Phebus,
Thanks for the kudos on the logo, I have been trying to come up with something for a while, it looks cool on a navy blue shirt too......it's chrome.
As far as the 502/502, the above staement is correct, balancing is not necessary for a boat, they are pretty close. But they are VERY dirty. I have personally seen a bunch of debris go through the bearings on dyno, after the motor was gently broken in. All I am saying is, a few extra hours of labor now, is way worth the time and energy. I always pull apart GM crate motors. One more thing, I know a bunch of guys that never pull them apart, and have NOT had many problems at all. Something to consider........................