Recent content by TRBenj

Thats actually a 17' Barracuda... are you familiar with that particular boat (at Maccalums in NH) or did you just borrow the picture off the web? I believe that boat has the 318, which commonly came in the larger boats (17-18'). The Mustangs and Skiers we're playing with that have the 273's...

Just so theyre all in one place! Moper, thanks a bunch- thats really generous! I will give the Magnums some thought and let you know. How does the chamber size compare to the 302's? Eddy 1404... thats a nice looking carb. The only problem is that its not for marine use. Those have more...

Ahh, gotcha. Any idea how a Performer RPM or Air Gap compare heightwise? I know a LD4B would fit, but am not sure if the RPM/AG is taller or not.

I wasnt considering a Performer based on numerous posts I read like this: http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=101967 I was instead focusing my search for a LD4B. Good idea/bad idea?

Oh and yes, marine exhaust manifolds are water jacketed, so that's another lever that can't be pulled for more hp in this application.

Correct... Budget is tight on this one. If it weren't, Id be looking at bottom end work and more cubes (318 or 340). I do think trying to extract some more power from the small engine without breaking the bank will be a fun project though. Another Chrysler guy I know suggested magnums a while...

Yep, sounds like 302's are the most readily available, small chamber, decent flowing head out there... so I will start shopping. Not many junk yards around here carry stuff more than 10 years old, unfortunately- so finding stuff thats 25+ years old might be a challenge. There are a few head...

OK, so I think Im close with my compression ratio calculator, as long as my assumptions are fairly close. I assume I would be going from: bore = 3.625" stroke = 3.31" head gasket bore = 3.75" head gasket thickness = .030" combustion chamber volume = 68cc piston dome volume = 0cc piston deck...

Ok, looks like I'm confusing people... I'll try to clarify. My buddy and I are each looking at 273 builds. We're starting from the same point (200hp marine 4bbls with 8.5:1 CR and 675 heads). He is doing a full rebuild and going back together with the egge 10.5:1 pistons, ported 315's, the ld4...

More good info... so the "real world" chamber sizes dont line up with that chart... ok. Are the published compression ratios also lower than advertised? Someone help me here, as I must be missing something. Im playing with a compression ratio calculator to see the effect of the different...

The cam specs look tiny to me too... but my eyes are not calibrated to small block Mopars. I have a bit more experience building small block Fords and big block Chevies. It seems that both small block Chevies and small block Chryslers can make some big power at higher RPM even with small...

Im reading a little more and it looks like 273 marine heads that I keep calling "318 heads" were actually offered on both the 273 and 318. My buddy's boat had 675 castings. (This would make sense since the 675's look to have been installed in later 273's. The marine industry lagged the...

Great info! Sounds like the ~8.5:1 CR that I was assuming the 273 had is pretty darn close. That is what the 210hp and 235hp 318 LM's had for CR as well. 200hp fleet 273... any idea if those had the 318 heads just like the marine version? I wouldnt be surprised if that was the case- I know...

Was the "low compression 4bbl" available from the factory? I cant find it listed anywhere- I can only find reference to the 2bbl (8.8:1, 180hp) and 4bbl (10.5:1, 235hp). If so, what was the official rating on the engine? I assume slightly higher than the "typical" 185hp? Or maybe youre...

Are those numbers relative to some known quantity (stock automotive 273 maybe?)? We'd need to know the baseline configuration to base the changes on, right? Just curious if you were using the marine 273 with the lower compression 318 heads and unknown stock cam, or something else. Im not sure...