Infomaniac,
I'm building a new boat over the winter and it will be powered by a ZZ4 crate engine. Us beer can boaters have had great success and reliability with these engines, but I'm wondering what your thoughts would be about installing a whipple charger or something similar on one of these engines. Bare in mind this is a full time pleasure boat and I'm not looking for a 90 mph ripper, just a bit more power than the stock engine delivers, and of course the cool factor. They are a 10:1 engine and we get some head porting done and 1:6 roller rockers installed. Previous motors with the same work done have made around 405HP. I'd only run about 3/5 lbs boost. Your thoughts??
Read it too fast the first time.
I would suggest making a 383 out of it. You can buy a rotating assembly very reasonable.
Buy another block and you have a spare short block or can sell it and make your investment that much less.
Sounds like you are already doing the little things that count.
Hope this helps.
Oh yea - pistons - cam and a little boost works wonders.
Thanks for the info, Info!
I was hoping on not really getting into the internals of the engine a bunch. I know that a 383ci is a better combination, but then I take it to the guy that builds our race boat engines and he starts off by saying.
This is a quote "Well Dave, I can do this for you and you can tell me it's for 3 - 5 lbs boost and you plan on taking it easy cause it's a pleasure boat, but I don't believe you. It may hold together for you for a while, but I know you and guys that you boat with. I also know that Rob (a buddy) has lots of pulleys and that some day you're going to have a few beers at the launch just want check out that pulley that will give 7 - 10 lbs boost and you'll like what it does and you'll just leave it on. Then you'll blow the engine up and I'll have to listen to you snivel to me about it. So if your going to go that route, lets start off right and get a good bow tie block or a Little M block and make a 383ci that will be strong and make some power. Those heads that you have there will not flow very good so let me check out some heads that will do you some justice. I'm thinking that the Dart Pro-Comp1 CNC heads will work for this. They have nice intake too that you'll like. You know Dave? If you're going to go this far, lets just make you a 434 ci and you don't have to **** with a blower and you'll still have motor that you can run hard all day long and it should make around 550 hp. You can just keep the ZZ4 in garage for a spare engine if you build another boat" Un-quote. Total cost to me asking for Louie at AMS about a little blower for a little more fun - $24,000.00 Canadian.
That is a true story!!
Well, This is the motor that I've had on the gargage floor for that spare and this new boat is the boat that I may build in the future. And, the 434ci did make 550 hp (565hp actually) and still runs great. But the fact still remains. I still have the ZZ4 and still would like just to bolt a little blower on it and run it with 3 - 5 lbs boost. It owes my nothing, so if it don't last the season, then I'd just buy another one.
Back to you Info!!!
just add a shot of nos to it. thats what i'm thinking of doing to mine. the zz4 crate has been reliable to me too.all i did to it so far is added the the rockers and a different intake and a complete msd ignition.oh and a 750 cfm carb.
Originally posted by 21rayson
just add a shot of nos to it. thats what i'm thinking of doing to mine. the zz4 crate has been reliable to me too.all i did to it so far is added the the rockers and a different intake and a complete msd ignition.oh and a 750 cfm carb.
I run a MSD and a 750 cfm too. Which intake did you put on and did it give any noticable change.
As far as NoS, that's not really a route that I'd like to go for the type of boating we do. On a good day trip we may cover 50 miles or so up river and back, and I just don't have much experience with the gas.
I have ran a few pounds of boost on a 10:1 small block before. In my old z-28 camaro.
If you just want to buy a blower and bolt it on, it will make a big difference.
Just keep plenty of good fuel to it and very little timing.
I can get you a deal on a Whipple.
hey jungleboy the intake that i run on the zz4 is a polished copy of a edelbrock rpm airgap open plentem. i gpsed about 3 mph over the stock one that came with it.
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