Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

[ccenters]

I've just bought a new [ used] 19 foot Challenger boat [1979] with a completely rebuilt engine and was wondering if anyone knows or can tell me where to find the top end RPM [red line ] on an engine like this. I don't want to hurt it by over reving. I was told to "break it in" for at least 5 -10 hours so I will not be doing WOT much during this time.

Oh, it's a jet drive - Dominator pump with trim. So the WOT is a must after break in - love those 200 foot rooster tails it puts out.

If anyone can point me in the right direction I surely would appreciate it.

 

[Reel Poor]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

Red Line may be determined by the jet pump design and not how well the engine is built.

 

[riverjet502]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

Fellow squirt boater....What size impeller you have....AA, A, B, C.... How tight is your pump??? Any engine mods???


I run a Dominator pump with a blue printed bowl and stator vanes, alone with a aggressor "B" blue printed impeller, Short droop snoot and hydrualic place diverter with the red insert. My engine started life out as a ZZ502/502 crate motor that I gave a couple mods too. I turn a solid 5400 rpm's...

 

[ccenters]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

Fellow squirt boater....What size impeller you have....AA, A, B, C.... How tight is your pump??? Any engine mods???


I run a Dominator pump with a blue printed bowl and stator vanes, alone with a aggressor "B" blue printed impeller, Short droop snoot and hydrualic place diverter with the red insert. My engine started life out as a ZZ502/502 crate motor that I gave a couple mods too. I turn a solid 5400 rpm's...

Well, I've only had it for a few days so I don't know all the specs on it yet. I've found a magazine article [ Performance Reports] from 1979 and the engine that was stock, along with the pump is not what I have now. The original engine was 454 with a Berkley pump and it has a "red line [ in article ]of 5000 RPM.

How could I determine the impeller specs ? It's a Dominator with a trim cylinder and it's been painted [I think ] black but that may be it's original color back when..

Acccording to the seller and his records it has a new Chev Big Block-less than an hour on the engine ,4 bolt main, bored out to a 468,twin 750 holly carbs, Weiland intake manifold, 11:1 pistons, Comp Cams cam, complete valve train and roller rockers. Fully ported heads and intake with oversized valves. Bassett wet chrome headers. Milodon 10 quart jet boat oil pan. Remote ?spin on? fuel/water separator filter and duel oil filters.

All I know is it's BIG heavy and LOUD as hell. Probably heavier than the boat..

Theirs no speedo on it [ never was] so I don't know what speed it will reach but the seller said he had it to 75+ with a buddy who had GPS speedo in his boat. T something over 75 he chickened but he said it still had lots of throttle left.

I'm not sure how to attach a photos here since I'm a newbee to the site but I'll give it a try.

The hull is in great condition for a boat this old - a few scratches and dings but all are minor and can be "fixed" without too much work I think.

I just did a preview of my post and damn these photos are small..

 

[riverjet502]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

It looks like you have a hydraulic place diverter. Dominators were black. A dominator was basicly an improved Berkeley. Dominator came out with the shouldered wear ring. This tightend the sealing of the wear ring and impeller up greatly. If you pull your bowl off the pump then look at your impeller it should be stamped with a letter... Such as "A"' "B"' in the middle of the impeller right above were the pump shaft goes through the impeller. All impellers start life out as a "AA" them get machined down from there. Without knowing your cam profile but just going with what you said I would think you should easily rev to 5500. But if your pump is loose meaning you have excessive pump clearences this will give you a false indication of your motor's top rpm. A tight pump will pull your rpm's down a loose pump will let you build rpms. Kinda like a loose torque converter slipping. The main thing about your peak rpm will be were you start to valve float. This alone will limit your top rpm so that is why we need to find out what your cam specs are and then taylor your impeller to your peak hp.... Clear as mudd right..Your pump will take as much hp as you can throw at it and beg for more... Thats the beauty of a jet..If you know what impeller you have and your rpm I can tell you about how much hp your pump is absorbing. A jet is nothing but a floating dyno...


