7.4 Efi

[waterluvr]

I am looking at a boat with a 2001 7.4EFI. 300HP. 200 hours.
I wish it were the magnum/HO engine but it is not.
The boat is a really nice 22 Howard but I am bummed about the engine.
Any suggestions on beefing this engine up? I would not want to spend much on engine upgrades.
What do you think? Should I pass? Does this stock 454 have any potential?
Someone told me that they dont have any bottom end...
I appreciate your input.

[rrrr]

It's a Gen VI with two bolt mains and the small "D" ports. Also has a roller cam. It's strong enough to get 450-500 HP out of it. You'll need new heads to do it.
If the boat is a good deal and you like it I would buy it. It's not expensive to wake it up a bit. Real HP costs a bit more, as always.
Another route: buy a low time 496 HO and drop it in. They can be bought for $5-7K.

[soupersonic]

I am looking at a boat with a 2001 7.4EFI. 300HP. 200 hours.
I wish it were the magnum/HO engine but it is not.
The boat is a really nice 22 Howard but I am bummed about the engine.
Any suggestions on beefing this engine up? I would not want to spend much on engine upgrades.
What do you think? Should I pass? Does this stock 454 have any potential?
Someone told me that they dont have any bottom end...
I appreciate your input.
Badkachina here on the boards has one that they left the stock bottom end and put a Vortech charger on.I think his was the MAG tho, but not positive.Shoot him a PM and ask him what they did to it.The mefi 3's are tunable for a reasonable price.His made 730 HP on the dyno.

[SmokinLowriderSS]

Does this stock 454 have any potential?
Someone told me that they dont have any bottom end...
Whoever told you that was mistaken, although, I suppose it COULD be true if "no bottom end" means it won't take 1,000 HP all day long.
I don't know a lot of specifics on the late-gen chevy's, but they are a solid motor. With small port heads tho, you have a mean handicap.
A set of large oval port heads, a decent stage 1 porting job, the right moderately-durationed cam, intake, and 500+HP with shaft-twisting torque is fairly easilly available. I DID list arround 3-grand in mods there tho.