Mopar Power

[AngryJosh]

I posted this in Gearheads, but anyways...
I need some thoughts on running bigblock mopar power in my boat. I would love to be traditional and run a chevy or ford, but I like Mopar...
That being said, I would like honest opinions, and pros and cons to running a 440 or greater bigblock mopar.Anybody have experience with this?
In case it matters its a 20ft liberator tunnel hull
Thanks

[Moneypitt]

Sure you can, some do quite sucessfully. However I think you will find the marine hardware alot harder to find and more expensive when you do find it. My son has a 383 in a jetboat, runs great, plenty of power, but without the headstart of having most of the stuff from a previous boat it would've been tough and expensive.. For that reason, you don't see near as many Mopars in boats as Chevys and Fords, and of course the 455 Oldsmobiles. ....MP

[maxwedge]

Yep it's probably close to twice as expensive to build by the time you add everything up and you can't get every widget in the world for it like you can for a Chevy. It's going to be harder to find the marine hardware for it, like mounts, exhaust, etc, than it is for Chevy/Ford/Olds but then that's what they invented fabrication for, right? On the other hand there is more performace stuff for availible for Mopar than for say an Olds, and that stuff pretty much transfers over from the automotive market anyway. I think if you have the starting point already, and want something original and don't mind spending extra to get it, go for it! But then, my user name is maxwedge, so I might be Mopar biased.:)

[wsuwrhr]

There are a couple guys here that have Dodges in boats. I am a Mopar nut. I took an Olds out of my jet and put a 440 in it. I bought a Hondo V-drive last year that I am putting together and aluminum INDY 547 for it.
In my opinion they run real well. Due to the stroke, plenty of torque also.
I own a CNC machine shop I build everything to put a Dodge in a boat.
Front and rear motormounts, water exit plates, PTO adapter.
Twice as expensive to build?
Come on
Brian

[wsuwrhr]

Headers from Rewarder or Basset WERE more money, but they never had them in stock, so I bought some draster headers from Headman that work real well, and they are different from everything else out there.
Funny, I never saw boats with upswept headers and after I did mine semmed like more people were using them.
Took away from the originality.
Brian

[wsuwrhr]

http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/63547ci.jpg

[wsuwrhr]

http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/63avi5-med.jpg

[napabob]

I posted this in Gearheads, but anyways...
I need some thoughts on running bigblock mopar power in my boat. I would love to be traditional and run a chevy or ford, but I like Mopar...
That being said, I would like honest opinions, and pros and cons to running a 440 or greater bigblock mopar.Anybody have experience with this?
In case it matters its a 20ft liberator tunnel hull
Thanks
AngryJosh,
I have a project thread for a 1958 392 HEMI on 'Banderlog', ditto on both previous responses. I have seen images of more early HEMI's in boats than the 440. There is also a thread on the v-drive section titled 'Nostalgic race boats', images posted by Dave Sammons show a couple of boats with HEMI's.
I also know a boater out of Texas that had a 426 HEMI in his Spectra 20. He sold it, and is looking for a bigger boat.
http://www.banderlog.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2143&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
USMC
69-71

[napabob]

Another HEMI project:
http://www.banderlog.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2209

[wsuwrhr]

Rex marine also has rear motor mounts for the Dodge Big blocks
Brian

[wsuwrhr]

Reactor Products Flywheel back (http://reactorproducts.com/images/Mopar1306Back.jpg)
Reactor Products Flywheel front (http://reactorproducts.com/images/Mopar1306Front.jpg)
You will need some specialized peices, but everything you need is available.
Now a couple guys on here have good points about Reactor products,
so listen to what they have to say, and make your own choice.
Brian

[riverbound]

AngryJosh,
I have a project thread for a 1958 392 HEMI on 'Banderlog', ditto on both previous responses. I have seen images of more early HEMI's in boats than the 440. There is also a thread on the v-drive section titled 'Nostalgic race boats', images posted by Dave Sammons show a couple of boats with HEMI's.
I also know a boater out of Texas that had a 426 HEMI in his Spectra 20. He sold it, and is looking for a bigger boat.
http://www.banderlog.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=2143&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0
USMC
69-71
I looked at buying that boat....the timing wasnt right for me :(
http://www2.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10895&stc=1
http://www2.***boat.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=10896&stc=1

[wsuwrhr]

The Summit catalog on page 60 has Hedman Hustler headers that I used. Basically they are an upswept dragster header.
You probably will have to run mufflers or add water injection. The are really loud and hot dry. haha.
Water injection will be tricky with those headers because cylinder tubes 1 and 2 don't have much "drop", so you could probably do a couple things, add water a little farther back and drill small weep holes in each tube and you would be good to go.
My boat has pretty high gunnels so the exhaust doesn't get very good cooling. I will be changing that this year. Your liberator isn't very high, so you probably won't have that problem.
Brian

[maxwedge]

Twice as expensive to build?
Come on
Brian
Ok, it probably helps if you own a friggin machine shop! LOL :crossx:

[Kindsvater Flat]

No comment on mopar. :rolleyes: