A 351w (stroker?) from scratch...

Kinda wishing I didnt convert my big wooden box engine cover to an engine/jetski workstand otherwise I would have the option of dumping my 302 back in the boat this evening and not messing with this engine, since I dont have that option I will have to look for whats broken in this setup.

Seems like I have a small knock, suppose it could be engine or trans, find out soon enough after work, figure I will start with new plugs and hope for the best a week later wouldnt be a bad time of year for it to be broken.

I think its going up even if its just a paper weight.

Joe, Good luck finding the problem. I too am hoping it's a minor one. Too bad it happened so close to the reunion but I do know you do work late into the day/morning and under pressure well!!

JoeinNY wrote: Fourth scenario the extra load on the engine lead to some detonation or lean condition which caused something like a bent rod or hole in a piston

not sure on the lean part of this but definitly timing related. I know when I was messing with props right after my rebuild depending on the which prop was on it, it would ping on the top end, but your's I'm not sure with it runing bad at idle too but the plugs might be that issue, guess if it started and idled right at first before the run then ran bad at idle after words then that would make since, but not from the get go. That sounds gear related and given the past issue might be wise to pull it and look at the wear even if the timing is ok.

Shoot Quinner if this thing can't handle one loose nut behind the wheel it sure as hell wasn't going to make it through a ccfan reunion.

I was around 34.5 which was good with the previous prop although on the high end I what I have been running with this engine th previous year, I of course thought about lowering it with the new prop and then like a kid in candy store dove right in, never did year any knocking but maybe when it was a little warmer? I am thinking thats the most likely scenario, even still with a completely forged rotating assmembly it should have taken a little abuse and this didnt get much if any.

75 stang wrote: Are'nt you supposed to retard the timing a bit with NOS like a supercharger? seems like I remember reading that somewhere... Or use a timing control with it for under load situations?

Yep you definitely need to retard the timing depending on how much NOS you run, I would have however I have never run the NOS was going to get the bottle filled and installed tonight, but suddenly that seems superflous.

All Right...
All this positive support helps..
Looking forward to the details.

Well heres the story, got out of work brought it to my house since I dont have water at the shop to run it. Bringing my boat to the house brings the neighbors out as my boats are either in the water or the shop never at the house, so I change the plugs, which are all basically covered with carbon as previously described. My clear dist cap is looking a little more cracked than usual so I get the blue one off the 302 in the shop, I did not pull the dist because the up and down play was about twenty thou and there was no discernable lash in the gear. So I turn on the water and start it up. Timing is right where I left it at about ten and a half initial and sure enough this thing has a serious knock.

Everyone agrees knock, sounds like it is coming from the bottom. I try to convince the crowd, a few of which actually know thier way around engines, that its more likely i pushed the trans or damper past its limits than the engine but no one is buying it. Group agreement is that its a darn pretty engine but needs to come out and its a damn shame.. I agree and shut it down. I stare at it about another twenty minutes not running going over scenarios in my mind that all lead to me tearing down over the winter and not skiing the next month and a half. Most of the crowd has dispersed except the neighbors we really like and my dad.
I decide that although it definitely needs to come apart I better come to that conclusion while it is running so I dont second guess later so I tell my dad to run the water and I start it back up. Still making a knock like a son of a gun but I walk around trying to make it get louder (earlier I had removed every spark plug wire in turn trying to isolate it to a cylinder, all I did was isolate what it feels like to catch 50000 volts by pulling the wrong end of the boot) I crawl under and around the engine trying to feel a spot where the noise is stronger.. to no avail. Eventually one neighbor says what did you do it got quieter, I had done nothing but put my hand on the block to feel for vibrations, now I stand back up its getting to be that its not every cycle anymore, its missing maybe one of eight then starting again.

I decide hell its not getting worse maybe it will get better, another ten minutes or so and its up to temp and the noise is just a faint rememberence, another five and this sounds like a great running engine. Dare we rev it a few times (reving it earlier meant the noise was louder with increased frequency) this time the only consequence of the revving is the neighbors house gets wet, the engine sounds sweet.

So we start to look at each other and confirm that it really was knocking violently a half hour ago and now not so much... nothing to do but accept the miracle and go for a lake test. I didnt really work it out but she ran smooth and happy and she broke fifty, explanation for all this.... All I have is the excessive carbon from the overpropping got a valve stuck, exhaust probably and that it finally kinda broke loose after the engine was warmed up. I can tell you I didnt put that prop back on it, nor am I planning to push this boat in any way before I get my backup cc on the water. Nothing like being cc less the day before a reunion to make you think that life wasnt so bad when your boat was really pretty, had a nice stereo, pulled the heck out of skiers boarders and the like, but could only manage fifty one or so.

Well thats it for me till after the reunion, those going see you soon, those who cant make it, see you next year...

We'll see you and your smooth runnin' fire breather on Friday.

Finally remembered to bring a camera to take some updated diary pics of the boat in its finished state and its natural environment last night, here is some of the overflow...

















































and one from LG to show the speakers before I took them down for the fall..

TRBenj wrote: So thats what the floor looks like?

Yeah, I gotta work on some board racks my floor does often disappear under the gear...

winniskier wrote: I'm lovin the 1983 NH license plate on the stern. Nice touch, great boat!

Joe, I hadn't noticed that. Believe it or not, I have a NH plate on my '63 too! I've got to check the year tomorrow, might be the same 1983, I've never felt like taking it off.

JoeinNY wrote: ...its starting to look pretty decent.

Typical understatement, Josephus.

"...down again..."

What happened?