Jetsetr

@RichardDoane ...not really! It did make initial float level setting a bit easier/quicker less messy (those manifolds didn’t have a wedge to level the carb) but once they’re set either way you’re good to go. Just saves having to take the bowl(s) off to adjust levels. Super easy carb to work on, very simple. Save yourself some aggravation and buy some extra float bowl transfer tube O rings...use fuel lube or a touch of grease on them, they tear VERY easy and will whizz fuel everywhere anytime you take the bowl off if you tear them.

Holley 4160 marine.... I modified mine to the adjustable float bowls.

@ScottScott understand and you’re correct...gotta see what’s wrong before fixing it... But the way my brain works is it needs a bit of time to absorb/process what was said that needs to be worked on.

Halloween in SE WI this year... Guess we don’t get a Indigenous persons climate change phenomena (Indian summer) here this year...

Lots of LSR “keep it on the ground” trickery on the red 40. Have had it to 270+ with no issues (but that’s fast enough/probably too fast without wind tunnel testing). It usually runs 205-215 in the 1/4 so I measure off another 660ft when we do airshows with it and chop it there... The “big” 40 is for Monster Jam shows and car burning...no go fast for that one...

I’ve learned so much about IB ski boats from working on my Brendella and my friends 79 Stars and Stripes MC....they are SO simple...100% dispatch reliability since I’ve owned it. Can’t say the same for the SS MC but it had hammer mechanics working on it before I started messing with it, and it’s pretty solid now. The new boats are cool with better wakes, HP gains (but more weight) and gee whiz electronics but when they break you’re done and back to the dealer it goes for god knows how long...screwdriver, match book cover and sometimes something to wack the float bowl and we are back in business. I’m sure breakage on the new boats doesn’t happen very often in all honesty. But there just is SOMETHING about old stuff that raises the cool factor that’s not explainable...

Will look into those suggestions...

Not meant to be a one up...his hot rod is great...a ton of pride/feeling of accomplishment goes into building anything that’s unique like his hot rod... Sorry if it came across like that... Both my ‘40s are turbine powered...

Looks great! Out the back exhaust will still sound great but be much less annoying on long drives... Here’s my winter project... 1940 Ford pick up (all steel) on a 1998 GMC 4WD chassis, powered by a Rolls Royce 601-22 with afterburner...

We are back in WI for a few weeks and then heading back weekend before Thanksgiving. We usually leave the plane and airline home but that’s a busy week for us and bringing the plane home empty... Will have to check out some of the local ski schools. I’m down there a lot during winter and can stay if I want to. I need “ground school” as well as ski time. Understand they need X amount of $$ per set but I would be willing to pay extra for ground school. At my level of suckage I’m not good enough to just jump in, ski and have “fine tuning” by an instructor. Pretty hard to find that actually...

No King of Darkness this year? Person I fly to Orlando had a home on the lake that hosted it last year... Was looking to catch it this year... Which school/club is on that lake?

So you will spend $10,000 to $100,000+ on a boat, $1000 on a ski, $100 on a pair of gloves but you won’t buy 5/6 quarts of oil (and filter) for less than $50 that WILL have a direct impact on your skiing/boat??? Meanwhile the acid (even oil with 15 hours has acids) in the oil will be happily consuming expensive parts in your engine over winter... What am I missing here???

The one on the right is waaaaaay cooler!!!

More pics of the Sanger!!

@DW yes, you’re correct...my friend was going to donate a LS-1 for my boat...was confusing LS-1 vs Vortec...my mistake.... I thought about it for about 3 minutes and decided to stick with the 5.7 Magnum. A lot of messing around to marine-ize the LS-1-cam, exhaust, trans adapter, electronics etc etc...

My 1993 5.7 GM “Magnum” carb engine is 275Hp (same as the FI engine), my 1989 Ford 351 carb engine is 240hp... The standard 5.7 GM is 260Hp. Significant bump in Hp (less weight as well) for the Vortec SBC...you also have to use the transmission adapter for the old style transmissions (automotive I KNOW you do, assuming (dangerous) you do for the marine application as well) if you go to the Vortec engine, different exhaust manifolds and of coarse you need all the electronics. Gets pricy FAST...but a fair Hp boost. But it’s VERY easy to build a standard 5.7 to well over 400Hp on pump gas... That also opens another whole can O’Worms, because now you have to re-prop ($$) to take advantage of the horsepower your making... Comes down to how much $$$$ you want to spend...

Not going to matter if you get impaled on blunt or pointy rebar it has the same unpleasant results...and it’s not pretty...

If it was knocking (rod bearings/wrist pins) prior to having the heads worked on it’s definitely time for a new shop... Steel heads are not worth much...use them as book ends (or launch them thru the window of the shop that took your money for work that didn't solve the problem) and get a new or reman long block with a warranty. Depending on your plans for the boat (keeping it a long time or selling sooner than later) would be my factor between new or reman. I’m my case the boat only has 304 hours so for $500 more new was the way to go.

Michigan Motorz.... For my boat the part number is 5700-preV 1987-1995 pre Vortec Head 275 HP The info above is for the 1986 or older 5.7 same price as my engine. Not sure which year he needs an engine for...it wasn’t mentioned. The newer engines with aluminum heads are more expensive... Looked at ATK as well...

MichiganMotorZ.... 5.7 Long Block appx $2400 rebuilt 1 yr warranty NEW Marine long block from GM $2900 2yr warranty shipping available... Purchased a new GM long block for my Malibu. If it needs a just short block how do you know the heads are good? Depending how bad you “fried” your motor you may have damaged the heads as well. Have the skills to build a short block to a turn key unit? Lot easier to bolt on the intake, distributor and accessories and go skiing with a warranty. JMHO...

That’s a pretty nice looking boat...should work well for what you want it to do...GRAB IT!

These direct drive carb boats are about as simple as they get until you get into the EFI Uber electronic versions. It’s a basic V8 engine, simple driveline, nothing special. If you’re not capable of working on it, I’m sure you know peeps that can. You can tell how something was taken care of. You can always trade up, but if what you REALLY want is close in price I would recommend doing that. There’s a LOT of information (sometimes too much and not so good) available on line for these boats. Get someone to go with you to be the “objective eye” (a mechanic would be ideal) and take away the I WANT IT factor that comes with a purchase like this. It’s a lot of money, and it’s easy to overlook defects when caught up with the excitement. I guess it kinda surprises me that a lot boat owners have no clue how to work on their own equipment. Not trying to be insulting, just surprising. Maybe honestly most boat owners are waaaay more affluent than I am and just don’t want to mess with it, and it’s easier to write a check and that’s cool too...

I have an awesome UShip driver available...

NOT a good year-in the spring lake closed early due to high water, about a month of skiing and now closed again. Probably done for the year, almost all the lakes in SE WI are closed. Have a drysuit so even if I have to push really late going to do it. Skiing improved, but still have a LOT of work on.

@skibrain Damn....pulled up 8 skiers with a small (relatively speaking) outboard? AWESOME! Doesn’t even look like that big of a engine. I know most ski shows use outboards, but they’re using 3 @ 750 or 900 horsepower total.