I have a beautiful ( to me ) 73 tahiti jetboat it came with a berkeley pump and a 455 olds in parts. The engine needed rods and pistons and a lot of machine work also the heads need rebuilt. So i bought an engine from a person on this site and unfortunately when i got it home the block had frozen and it obvioisly was seized and it spun a bearing. NOW THAT WAS AN EXPENSIVE PAPERWEIGHT!! HA!:frown:
My question is what engine would be the best for me I'm no speed demon I just like to pull a tube and ride and have a cool one! Y'know?
I have seen a lot of dissin' the olds 455 on here, so what engine would give the least trouble , most reliabilty, ease of maintanance, etc? I have a kickass mustang GT so i like the ford marque but I'll take all suggestions under advisement
Thanks, Tommy in tennessee
If ya like the Fords, you can't hardly go wrong with a 429 or 460. Lots of guys running them and they hold up well. I'm real happy with mine. In stock form they'll last for a real long time. Lots of them available in older cars n trucks if you're looking for a core to build.
If not that, then it'd have to be the 454 BBC.
Thats exactly the type of info I'm looking for thanks !
Any more suggestions?
BB Chevys and there parts seem to be all over the place. I'm sure ya could score something used for a fair price. The other thing to consider is the cost for the needed extras such as exhaust, starter, motor mounts etc. However those parts are around also.
Chevy parts are like Dog poo, seems like there everywhere.
But then again the cost of a new motor chevy/ford and the extras needed could very well be more than what it may take to rebuild your 455. My brother cant seem to kill his...it just keeps going.
i have a 455 olds in my 1976 sanger super jet same motor as day 1. just keep the oil changed
For rec use you would be fine but i still would say any bbc or bbf(429-460)would be the optimum choice.Since these motors are more capale of higher rpm safely(5k plus)
I would stick with what you have, or in the same engine family. I had a 350 OLDS in my first jet and a 455 in my cruzer. Both motors were very reliable and ran great. If you are planning on a future performance engine the OLDS is not the way to go, but stock parts are resonable and the junk yards are full these beasts. Swapping engines can get costly and it takes time to find all the hardware.
Don't let these guys dis your 455 they are great engines and with some well spent $$$$ actually better than a chevy , the block is higher in nickle content and is VERY tough ..... also VERY heavy , my buddies 455 was the baddest thing on the river till the hull rotted ! $$$$$$$ is your challenge here !
Ok , I DO have all the hardware and plumbing for the olds. I'm not looking at making gobs of horsepower probably.. ever! so what do i do to make it as RELIABLE as i can during the buildup?
Also im still taking suggestions on Different engine choices. Keep the info coming!!! oh yeah... Thanks!
Originally posted by HammerDown
My brother cant seem to kill his...it just keeps going.
Give me a crack at that ****er. I'll break that bitch.
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