Do you have flow numbers on the heads?

-The pistons were the flat top/pump gas.
-It is going in a 21' jet boat.
-Peak RPM is gonna be 5,500-6,000.
-Carb set-up is gonna be a Weiand tunnel ram with dual 650's.
-I have Fully machined DOVE-C heads that I am going to mildly port and polish to get rid of any casting blemishes.
-MSD distributor, MSD wires, Blaster 2 Coil.
-Gear Drive
-Holley Blue fuel pump
-Main stud girdle

-The pistons were the flat top/pump gas.
-It is going in a 21' jet boat.
-Peak RPM is gonna be 5,500-6,000.
-Carb set-up is gonna be a Weiand tunnel ram with dual 650's.
-I have Fully machined DOVE-C heads that I am going to mildly port and polish to get rid of any casting blemishes.
-MSD distributor, MSD wires, Blaster 2 Coil.
-Gear Drive
-Holley Blue fuel pump
-Main stud girdle

You are CHOKING that motor with those heads.... that's ALOT of cubic inch for medium air-flow. But I understand how budget gets in the way of cool stuff.... maybe down the road a head and cam swap and you'll see a big power increase  

First and foremost, D0VE heads and a 0.030" overbored 545 with flat top pistons will exceed 13:1 compression ratio, and so pump gas is completely out of the question.

Secondly, D0VE heads can make for a really great 5500 rpm jet boat engine, for example, but they must be properly ported in order to get really good results. Conversely, without any porting your engine will wheeze above 4500 rpm.

LO

Yeah most of my money got put into the bottom end. I couldn't manage to squeeze in aluminum heads into the budget for specific reasons (WIFE!)... But I plan to save my side money to buy aluminum heads. Anyways... Since it will "exceed 13:1" what octane will it require with the build I have. What would the proper port and polish cost a guy like me and who would you recommend?

Going to need around 110 octane at that compression... depending on the cam and shape of the chambers.

A "good" port and polish job will be right at around $1000 bucks... Yea you'll find some cheaper here and there, or on ebay and what have you... But quality takes time, and time cost money. Shit when I worked at Mmad a set of Y-block heads would go for $1700 bucks after all porting, valves, guides etc etc 

DAMN! Thats crazy.. I will take my mild port and polished heads and run em into the ground. I'm not gonna waste that much money on factory heads... I'm sure my motor with dove heads will still out perform ALOT of boats and have alot more power than my last 460... I will get it together, see what i got and go from there. So I never did get an ball park cam size...lol.. Any ideas for my choked down motor cam size?

Couldn't tell yah on cam... IMHO... I would try and fit the biggest impeller you can in that thing, cam it appropriately... and make a torque beast to pull the impeller... I bet a 545 would "laugh" at just an A impeller and turn too many RPM

a little more info, please:

21 day cruiser? Or a tunnel hull hot boat?

How much horsepower are you targeting?

LO

• To get 600 hp with stock valve sized home ported D0VE heads, you'll need a good sized roller cam which, in all reality, is a $1000 upgrade just to get your 600+ hp. Ouch, not a very good dollar-per-hp ratio.
  
  
• A properly, professionally ported (not just any porter but by someone that understands what these heads need) set of large valved D0VE heads could produce 600 hp in a 545 with a correctly selected solid lifter camshaft.  We are still talking regular preventive mantenance in the valve train area (in addition to the usual maintenance).
  
  
• If you would accept 550-575 hp@5500 rpm it could be relatively maintenance free (as far as jet boat engines are concerned) be done with a shelf cam grind, would still provide amazing launch and get your boat on plane lickety-split, go plenty fast, and be well matched to your "A" impeller.

And as budget does seem to be an issue for your build, this last option seems to me to be the most cost effective and the most logical.  Why spend an additional $1000 on a rollerized valve train + $1700 minimum on D0VE head mods to work in conjuction with that rollerized valve train?  It all adds up quick.

So....do you want the roller cam (600hp-700hp with pro-ported D0VEs), solid lifter (550-625 hp), or hydraulic flat tappet (475-575 hp) camshaft?

LO

p.s. 22cc dished pistons will drop you to about 11:1. So will D3VE's and your flat tops, but again porting is required of the D3VFes.

I would be happy with 550hp. which would be best to obtain the 550. solid or flat tappet... I am still open on my valvetrain, nothing has been purchased for it yet.

go to stroker.com or 460 ford .com=will give you all kinds of info-  i would stay away from scat and look into eagle kits=my machine shop guy says that the cranks from scat are made in china and made cheaply-


i too am doing a 545 0n pump gas-10 to 1 max on compression and 100 t0 105 on the heads which will be alum

Scat cranks are made in CHINA