perv, you have a fine cruiser and i would tend to keep it that way. you can build a 500hp engine that is very reliable and still run the log exhaust. if you want to go fast find a different hull jmho...

Thanks Ralph, hey I was looking at some pics of your boat, it looks very very similar to mine, Is a nordic and spectra similar hulls?

i dont think so but, i could be wrong

ok Tim i will bite 795.00 for the heads 500.00 for valves keepers and retainers, 150.00 for springs, 300.00 for you to set them up, 800.00 for porting so they flow like a good set of aftermarket heads. What am i missing? scj heads from summitt 1800.00

Since no-one has called me on prices, it is no surprise that your estimate is about $400.00 or so too high. With us or other marine specific engine shops you will get the correct boat specific parts and boat specific porting from a shop that knows the difference, even if the price would be the same. But its not. If ya all like,I can supply the pics and phone # of the last big box retailer victim that brought his BBC engine and heads in here Wednesday. He paid more for Iron Darts, with lower quality parts, and less flow, than the Pro-Comps, and I have pics of the heads side by side. Those Darts were purchased specifically for use with a hydraulic roller cam, (he supplied them with the cam specs when ordering), and floated the valves at not much over 4200 rpm, (there are Xs on the valve tips). They had installed the correct springs, but they used very tall (incorrect) retainers and the seat pressure was only 90-100#, so they apparently didn't have a spring tester or knowlege to set them up correctly. Pick an excuse, they are a retailer, not a machine shop. The cam calls for 130 on the seat. The retailer sells that same cam too.
The core shift is terrible on his Darts, the intake port openings are waaay off. I will flow both sets and may post the results. I much prefer to buy American, but not when the price and quality aren't there. As far as the boat weights and solidarity goes with the "E" pump deal, "budget" doesn't equate to ripping out a perfectly adequate "E" pump to gain only a few mph. Dollar for dollar horsepower gains result in more speed than pump mods, (assuming the pump isn't junked to begin with, if it is, then fix it). The pump-only building guys will argue that point, but then again, if they did engines too, they wouldn't see your $$$ going down the street if they didn't try to push their "Stage-whiz-bang" pump package to someone with less than 4-500 HP. I like to think that we are unbiased as to mods and their bang for the buck effect, because we do bottom blueprinting, pump setbacks, pump building and have an entire engine building facility under the same roof.   TIMINATOR

Never once did I recommend nor insinuate anything even close to

As far as the boat weights and solidarity goes with the "E" pump deal, "budget" doesn't equate to ripping out a perfectly adequate "E" pump to gain only a few mph.

What I said was

Spectra hulls are typically very well built but heavy hulls, you may want to lower your expectations a wee bit...

A heavy hull, coupled with a somewhat inferior performing pump package and I think you are going to be floating in Disappointment Bay....

To get these pumps to work takes quite a lot of thought. Being an "insert" type intake, the ramp is both short and steep, this really limits the performance expectation reality.

It can and has been done, but I think it would be more realistic to shoot for a 65 MPH family cruiser and use the money you saved to find a "Hot Rod". Realistically you would probably need to be in the neighborhood of in excess of 750 HP and have made numerous changes to both the hull and the pump to achieve the mid 70's with what you have to work with thus far. Whereas a different hull and pump package could do it with less than 600 ponies....Food for thought.

If you're gonna quote somebody, quote em fairly...

To the OP, IMHO you should use this boat for it's intended design, to have fun.   My opinion still stands if you want to go 75+MPH, try to find a boat to do just that. You have a killer "grocery getter" in that Spectra that if maintained properly will last a lifetime. And should do 60-65 MPH reliably with the right engine/pump modifications. 75 MPH will cost you what another boat would., Just my humble opinion again...

Have some fun and use it, don't be like me and only build em so someone else can use them....

GT

Bang for the buck and the Spectra running 80 is a difficult but not impossible task. It can be done with the "E" pump, and cheaper than replacing the entire pump package. Since I sold 3 sets of the Pro-Comps last week(with my selection of parts), and I have a waiting list for used ones(BBFord and BBChevy), I would like the contact info for anyone selling some used. I leave a Dart and RHS (warrenty deal) head sitting next to the Pro-Comp on the bench for comparison purposes, and 3 sets of AFRs that all dropped valves, (all of the AFRs were purchased complete), and the flowbench is available for use before purchase too. They sell themselves,  as do the carbs(we assemble, blueprint, and jet them for their intended use. Notice to lurkers: do NOT buy anything based on anyone's opinion, even mine, oh wait a minute, I don't deal in opinions.  Do your own research, or you will get what you deserve. No offense to anyone. Some day we can discuss the conversation with the guy that bought the Banderlog board a few years ago. If required we can even get into the TIMINATORS 5 rules for discussion. TIMINATOR

Just can't leave this lying there............


The heads don't drop valves, valve train geometry and assembly does....Because the heads were "bought and bolted" caused the failure, not the parts, just my 2 cents.

I don't do Fords, not because they are inferior or anything immature like that. Just not what I am familiar with. Dart makes some of the best heads the American dollar can buy, for a Chevy anyways.

BTW, I am having to really bite my tongue on the Chinese "crap" you are pushing to be "better" than high end American made products that I have never had a single bad thing to say about..Nor have I personally been involved with a failure that did not have some extenuating circumstances...

Now don't get me wrong, I have built some really redneck budget "grenade" motors and had fun with them, but when it comes to full on marathon motors, no expense is spared.

So far (knocking on wood) I never killed a motor I didn't expect would someday die a horrible and grotesque death....But then again, I never expect knock off parts to perform as well as the "real deal"...

For the lurkers........If building something you want to be proud of, involve someone who has a good track record and involve them early on in the project, if something sounds unreasonable, get another opinion. 

GT

I enjoyed all of your comments on this thread, they all have merit.....but Jus wanted to add that I for one will never use anything other than American components for obvious reasons, my 2 cents