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sure the weight is a big advantage but The big motors will still make more hp and especially torque any way you want to do it with the same power adders.
Going BIG!
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77Jet Star
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I think if you look at it realisticly you wont find it comical when you have a bunch of guys willing to spend the money for that last few mph. It all makes perfect sense to have the platform capible of doing that to start with.There is no supstitute for Cubic inches.Its not always about trying to save money.I dont expect to see a bunch of LS motors being run by the big boys anytime soon.Just my .02spd500 said:
spd500
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We tend to follow drag racing trends, and there are alot of LS motors doing really well at the dragstrip lately. I don't see why boating will be much different. In all seriousness, the same power is achievable if you want to spend the money, but its a lighter, longer lasting platform. If it were stricktly about horsepower we would all be running huge hemi motors,even for the guys tons of money to spend its about cost vs gain.
77Jet Star
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What kind of MPH on top end you expecting with this setup ?spd500 said:
77Jet Star
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What you you thinking ballpark 50,60, 70 ,80 :smile21: Aint nothin' wrong with a reliable little river boat :smile16:spd500 said:
spd500
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I really have not set any goals for top speed in the Kona , but I would be happy with somwhere in the range of 70 or so . If it is not fast enough for me on just motor I am planning a twin turbo and methanol injection upgrade in the near future anyway . Even with the turbos and methanol I am really not trying to make it anything really all that fast , just a cruiser . But I really want to play with the LS some and see just what I can get out of it , and how far I can go before I blow it up . I fully expect to blow up the motor sooner or later , but I want to see what I can get out of it before it blows . If I were building it to make a really fast boat I would not do it with the stock crank and pistons in it , but I do want to see exactly how far you can push the stock parts and still have a reliable engine .
spd500
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This article is a great example of what the LS motors are capable of withstanding . This is why I only plan on upgrading the heads and cam on my motor :smile30: Even the 450 Hp that they made before the turbo would be plenty of power for my little family boat .
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1109_stock_gm_ls_engine_big_bang_theory/
http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/hrdp_1109_stock_gm_ls_engine_big_bang_theory/
txliberator
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JETSTAR said:
Quoted for truth
Last Mohecian
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Motor Head said:
Will Ferry port iron Pontiac heads? I've only seen him work on aluminum stuff.
spd500 said:
Historically that isn't quite true. It is cheaper to go big basic motor than to go with a smaller motor and try to play catch-up. The LS may be cheaper initially, but add a decent turbo set-up and or add expensive ported heads and now you have a ton of money in it. At the same time these expenses could be added to the big basic motor and increase the HP of it also.
Even with the same horsepower from the big motor and the smaller motor, the big motor will still almost always have more torque.
If the boat the motor is going in is heavy, the weight of the motor will have little effect on performance. If the boat is ultra light, the the weight of the motor could be a factor.
The LS motor is an amazing motor, but give me a 632 BBC with Pontiac heads and a blower. I only have a 540 CI BBC with a blower in my flat now. Several years ago, I was at Reher Morrison several years ago and they refered to my 540 as a small motor, so I guess everything is relative to something else.
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I have seen them port some iron heads. I'll talk to him about it Monday for ya matt.Last Mohican said:
Last Mohecian
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I think were the LS shines is in a lake boat not an all out race boat. It has proven time and time again that it can make great power and do it reliable. The LS motors love boost. Will they replace a big block in an all out race application? No. Will they go out and surprise the hell out of a lot of fast BBC & BBF boats at the lake? Absolutely.
Last Mohecian
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Motor Head said:
Thanks Bobby.
spd500
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Last Mohican said:
I agree with the basic thought process of that , but not many of us are running all out race motors . Most of the big blocks in jet boat applications would make more power with the same amount of money invested in a LS based motor . Just as an example , I see fairly stock 454s selling for around $1500 . I can buy a stock LS for $500 or less , so that leaves me $1000 to upgrade the LS . For $1000 I can bolt on a set of heads and a cam and still have money to play with and the power I get from the heads and cam on an LS based motor will give me 150% the horsepower of the stock 454 . The only big hold up on the LS motor being a big player in the boating world is the availability of exhaust and other marine parts , and they are starting to show up more and more all the time . It is just a matter of time before you start seeing alot more LS motors in boats .
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spd500 said:
I gotta disagree here and I am a big fan of the LS platform. Exhaust & marine parts is not the issue. The only place those are an issue if you want through transom or under an engine cover. James has already shown there are affordable option there. Less than half the 18' - 21' performance boats I see have through transom exhaust. There are several options available for headers for the LS platform. Before you argue this any more you should define what HP level you are talking about. I just don't see a 700+ HP LS motor in a boat being more reliable or cheaper to build than a BBC or BBF of the same HP. 550 HP sure but the guys that are disagreeing with you are not talking about a 500 - 600 HP lake boat.
Now back to the big inch Ford talk.