I'm a loyal Ford owner, and would buy no other brand of truck. Unfortunatly, most of the stern drive boats out there have GM based engines. I installed two 383 stroker engines, with brand new, ported Goodwrench heads on top, in my Chris Craft Stinger. The engines aren't even broken in yet, with about 6 hours on them. Friday after work, one of the engines started popping through the carb. It was a steady, pop, pop, pop, pop, through the carb, and increased with engine speed. Being several miles from the boat launch, I continued on plane with both engines, although at a reduced speed. I thought it was an intake valve stuck open or something, until I pulled the valve covers. I found a broken rocker arm stud on an exhaust valve. It broke two threads up inside the adjusting nut. I also found that the intake valve rocker stud had pulled out about a quarter inch. I suspect that the intake stud was a result of running the engine with an exhaust valve that wasn't opening. I bought a couple of studs from a head shop (no pun intended)for $4, and put them in the freezer. I know they're intended to be pressed in, but my boss has a Chevy stock car, and he told me that they beat them in with a hammer at the track all the time. I double nutted the studs before I put them in the freezer. Since the stud broke inside the nut, there were still a half inch or so of threads left on the stud. I stacked washers on the stud leaving a quarter inch or so showing, and threaded on a nut. I kept tightening the nut, backing it off, and then adding more washers, until the stud pulled out. Then I put some sealant on the end of the new frozen stud (since they go into a water jacket on a Chevy), and drove it in with a hammer. I also did the same to the pulled intake stud. I put everything back together, launched the boat, and proceeded to run the hell out of it out in the Gulf of Mexico. There were 6 to 10 foot seas, and I was full on the throttle, and then full off, full on, and full off, for about 6 miles out. You have to let off when you're in the air to prevent over engine revving, and outdrive damage when you hit the water. It's pretty impressive to get over 3 tons of boat airborne, and then land without pounding the hull. I have to say, that the repair passed the test. I have to think that the rocker stud had a flaw from the factory, to break where it did. There were no bent pushrods, so it wasn't caused by stress. The repair only cost the price of the stud, and for an exhaust riser gasket for the riser that I had to remove, to gain a straight shot with my hammer onto the stud. I wish it was always that cheap to fix my boat.

 

Damn Chevy wobble rockers

Next time install a couple of 460's!

 

You got a pick of this boat!!!!! Sounds AWESOME

mmmmmm TWO 383 strokers.......

 

That thing has go to be one horrendous fish “stirrer”…tuff word to say fast