HAVING PROBLEMS , PLEASE HELP.

[Eric455]

hi, my name is Eric i have a 21' day cruiser with a berkely pump i have no idea what impeller i'm turning and have no idea when the pump was last rebuilt. now, i love jetboats because they are safe and pretty fast at top end speeds. the engine is a 455 olds. i turned rod bearings twice in 4 months. i dont rev it high. i have not gone above 4500 rpms and was wondering if it could be from my pump that i'm having problems with engine or just the way the engine is being built? this time i am having the crank new (sizes at 10. 10.) hardened with oil restrictors, high volume oil pump with 10 qrt oil pan. i just wounder how come other people run their 455 olds engine for 10-15 years with no problem and i turn rods in 4 months. please help me PLEASE. thank you. i can be reached at 818-563-2005- california, or e-mail me back. thank you very much FOR ASNY INFO. i am 20 years old and doing this for a hobby so i dont get into trouble or any kind of bad stuff.
thanx, Eric.

[propless]

My first boat was a Kona 18' jet with a 455. This engine created problems for me from the onset, and spinning bearings was the major issue.
I eventually installed a rev limiter to keep me from running excessive rpm's while hitting wakes or running in rough water (I was stunned the number of times that rev limiter engaged, because I also felt that I was not hitting high rpm's) - that helped I know. I then installed the 10 quart oil pan and a beefed up oil pumped - that helped. Ran the boat for two full seasons and felt my luck was about to run out and sold it for a fraction of what I pumped into it. It's been Chevy from there out with no experience with a hemi or Ford motor.
If I had it to do over again, I honestly would have removed the 455 and started with a fresh Chevy. Why? The time spent working on the boat, the money I spent to keep it running and trouble shooting, and the weekends of not being able to boat.
Best of luck and if you elect to keep the 455, your proceeding in the right direction, but seriously consider a rev limiter -

[GlastronGuy]

I believe anyone that runs a 455 needs Joe Mondello's Technical Reference Manual. It is chock full of good information. The 455 is notorious for it's oiling problems. The thing is, it's an easy fix but one that has to be done with the motor torn down. In other words, it's best accomplished during a build. http://www.mondellotwister.com/CatTechAcc.htm
[This message has been edited by GlastronGuy (edited June 09, 2002).]

[Torino Jet]

I'll tell you, this board has got me very scarred. I was planning on rebuilding the engine, but now I don't know. I've had my boat for 7 years, and the motor was in it years before that. I've never had a problem w/ my 455 once. The only problem I had was a full throttle back-fire that was finally traced to a bad timing advance. I have a performer intake, holley 850, and a MSD ingition. Still has the stock 5 quart oil pan, and except for the constant oil leaks, no complaints. According to my tach and GPS, I'm running 59 mph @ 4000 rpm. Everybody tells me that my rpm is too low, so my tach must be off. Not the fastest boat around, but I feel fast for its state of tune.

[Eric455]

WHERE DO YOU LIVE I WOULD LOVE TO GO FOR A RIDE WITH YOU ON THE BOAT. NOT THAT I DONT BELEIVE YOU JUST THAT I WANT TO SEE HOW YOU DO IT. I'M IN SO CALIFORNIA

[mrgoslow]

i ran an olds w/ no problems. 6 qt pan, performer intake, 700 cfm holley, comp 490/280 cam, balanced w/ an oil cooler. with the cooler, i gained oil pressure and preheated the water for my block. i would recommend a cooler. i yanked out the olds for bigger power but its getting put back in a vintage flat bottom jet w a cooler.
if you want longevity for your olds, make sure your crank is clearanced for a boat, get a good pump from mondello, put on an oil cooler and tap the back of your heads & block and connect to help oil drain back down (ask mondello)
happy jettin

[AGGRESSOR JETS]

Don't look to your impeller (assuming all is right) Impellers load is constant, vs Prop load. It will show itself by the rpm pull-Hi or Low will be constant, smooth and easer on a motor than prop by a long shot. Dave

[cyclone]

Have you had the rods checked or resized? They could be part of the problem.

[Old Guy]

No one has mentioned oil. I recommend Mobil 1 15-50 synthetic oil. Also after a run, pull the dipstick and smell the oil. If it smells like gas, you need to find out why. Oil diluted with gas will cause bearings to spin. Been there. Done that.
old

[Wet Dream]

Ok, after reading your posts on this 455 for the last month or so, you need to realize that these 455's are not rockets. They can only handle short bursts or high revs. Even with the 10qt pan. Without the proper work inside, they will come unglued at revs sustained over 5000. What rod bolts do you have? Get ARP's if you sustain 5000+. Has your crank been checked for trueness? Maybe it needs to be turned or polished. Everytime you blow one, do you have it hot tanked to get rid of any residual crap? That will tear your bearings up. Do you always find that its #7 and #8 rods bearings that are going? You can get an Olds to crank 650 horse and 6000+ revs, but you can't try to do that without the preps.
I use a standard oil pump and can still pump my 9qt dry in a matter of time. Cruise around 3300 rpm, and blast when necessary. Just because they go fast, doesn't mean you have to do it all the time.