78/79 ski-tique rod knocking

The floor is very sturdy everywhere,.. Even though im not a boat mechanic I knew that if the floors were bad that I didnt wanna take on that type of endeavor. Is there some special way to check on this without ripping the carpet up?

Ok,.. Ill check it tonight (floor).
Im also gonna go ahead and pull the motor tonight so maybe I'll be able to post up some good pics and maybe vids of my project.
This is what it looks like I'm gonna have to invest up front:
1.holley 4160 MARINE-$150 (on the FS forum here)
2.spark arrestor-$50 (found a couple of used ones on ebay)
3.marine distributor-$120 (once again on the forum)
4.crankshaft/bearings-$150-$300 (depending on if I go with a used one on the forum or if I go with a new one on ebay,.. that all depends though on this rear seal,.. still have ?'s on it but I think I'll wait till I can see it with my own 2 eyes)
5.machine shop work-$150-$300 (depending on if they just do a hone or a bore or are able to turn the crank and get a larger bearing)
So between $600 to $900,... thats not all that bad I guess,.. I KNOW there will be more "nickle and dime" things that I'll have to buy like fluids and gaskets and whatnot but im just gonna pretend that they dont exist for now,.. that way it makes me feel a little better about spending this money!

no,.. you arent seeing things,.. thats gonna be the next thing I do AFTER it is running,.. I cant seem to find the search feature on this forum,.. would someone mind posting in a link to a diy on the runners? That seems like it'd be fairly easy,.. well easy except for getting the boat off the trailer,.. hadnt figured that one out yet either.

found 2 on here for 100 and 150 plus shipping. Also found this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Holley-3-119-Carb-Rebuild-Kit-Marine-Holley-4160-Kit-/330601558455?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4cf96371b7




Sitting here thinking about this,... why couldnt I just get a 302 short block and bolt on my heads/accessories? If the crankshaft is the same then shouldnt everything else be ok? Ive got a couple of buddies that would almost definitely have a 302 shortblock sitting around.

Well,.. the one thing that I have failed to mention thus far is that Ive got a buddy of mine who is a boat mechanic,.. and I dont mean one who works on them under his tree in tha back yard,... he worked for a shop near here for 20 years untill he finally opened up his own place about 5 years ago. He has already done me the huge favor of checking the boat out and telling me the issues he sees but Im not about to ask him for any favors nor am I comfortable with paying someone to do the work I can do myself and learn a lot in the process of doing so...... I say all that to say that yes,.. he says it is a reverse rotation,.... that means it rotates to the left,.. is that right?
How are the blocks different if the crank is the same?

Oh, Camshaft is different to.

TRBenj wrote: Bri892001 wrote: Go right to this page and skip to about halfway down. You need to read the link that Brian posted above. There is no difference in the block RH vs. LH... but you do need to use a matched block/crank. First you need to determine if you have a block/crank with a 1-piece or 2-piece rear main seal. Cranks/blocks of different styles do not interchange. 1-piece seal cranks are NOT rotation specific, but do take specific RH seals (the seals have RR wick lines). 2-piece cranks are rotation specific (wick lines are on the crank) and use bi-directional seals. If your block is junk, then the easiest thing to do would be to get a modern-ish 302 from a junkyard, from which you'll use both the block and crank. Get the special reverse rotation rear main seal.

AWE-FREAKING-SOME!
Thats what I was thinking! (I know about the cams being special too,.. Id use my heads/cams and all)
So if I can get a 302 shortblock I SHOULD be able to bolt it to my heads and tranny with the proper seal right? This could be REALLY good news as I just got off the phone with a buddy who has a stroker bottom end that i might can pick up pretty cheap,.. he was building the motor for his mustang and it got totalled before he was done so.... thats a possible yaaaaaaaaay!!!!! If anyone knows any reason why I shouldnt go ahead scoop up this bottom end please speak now! otherwise Ill be at his place tonight!

yes, i mean the entire bottom end,.. everything except the heads and accessories.

Good news, I just talked to Paul at Race City Marine,.. MAN was he helpfull!! I am on the right track,.. After I pull the motor,.. Im gonna snap pics and he said he can say " this is what you need". Thats the type of instruction I like to have,... lol.

I found the search button (man do I feel stupid) and have done a few of them. I am still looking for an informative post on replacing the carpet on the trailer "runners" and a post on how to sand and buff the shine back in the paint. I have a sand blaster and a SATA paint gun so the trailer should be a breeze to bring back to life,.. Id just like to know the proper steps to restoring the shine in the gel coat,... for instance, start with a orbital sander and 500 grit wet and then gradually step up from there or whatever.....

Im such a nerd that I have everything planned out in order so far from replacing the short block to replacing the guages,... lol Im fairly impatient, I like to get things done now so I hope to get a good start on this by tonight or at the latest this weekend,.. Ive got to do a timing belt on my friends accord before Friday but after that this is going to occupy most of my spare time.

Im really looking forward to getting my hands dirty and diving in to this new found hobby. Some of the boats Ive seen on here have really got me inspired to get mine up and running/looking good so here goes!

now a little question..you buddy the boat mechanic..did he ever menction something about all the non marine stuff in that engine?

buddy-non marine parts,.. yes he mentioned it but when he told me about the rod knock he said that the carb and distributor were the least of my concerns at this point,.. If I would have let him do all the work Im sure he wouldve switched everything out but I dont want to take advantage of his time.

Hadnt thought about piston slap and reversing them,... that makes a lot of "cents" to me,.. If the rotation is backwards then the piston would be "slapping" the other side of the cylinder wall so yeah,.. I think your right. Im gonna research this and I'll tell you what I find out.

As for pictures,. I plan on taking a butt load of them if its ok (moderators?)

Welcome aboard JJ. I'm not much help with Fords, but I read through this and see that you're a whole day.5 into this. You've gotten some info from some of the Ford guys here, but if you give this thread a few days, you'll hear from a few more.

Again, I don't know about Ford; the Chevy/PCM 454 330 has stock offset pistons and they need a flip because of the offset. I also notice specialty pistons(for Chevy anyway) tend not to have an offset. Some domed pistons have to go a certain way to fit in the head, etc per the manufacturer's destructions.

Good luck; you sound excited.   

ok,... Im gonna feel stupid in a few days for asking this but,... What is a "lifting ring"?

It's what those seat belts are tied to in the back and right in front of the scoop in the front. Go underneath and make sure they are solid to the lower hull.

Ive been in "boat mode" all day,.. cant wait to get home and get started. I havent seen any pictures of a ski tique or nautique without all the factory lettering on the side. Id like to see a "plain" boat without all that,... any pics anyone? I like the "clean" look. Ive gone emblemless and shaved antenna holes and all on a couple cars Ive built and it looks good in my opinion so if its not too hard to do Id like to try it. any pics?

8122pbrainard wrote: It is due to the offset on the wrist pin and it's there to help with piston slap. ( correct me if I'm wrong guys) On a stroker, due to the longer stroke, I would think piston slap is a concern.

This is a hole can of worms Pete, I've talked with people saying you need to turn the pistons and some saying you dont.