455 or 454

[jet guy]

I just bought a 69 tahiti and it has a 350 olds that wont cut it. So I need a big block but bbo or bbc I have the mounts and logs for the olds the question is is the 454 worth money to change mounts and logs and everything I havent thought of yet I know the chevy parts are cheaper and easer to get but is it worth the money to change

[Mr. Crusader 83]

Do you like building engine over and over?
If you do. get an olds.:D

[Some Kind Of Monster]

I just bought a 69 tahiti and it has a 350 olds that wont cut it. So I need a big block but bbo or bbc I have the mounts and logs for the olds the question is is the 454 worth money to change mounts and logs and everything I havent thought of yet I know the chevy parts are cheaper and easer to get but is it worth the money to change
I don't think you will find a single person on here that will tell you to go with an Olds over a Chev or Ford. Chev mounts and exhaust are easy to find and you won't regret it. Olds motors are subject to oiling issues in a jet boat and if you want to wring it's neck (as most of us do) you will need to do extensive mods to an Olds or just go with a Chevy or Ford.

[Cas]

it really depends on what you want to do with the boat. I ran a stock Olds with a stock oil pan and no internal mods whatsoever for 11 years without any problems. It lived most of it's life pulling skiers with an occasional wide open throttle run. It tached out around 4700 turning an A impeller which it never saw for more than about 15-20 seconds at a time.

[76ANTHONY]

I just bought a 69 tahiti and it has a 350 olds that wont cut it. So I need a big block but bbo or bbc I have the mounts and logs for the olds the question is is the 454 worth money to change mounts and logs and everything I havent thought of yet I know the chevy parts are cheaper and easer to get but is it worth the money to change
it really depends on what you wanna use the boat for and the deals on engines you find. if you want to run like a raped ape all the time, get a chevy or ford, if your just cruisin all the time with an occasional rip now and then, then get the olds if you can find one cheap. just my thoughts, and i have an olds with NOOOO oiling problems, but i did sum work to it when i pulled it out to rebuild the boat when i first bought it.:D

[jet guy]

What do mounts, drive coupling and logs go for and what am I forgeting

[jet guy]

I like to ski and haul glass around the lake

[76ANTHONY]

What do mounts, drive coupling and logs go for and what am I forgeting
well if you want speed then go with the cheby. look on ebay and there are a grip of peeps on here sellin mounts and stuff for ya. ironman has got one of the most trick bbc rail kits i have ever seen. he may be able ta sell ya the one he has or build you one. and look in your local craigslist for a 454 engine or recycler, they arent cheap but well worth it. i think you will be much better off with chevy's 454 than an olds because ya wanna gofast boat. just my .02:D

[TahitiTiger]

I have a 455 olds in my 72 Tahiti. And for 3 years it has been a turn key boat. But I also did my research and built the motor right. On that note, from what I can tell 454, and 460 parts are a lot easier to obtain than 455. Everyone and there brother suppoprts the Chevy and the Fordl, where there are a select few that do 455.
I myself like the 455, and see nothing wrong with it. My dream is to some day put a blown 455 in my Tahiti, Just to be different :D To many blown chevys and fords.

[n8dawg]

I bought my boat 4 yrs ago with an 455 Olds with the idea that if it blows up I wont fix it, I'll just by a chevy! 4 yrs later I'm still running the Olds!
It's not the fastest but it's never let me stranded. If I were starting from scratch I'd have to go Chevy all the way!!!!!!

[v-drive]

real simple answer. 454

[southwind racer]

Get a 454. I have an olds and blew it after 30 years on it last year. Good engine if its stock, but any horsepower requires money and someone to know what to do to make it work. I was convinced by my old man to rebuild it and took it to Mondello. They did a shitty job, it ended up spinning a bearing again the second trip on FC in October, I sent it back to them and they said they replaced the part and rebalanced it. I suppose in the end it will run hard, but this quote sums it up:
"Do you like building engine over and over?
If you do. get an olds."
Really wish I would have went 454:
* More quality parts at less expensive price for BBC. Can't stress this one enough...good parts are hard to find and are very expensive.
* More experienced engine builders locally for BBC for less $$$. You really need to tweek an olds to get the oil system right, with restrictors and whatnot.
* BBC has a stronger bottom end, you should see the bearing caps on an OLDS.

