpensive. Check with Paul at Highflow.

S CP :D
 
#11 ·
You have enough chevy haters in here, so rather than telling you to go chevy, ill tell you either one will be fine. Id go looking for parts first, headers, mounts, etc. Whichever parts are easier to find that's the way Id go, assuming you are indifferent.
 
#12 ·
X2. Don't be blinded by a label, just make good decisions. You can make that kind of power with either, and probably for about the same money. If you're converting from one to another, that's where extra cost will come in. Branad loyalty is huge with some people and that's cool, but sometimes it foggs the lines between necessary expense, and un-necessary cost.
JMO.
 
#13 ·
You can probably put together either motor to satisfy your needs for about the same price. Usually for me it is the availability of mounts and headers, etc. I have typically found more used Chevy stuff but again, go with what you can find. Both motors run good. Good luck with it!
 
#14 ·
thanks to ALL

THANK FOR ALL THE INPUT... ALOT OF different ideas out there,,, i was thinking blower too,, but thats just more problems to happen.... im hoping to make this a pretty sweet ride... have alot of fiberglass to do with the floor and stingers to replace alot of rot... i probably should sell the motor and crush the boat for the $350.00 i payed for it... seat where all rotted and floor was rot,, but hell for 36 years old what do u want......
 

Attachments

#17 ·
wow, the junk people want to build or redo today amazes me. I would cut the focker up and get something decent. but then again, im drunk and dont know shiat!!!!!![/QUOTE]

Drunk or not, that's a hell of a project to undertake. He might want to think twice about that :)bulb

S CP :D
 
#19 ·
The best advise given on this thread so far is the "Big cubic inch/Big impeller", one. The Olds will never do it properly for that big of a boat. There are two ways I'd decide on which engine to use. 1. Availability of parts. 2. Divide the weight of the motor by the number of HP you will be getting out of the engine;
( HP/LB ). The most HP per LB. will give the best results.

Good Luck! That looks like a huge project.

I have some other ideas you might want to hear. Give me a PM if interested.

Duane HTP
 
#20 ·
Congratulations on your new project , looks like a huge undertaking as said but the work should be enjoyable and the folks here are eager to help and advise , wont get to deep into the Ford /Chevy debate abiss , we build them al,l heres a shot of a now "blank canvas" that recently looked like your beginings for some encoragement Good Luck Tom

 
#21 ·
olds motor

i dont know alot about it yet,,, i know it has 2 different heads on it....has a C head...and a K head....i did fire it up...ran fresh gas from small gas can and ran it for a few mins...the carb on it was a holley 1850-2 600cfm...the gaskets were all dry and it was leaking....i was shock it started and ran....:D.....ez im up inn the dubuque area
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top