Here is a "AA" Aggressor machined down to a "A"...


Shot with DSC-P10 at 2007-08-16

 

[ccenters]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

It looks like you have a hydraulic place diverter. Dominators were black. A dominator was basicly an improved Berkeley. Dominator came out with the shouldered wear ring. This tightend the sealing of the wear ring and impeller up greatly. If you pull your bowl off the pump then look at your impeller it should be stamped with a letter... Such as "A"' "B"' in the middle of the impeller right above were the pump shaft goes through the impeller. All impellers start life out as a "AA" them get machined down from there. Without knowing your cam profile but just going with what you said I would think you should easily rev to 5500. But if your pump is loose meaning you have excessive pump clearences this will give you a false indication of your motor's top rpm. A tight pump will pull your rpm's down a loose pump will let you build rpms. Kinda like a loose torque converter slipping. The main thing about your peak rpm will be were you start to valve float. This alone will limit your top rpm so that is why we need to find out what your cam specs are and then taylor your impeller to your peak hp.... Clear as mudd right..Your pump will take as much hp as you can throw at it and beg for more... Thats the beauty of a jet..If you know what impeller you have and your rpm I can tell you about how much hp your pump is absorbing. A jet is nothing but a floating dyno...


Here is a "AA" Aggressor machined down to a "A"...


Shot with DSC-P10 at 2007-08-16

I've never had one of these beauties apart, in fact never seen one disassembled . How hard is it to "take the bowl off" ? I'm an ole jet engine mechanic so I think I understand what you're saying and if it doesen't take "special tools' then I'm sure I could get the bowl off..

Not sure I know how to get the "cam specs" though. The seller might know since he did or had the work done but he has not communicated with me since he got the "cash". I've asked him several questions and no response yet.

Thanks for the nfo - every bit counts.

Chuck

 

[riverjet502]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

There are 8 bolts holding the bowl onto the suction housing you will need a 3/4 inch socket or wrench to lossen these. The the bowl and nozzle / place diverter will slide right off the shaft. Might have to wack the side of the bowl with a dead blow to loosen the bowl from the suction housing. Or stick a thin kife blade in there. The gasket between the bowl & housing will get trashed. No biggy they are only a few bucks...Once you get the bowl off you will want to grab the end of the shaft with your hand and gently move it side to side then up and down. YOu are trying to feel for any slop. If the shaft moves around alot your thrust bearing is toast....

 

[Viking77]

Re: Red Line For BBC 454 Reamed To 468

BOAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD. NICE ENGINE!

I am thinking about getting a 18', 455 Olds, Berkeley Jet. I can't help you on the red line issue. I will pass on some things I learned about Jet Boats that I wish someone had told me.

CRUSIERS: I had a 21' Centurion, 454, Panther Jet. Transom exhaust, tuck and roll seats, swim step and bow rail. Nice boat. Drove real smooth and I had no problem with running the engine, accept starting. The starter was to low in the bilge and if it got wet at all it would not start. The other thing I had problems with had nothing to do with the engine or the Jet. I forgot to shut off the engine when I was changing skiiers one day and I accidently crossed over the ski rope. Bad choice. The Jet sucked the rope right up into the impeller and the engine would not turn over. That ended that day of boating and skiing. I had to load my boat back up on the trailer and haul it down to the boat repair shop. The repairman had to take apart the intake to get the rope loose and out.

SAFETY. a Jet Boat is much safer than a Tournament Boat with a prop, a V-Drive or an I/O. I know about someone who fell off the back of the transom while the I/O was running and it killed him quickly. When the Coast Guard arrived to help he was dead and pinned under the hull. Alchohol was a contributing factor.

STEERING - I had no problem steering. Mine had a keel attached to the jet nozzle. If you come in to the dock to fast just drop the reverse bucket lever down and you stop quickly. Mine would stop almost instantly.