[malcolm]

I like the 455 just to hear the Chevy and Ford guys whine. :D I went from the small block Olds to the 455 and don't regret it. It runs good enough for me. Some guys on this board love to spend your money for you, so be carefull if you want to do this on a budget. ;)

[Taylorman]

I love my 455. If i were starting from scratch, 454 would be my choice, however, since i have a 455, i don't see much reason to spend the cash to switch. I built the engine and its still going strong and it was the first engine build i had ever done. I can't understand how poeple blow engines two or three times and give up and buy a 454. I keep my rpms below 5000, run oil restrictors, external oil lines and a good oil pan. No problems yet, knock on wood. It pushes my Taylor to 73 at 4800 rpms. New heads are in the near future, should get me to 75-80.

[jungledave]

I just bought a 69 tahiti and it has a 350 olds that wont cut it. So I need a big block but bbo or bbc I have the mounts and logs for the olds the question is is the 454 worth money to change mounts and logs and everything I havent thought of yet I know the chevy parts are cheaper and easer to get but is it worth the money to changeI have a 76 sleek with the original hardin marine 455 with 723 hours 0n it. When I pulled it out last august I was amazed to see steel head gaskets and just abot every hole in the head clogged and it ran great. It took me a little bit of research to prove to myself that this olds has never been apart. I cleaned out the block and heads and put it back together. It has all the right numbers and parts to be th original engine. I will run it at 5100 rpm for a mile and will run it at 4500 rpm fort ten minutes, it is tough, BUT it doesn't make enough power to blow itself up since it is only abot a 365 horse motor. I am currently building a long rod 454 for my other Kauai. The olds is starting to smoke but will make it through the summer. If you have access to a cheap 455 I would stick with your olds stuff but if you are going to buy a block then deffinately go with the 454. I know where there are about 6 425olds.

[kcsteck]

Im with Taylorman! my 76 Tahiti boat came with 455 ,Oil restrictors,ARP rod bolts,14 qt pan. Runs strong as hell! turns 5k RPM although I dont hold it there for more then 10 secs,just long enough to blow by some chevys and fords! If I knew what I know now , I would have only bought a boat with a Chevy for sure! But 455 aint as bad as everyone says. There only as good as the people who build them or run them beyond there capabilties. Great for pullin skiers,tubes and the ocasional blast across the lake throwin the monster rooster. Howerever If I was in your shoes and needed a big block, id go with chevy and get all the mounting stuff again thru deals on ebay.my 02 cents.Id sell you my turn key 461 BB OLds with all the mounting ,Headers,etc!
and ill go get the chevy. or hell you can buy my whole boat!lol
Casey

[pw_Tony]

Get happy and original with a 440:devil:

[jet guy]

Thanks for the help I need to think about as for the builder Ive build a bunch of engines and also a build jet engines for a livin I also know a guy that is better than great so I dont think that will be a problem just is it worth the time and money thanks again any info is helpful

[76ANTHONY]

Thanks for the help I need to think about as for the builder Ive build a bunch of engines and also a build jet engines for a livin I also know a guy that is better than great so I dont think that will be a problem just is it worth the time and money thanks again any info is helpful
olds isnt your typical rebuild bro, if your going with a 455 do your reasearch, it will save you thousands of dollars and 20 or so tows:D

[YeLLowBoaT]

get a 455....
PONTIAC.( I've got a 421 ho in mine...)
since your going to have to buy a motor anyways, I would look for a 454 or a 460. I lean towards the 460, but its really 6 one way half dozen the other.

[jet guy]

[QUOTE][olds isnt your typical rebuild bro, if your going with a 455 do your reasearch, it will save you thousands of dollars and 20 or so tows
/QUOTE]
what is so diffrent about the olds build i know there some differance as with all engines piston or turbine as long you are clean and watch what you are doing the rest is just stacking nuts and bolts in the right order

[malcolm]

There are many tricks and practices that will keep a 455 together. Go to realoldspower.com and do some research. They even have a boat section. ;)

[Saab]

