Has some nice goodies on it, but i fear it is locked up.
The cover has been deteriorated for years, the carb is locked up (7054938)
Quadrajet, that I couldn't find an application for. But it was the Ka heads
that intrigued me. The guy wants $500 for it, and I would have to pull it.
Thoughts?

 

What are ka heads? Try offering him something for the heads. Maybe he'll tell you to take the whole thing. If the motor is locked up the head's are just as bad and you will have nearly as much in them as a new set.
Railguy
Yeah real hard to walk away from. Not many olds motors just lying around.

 

IMO $500 is a little steep. I sold a set of Ka heads for $200 and the Performer might bring $150. The rest is pocket change except for the crank if it is any good but you would have to tear down the engine to find out. It is also a 45 deg block.

 

What are you thinking,to use or part or just to have? The Ka heads I have read about somewhere on here...

 

Hi Ed. Yeah I thought $500 was on the steep side too, I was thinking maybe $250 or 3. And what kinda of PITA would it be pull it? A big one I bet. Railguy, the Ka's were supposedly replacements for the W-30 heads in 71-72 I think. Large valve anyway. I just think the whole boat is probably going to end up in the scrap yard, and that would suck.

 

Hi Ted. I just didn't want to see it scrapped is all.

 

Hi Adam, kinda cool. If it was near me I would try to get it. Maybe ask someone with some more experience. We have three marinas around here that I could ask the guys what they think.......

 

I think $500 is high, but I'd go $350 without hesitating if you've got the time to pull it. Boats use manual transmission flywheels, so the ring gear had use but the face of the flywheel has never had a clutch on it. Even if the block/heads are bad you've got the valve covers, intake, flywheel, exhaust manifolds, adaptor from flywheel to jet drive. I've purchased several 455's from boats, usually with a cracked block because they forgot to drain it. I'd sell the boat only parts and keep the items that could be used in a car.

John

 

If nothing else, I may offer him a few bucks and pull the goodies off it, but I doubt if he will go for it.

 

Good to Know John, thanks for that. It probably has a cracked block, I pulled the stick, way over full and had some grey on the tip. So more than likely trashed.

 

Maybe $5oo for the whole boat .then you could pull it at your leisure. Scrap is way down now $4 last time I went. If I bought it it would just set in my garage for someone else to discover later.
Railguy

 

Ha, Yeah he wants $1500 for the whole thing. Not just no, but Hell no.

 

Olds supplied a lot of marine engines in the 1970s. Most were 455s with K or KA heads. It's interesting that this motor has the later model oil fill tube, not an original 425 tube with the push-on cap. No 425s were ever factory built with KA heads, either, as the 425 blocks were out of production before the KA heads were ever cast.

I suspect this was originally a 455 installation and the original short block was replaced with this 425. As noted, $500 and you remove is high for an unknown core motor, even with the extra parts. $350 is closer but still high in my opinion.

 

Joe, I hadn't noticed the oil fill tube. I wonder if its a 425 block with 455 internals? Maybe the original block cracked and they put the guts in this one.

 

Yeah, that's probably an even better explanation. Reusing the 455 crank would avoid having to change the flywheel, since most boat installations use an MT flywheel.