Hey,
I have a a 1976 18'10" Sanger Bubble deck. It's seems to be a bit of a odd-ball as it has a Hardin Marine 455 Olds rated at 390 HP (at least that's what it says on the valve covers...) mated to a 10 degree Casale running 12% over gears(38T over 34T). Most V-Drives I read about here have BBC power. The boat spins a Federal Nibral 12 x 15.5 three blade. Eldebrock Torquer manifold and Holley 850. I use the boat for skiing and pleasure boating and has been a delight in over 15 years of ownership. The motor was rebuit prior to my purchase by the original owner but I don't know what all was done to it or what parts installed. I know it did cost upwards of $2,500.00 at the time it was done (1983).
The motor runs a single points distributor, the original I suspect. I would like to change this over to a MSD/HEI type unit for better spark and more reliablity. The trouble is all I ever see advertised are for BBC set-ups. Are these ignitions interchangeable with the Olds 455 or do I require a unique Olds MSD/HEI? What kind of results should I expect with the changeover?
Could I just go to my local wrecking yard and pick one out of a newer Olds product?
Thanks,
T