It's a pretty simple answer, go with the chevy. Finding parts doesnt become an issue until you really need a part. I have a buddy who went to havasu two years ago for a week, first day on the water blew the motor, over-rev. Put it on the trailer and went to a junkyard, found a 3/4 ton pickup with a big block and threw the top end on his shortblock. Spent the rest of the week running the boat and had no problems. Not to mention you can get a gasket kit for a bbc at any autoparts store anywhere. If you already have the exhaust for olds and motor plates, try and sell em in spam, or ebay. You can find some used headers or thru-T for a bbc pretty easy between 300-500 bux. Not to mention the chevy doesnt have oiling issues, is easier to turn into a high HP setup. You can also make a rail kit pretty easy to save some money with pretty basic tools. I almost bought a tahiti with a 455, and it was gonna be a "run it till it blows" type thing, or for the season, then switch to a BBC. Now is the time for you to do the chevy, money is an issue to me, its a very big issue, but there is money spent, and MONEY WELL SPENT. I'd rather spend a lil more doing it right the first time, than in a year wish I went with something different. And If you do build the olds just put wingnuts on the #7 rod :D

[76ANTHONY]

There are many tricks and practices that will keep a 455 together. Go to realoldspower.com and do some research. They even have a boat section. ;)
yep, best place ta find all the rebuilding ins and outs, i did it 2 years ago and havent had a problem with my engine at all...i like the torque in my 455 and it was with the boat when i bought it, i rebuilt it cause i rebuilt the entire boat. but if you find a deal on an engine, no matter what get it and get out there on the water...i just made mine look good, its basiclly stock with a huge cam and some olds upgrades and a tunnel ram...:D

[pw_Tony]

Get a Ford... take a look, http://home.earthlink.net/~kaneofthenation/highflowdynamics/id15.html :D :D :D

[widowmaker]

If you don't have to spend a dime on the olds run it. I blew up the olds 455's, even with mondello's help. Then I bought a chevy.

[76ANTHONY]

Get a Ford... take a look, http://home.earthlink.net/~kaneofthenation/highflowdynamics/id15.html :D :D :D
DAM, THAT MADE FOR SOME GOOD READING:D

[Saab]

http://www.***boat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145915
can anyone say "cheap parts"?

[southwind racer]

Thanks for the help I need to think about as for the builder Ive build a bunch of engines and also a build jet engines for a livin I also know a guy that is better than great so I dont think that will be a problem just is it worth the time and money thanks again any info is helpful
If you don't have to spend a dime on the olds run it. I blew up the olds 455's, even with mondello's help. Then I bought a chevy.
Mondello puts out a very good book for building 455's . It goes over all the tricks in assembly and parts. However I haven't had a good experience with Mondello assembling the engine. I had my enigne done last summer and it was a horrible experience. They set it up with the wrong clearences the first time after blue printing it(.011 on the crank!) and I took it back to them. They assembled it and I don't think they redid the clearences because it spun a bearing on the second trip. Took it back again and I just ran it 2 weekends ago and it started blowing oil through the valve cover vent and dipstick, I'll be posting to figure out why that might happen.

[jet guy]

thanks for the help i have a lot of think about and the info helps allot

[Psycho Squid]

I ran an Olds 455 that was blown and ran in the 6500 rpm range for 3 years. Took a grip of money and it cost 5 engines before I figuired it out.Parts are getting rare for the old Olds. Good memories though and she built a shit load of torque.........Even killed quite a few chevys.....Looking for a few pics to post. One thing I will say, I sure got alot of complements and most people thought it was a small block chevy due to the small valve covers.:D

[Hillbilly]

What kind heads do you have on it:idea:

[455Rocket]

It's a tough decision... rebuilding the olds has everything to do with finding the right person... Knowing what the hell they're doing. I redid mine and it turned out to be a great boat... but i just wanted a cruser
If i did my old boat all over again I would buy another boat with a fresh 454 and swap... (I moved up instead) that way you have everything you need for sure

[Saab]

I ran an Olds 455 that was blown and ran in the 6500 rpm range for 3 years. Took a grip of money and it cost 5 engines before I figuired it out.Parts are getting rare for the old Olds. Good memories though and she built a shit load of torque.........Even killed quite a few chevys.....Looking for a few pics to post. One thing I will say, I sure got alot of complements and most people thought it was a small block chevy due to the small valve covers.:D
Thats gotta make for a good weekend, race someone and blow their doors off (do boats have doors? :D ) , and your motor... "I WAS BEATING YOU TILL THE SUM BITCH BLEW UP!!" then drink all the way floating back to the trailer. Man fun just isnt what it used to be. I'd like to build an engine once, and have confidence it will last a season without spinning a bearing or blowing oil out of every orifice if it turns more than 4k rpm. But hey what jet boat needs to spin more than 4k?:idea: The 468 in my boat has been in there 10 years, 9:1, and i run 91 pump gas, it turns 5500 all day long no oil puking, no noises. and you dont have to find the "right guy" to build it.

