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

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

 623-877-8553
Ralph are you talking old factory SCJ iron heads? No flow! Even ported. Everybody thinks they are gold on the prices they ask for them,but they don't flow much better ported than regular ported smog 460 heads, (yes, I have a Superflow 600 flowbench). Besides, what makes you think that anybodys aluminum factory installed parts are sufficient for a boat? The stuff we get thru here typically isn't. You need good parts in anybodys aluminum or iron heads for a boat. All of the attermarket aluminum head companies are whoreing their prices and using cheaper and cheaper parts, and they can get away with it on most car deals, 12 to 10 seconds of acceleration. I am reminded of the "used to be" premier aluminum head company that cheapened up on their parts and had dozens of heads wear out guides very quickly and then drop valves, we stopped selling their stuff 3 years ago. Now they have a warrenty, but "not for racing use" and they can't be worked on or modified in any way, even a valve job, or replacing the seals!
Most of the guys that call about aluminum heads want cheap, not good, and the companys have to give them cheap just to sell their stuff. Not one caller in the last 10 that asked about aluminum heads asked about flow numbers, just price. They do know that labor to rebuild iron stuff is right at what aluminum shiny heads cost new, and they think "parts is parts". I spend most of my day educating folks... P.S. do not use a thicker head gasket to drop compression, that decreases quench and charge motion and can actually make the detonation worse!  TIMINATOR

532 is probably the largest you want to go in a family boat, with the rod length and pin location involved you usually can't get the dish in the piston deep enough to keep the compression ratio pump gas friendly(10.0 to 1 or less). In your application, buy a set of Pro-Comp bare heads, do NOT use their parts/valves in a marine application!  You can "get away with it" for a while, but when a valve fails, it takes out everything with it. Not worth the savings. The castings are fine though, and the best bang for the Horsepower buck going. These have very large hardened seat rings that will accept stock, small valves, or can be opened up to about anysized valve you would ever want to put into them. I do have a set of baked, blasted, magged, surfaced, race bronze guides, ported, big valved(new 2.19/1.78 Stainless steel), fresh factory Ford heads for $475.00/pair. These have the big chambers required for strokers to keep the compression down to reasonable levels. They have been abandoned at my shop for over 4 years, and I am asking only whats owed on them. I sell the Aluminum Pro-Comps bare for $795 per pair. We have the parts and machinery to finish them correctly. If you buy any heads from anyone, make SURE that the guide to stem clearances are correct for a boat, (they will need more clearance than on a car), and that quality Stainless valves are used. The bigger and more aggressive the cam, (roller?) the better the quality valves are needed. Remember: a 600 HP motor in a drag/street car will run high 10 second quarter mile times, and thats about as long as you will ever stay "on it" on the street too. Boat guys will run flat out, wide open for miles! It is much more difficult and expensive to build a reliable marine engine. We build both, but the boat stuff requires better parts and different clearances. About one fourth of our work in here is the result of partially or fully destroyed marine big blocks built by high perf CAR engine shops. Most car engine builders/shops don't know what they don't know, and that will hurt YOU and your wallet.  Talk to a trusted marine engine guy about cam sizes/overlap, there are many styles and types of thru transom exhaust manifolds. You can NOT run aluminum logs without water thru them, but there are tricks to make them work better. The logs will KILL the horsepower with  a stroker!  TIMINATOR

Google "sparkplugs", search sparkplug+reading or read the back of a Champion catalog, that will explain how they should look when in the proper heat range, and about rich/lean or detonation conditions. We read plugs for the locals all of the time, mebbie there is a local racer that can help you. Bring your used plugs(without touching the electrode ends) to your local dragstrip and ask someone that runs a fast car to help you. By the time they work themselves up to a 9 or 10 second car, they should have a grasp. You could post large, detailed pics and I probably can get you in the direction. TIMINATOR

The red will work to a much higher HP in a boat than a car. Tanks next to motor, not pushing against the G forces on launch, much less heat soak than a car, etc.  Never been stuck by a mechanical pump, but have been walking/ swimming 5 or 6 times with an electric in the last 35+ years. I run a Blue at 785 HP with no issues, but until I replace it with a mechanical and reinvent all of my brackets(its an I/O deal), I carry a new spare with the A/N fittings installed and a plug-in wiring deal. When the last electric pump failed last season, it cost me a ride up on the rocks from the wind, 12 hours of bottom work, and a prop rebuild. I also carry a spare regulator, also with fittings, the Hi-vol mechanical is a better deal, no regulator either.  Your results may vary. TIMINATOR

