Anyone make some power out of a Hardin marine 454? As well as using the peanut port stock heads? Any secrets to doing a mild build on it without going all out and doing different heads. Maybe taking them and getting the peanut port heads freshened up and machined? Obviously a cam and intake but what has everyone used for something like this?


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Yup... done up right... peanut port 9:1 with manifiold exhaust friendly cam can make 456hp@5000 and 588tq@3800. A little more cam and head work would net a little more... but not much.


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Ok ok. Now we are talking. Please give me more. Haha what did you do to pull numbers like that? Cam?


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Whole combo... cam just part of it... head work... machine work... parts used... compression bump... assembly details... all added to getting 120hp over stock form on the same platform. I've done this combo for a few years for customers who were not into the budget of swapping heads and going on a full tilt hotrod build, just wanted their 21' open bows to not be such a slug out of the hole and pull skiers a lot better. For this sort of build... they do work well and are great for an economical build.

On the subject... as far as how ridiculous you can get with them...
The ABSOLUTE best hp I've ever gotten out of peanuts was a hair over 500... but it was an absolute waste of time and was just something a customer wanted to do... reguardless of cost. I think we had something retarded like 30 hours in just port work on the heads... roller cam... larger valves... etc... and it was 10:1. For less effort, and a lot less loot... 049's would have done the same job.😜

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I got ya. So machined heads, cam, intake. Get a good little combo and she should be a good little runner. I've got a 19' Caribbean. So she does pretty well as of now but if I could do a somewhat mild build without a huge dollar sign I'd love to. I know you don't want to give away your secrets of exactly what you have done and used cam, intake, specs wise but any info you could throw my way would be a huge help!


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Port work was a very important part... as well as how the valve job was done... otherwise the heads just won't move enough air to make power up top.


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