[southwind racer]

I think everyone has pretty much summed it up...get a 454!

[Psycho Squid]

Thats gotta make for a good weekend, race someone and blow their doors off (do boats have doors? :D ) , and your motor... "I WAS BEATING YOU TILL THE SUM BITCH BLEW UP!!" then drink all the way floating back to the trailer. Man fun just isnt what it used to be. I'd like to build an engine once, and have confidence it will last a season without spinning a bearing or blowing oil out of every orifice if it turns more than 4k rpm. But hey what jet boat needs to spin more than 4k?:idea: The 468 in my boat has been in there 10 years, 9:1, and i run 91 pump gas, it turns 5500 all day long no oil puking, no noises. and you dont have to find the "right guy" to build it.Word.........:D

[n8dawg]

I ran an Olds 455 that was blown and ran in the 6500 rpm range for 3 years. Took a grip of money and it cost 5 engines before I figuired it out.Parts are getting rare for the old Olds. Good memories though and she built a shit load of torque.........Even killed quite a few chevys.....Looking for a few pics to post. One thing I will say, I sure got alot of complements and most people thought it was a small block chevy due to the small valve covers.:D
I'd like to see some/alot of pics of that blown 455. That sounds pretty badass! Pics, specs, and more pics!!!:D

[Psycho Squid]

I'd like to see some/alot of pics of that blown 455. That sounds pretty badass! Pics, specs, and more pics!!!:DSorry had a busy day will find and post'em in the morning.

[396_WAYS_TO_SPIT]

I ran olds back in the day. I blew up 2 of them before the last one was strong. We ran the schit out of it @ 4900r's.
Now I run chevys and they are faster and cheaper to build. Not to mention that you get more HP for a cheaper $ amount;)

[boatgonewild]

I have a 454 with some work done to it :) ,, just love it, getting ready to get another boat 86, scorpion bad thing is has a blown motor..... 455:(

[MADDOG355]

My Howard had a cracked 455 0lds when I got it, bought a used motor for $125 installed some oil restricted pushrods, and ran the snot out of it all season (incliding a few 5+ mile runs at wide open. The down fall of the motor was I got carried away with the timing over that winter and bent a con rod. first trip out next season.
Bought another 455 (was still in the Delta 88 when I paid $250 for it). droped it right in the Howard (no big pan or oil mods/restrictors). This is it's 2nd season with no problems. BUT, Wide open runs require a close eye on the oil pressure!
That is 3 seasons for a motor investment of $375. If you want to do alot of wide open passes Deal with the oil issues.
I agree with Malcolm and 76 about going to realoldspower.
Now the other side is. I know a guy that blew his 454 mid season went and bought a 502 crate motor from GM, Changed the cam and installed a 177 blower (max boost is about 6 psi) and a 10 quart pan 5 years later it is still going strong.

[jet guy]

thanks for input what are the most useful mods to be done. thanks to all for input

[camoman]

thanks for input what are the most useful mods to be done. thanks to all for input
Change over to a cheby or a ford:confused:

[Tripfusion]

I have taken over my fathers '70 Schiada, (which he had since '71) for a complete overhaul, pulled the motor, and my son is going to do a complete rebuild while at school at UTI (Universal Technical Institute) in Phoenix. I will see if they are familiar with a good rebuild on an Olds. The instructor has been teaching motor rebuilds for quite some time and apparently knows the 455. I'm gonna run the original rebuilt in this beast. This boat had been used constant for 10 yrs but unfortunately sat for 26 years in AZ w/ no use, and on tear down the only show of wear is #'s 3 & 4, but all others looked perfect. I like original but if needed would prob go with a 454. But thats a hard descision.:idea:

[hang tight]

I just bought a 69 tahiti and it has a 350 olds that wont cut it. So I need a big block but bbo or bbc I have the mounts and logs for the olds the question is is the 454 worth money to change mounts and logs and everything I havent thought of yet I know the chevy parts are cheaper and easer to get but is it worth the money to change
Build the Chevy , it has a better future. Olds has good torque but that's about it. There is more verity of things to do with the BBC