Take it to someone who HAS a distributor machine and can set it up PROPERLY, clean it, and relube it with the proper marine stuff. For what you will pay for a bunch of springs, time, and shipping, it will be worth it to have it done correctly. You want: 12 degrees of mechanical advance starting at 1200-1400 rpm and all in at 2800-3000 rpm. Install it with 10 deg initial to start with and tune from there. Hint: the tach and sparkplugs are your tools. TIMINATOR 623-877-8553 for further questions.

I broke an input shaft on my 14-71 about 3-4 years ago. Motor would start, run, show 6-7 lbs boost, you could wing it as much as you wanted out of the water(no load). When loaded, it would pull to only about 2400 rpm, (not quite on plane), backfire and quit. It would start right up after that though. Added fuel pressure gauge where I could see it, replaced carbs with borrowed units, checked the blow-off valve, replaced the entire ignition, plugs, wires, dist, hotwired the ign directly to the battery, tried a small fuel cell of known new fuel, with a different electric pump, and it was the input shaft..... It was broken at enough of an angle that it would turn the rotors without much load, but when the boost was higher than 6-7 lbs, it would distort the front gear cover enough to slip for a few revolutions, just enough to kill the motor. The motor could windmill it, with help of the broken shaft, to 5500 rpm with no load, but under load there wasn't enough air to run it. Craig from BDS claims to only have heard of that twice in 40 years. Check your shaft and gears, by hand everything felt fine on mine, no extra slack or anything. We finally put a block of 2x4 between the rotors and could slip the shaft with a 1/2" drive ratchet fairly easily. New shaft, and no issues. I still have both parts of the old shaft. Good luck.  TIMINATOR

Find someone with a Champion book and use what it calls for in the marine section. Or call me, I have the book and do lots of Olds motors. Next: unleaded fuel will not leave much, if any color on the plugs, at any reasonable jetting. Plugs are properly read with new ones, of the correct heat range, in an engine thats not an oil burner, by looking at the very deepest part of the center insulator. That should be a white/parchment color. The side electrode should have a heat discoloration band of a straw color or yellow that is centered on the knee, or bend. If too rich= discoloration more towards the tip of the side electrode. Too lean, and the discoloration will be more toward the threads. This assumes the correct heatrange plug. You will make more power with an extended nose plug, and with less total timing. Champion plugs have a bright plating that allows easier reading of the plugs. Any other than a standard single electrode plug is Bull---t. Don't waste the time or money. Fine wire electrode plugs (AKA platinum or Rhodium) will make less power. IN A NON COMPUTERIZED, CARBURATED ENGINE! Any extra side electrodes will slow down the flame front, and will make less power, unless you are running too much timing. The shrouding effect slows the burn. A split electrode promotes detonation due to the smaller mass of the tip. We have seen LOTS of them with the split melted off. A proper, single standard electrode plug at the correct timing will make the most power. All of this and more was covered in the old Hotoat article from a few years ago.    TIMINATOR  623-877-8553

What brand motor? Have you checked to see if somthing is stuck in the pump? Cam going flat? Bad plug wire? We need more info.  TIMINATOR

Vac. secondary carbs will never fully open the secondaries at jetboat RPMs unless you run an extremely light spring in the diaphram, then you will have a bog on acceleration as they will open too quickly. The additives in the fuel(alcohol or MTBE) will harden the sec. diaphragm in short order too. If you insist on using a vac secondary, plan on replacing the diaphragm every 3 to 6 months. No happy medium here, use a double pumper, you will be much happier. It is hard to overcarburate a jet motor, get an 850 or HP 970, even for a stock motor. The larger primaries allow you to cruise on plane on just the primaries, something you can't do with a smaller carb, especially a Quadrajet!  TIMINATOR

Call me if you need help or questions answered. I am in the west Phoenix area.  623-877-8553  TIMINATOR