Welp I'm gonna chalk it up to gear ratio then. Thanks Scotty. I'm gonna kick around freshin this bbf up over the winter. Rings gaskets cam heads?
If I remember correctly, the MAX recommended RPM range for an OMC 460 King Cobra is 4200-4400 RPM.......
If your engine is turning 4400 (or close to it with the 23p prop) at wide open throttle (WOT) there's nothing wrong with it. You can improve the holeshot a little bit by going to a 19 or 20 pitch prop but to maintain the top speed, you'll have to exceed the recommended max RPM
It doesn't matter what you do to that 460, you're not going to significantly improve the holeshot.
My brother bought my FW 460-211 brand new in 1987. It was always a "Dog" outta the hole....but 60+ on the top end........
About 5 years later after the block getting cracked from freeze damage, he had the engine rebuilt by a 460 race guy in Redding Ca that builds performance 460's for Jetboats and he added Capts Call switchable exhaust, a different cam and some other trick "stuff".
He even went to 19p (repitched to 20 cupped stainless) 3-blade prop and it made it a little better but he had to run it at 5000 to get the same speed (about 60-62mph or so)
The boat picked up a few MPH but didn't come out of the hole much quicker. It was so slow on holeshot that his competition skiing wife didn't even want to ski behind it so he bought an 18 or 20ft Ski Nautique (350 MPI Mercruiser Marine) inboard ski boat (They REALLY holeshot quick!)
I bought the Liberator from him about 5 years later. The dismal hole shot was even worse because the camshaft had a few flat lobes and the engine would only turn about 4000 RPM at WOT.(the flat cam was probably due to him running it at 5000 all those years !!!)
I pulled the engine to rebuild it and when I found that I not only couldn't buy a coupler, but manifolds weren't available either except for new-old stock for a ridiculously high price (if you could even find them.)
That's when I decided to switch to a 300+ hp Volvo or Mercruiser + single prop drive. (didn't think I would want a dual, contra-rotating drive because they reportedly slow you down)
The 454+ Bravo III presented itself on Craigslist for a really good price and I bought it not knowing if it would also be a dog either in holeshot or top speed. All the info I read indicated that I would lose 3-5 MPH at the top end (which I could live with I guess)
As it turns out, when I took it down to California and ran side by side with my Brothers Nautique, the difference was nothing short of amazing!!
He could only beat me out of the hole by about 1 boat length and then, once up on plane, (which is nearly instantaneous) I ROCKETED right by him
(ski boats are not known for being all that fast in the WOT top end)
This was with a nearly 5000lb boat against a MUCH smaller lighter 18-20ft ski boat .....but both with similar prop HP (approx 300hp)
If you want that boat to come out of the hole better, get a 454/496 + a Bravo III or Volvo Duo-Prop drive.
It's just NOT going to happen with that King Kobra even with another 50hp (you'll just get more cavitation on holeshot) And it's simply not worth spending a LOT of money to rebuild the engine.
Cheers,
Rick