Re: 1985 Wellcraft 210 Elite Restoration
Conversation with my dad today...
I don't know why I hadn't thought about just having the heads milled. It sure made a dramatic difference on that Jeep I had. From what I'm reading, milling 0.39" off the heads will bring the compression up 1pt. and typically costs around $120. That would get me back to the original output rating. Also, since it's a very mild cam and has dished pistons, valve clearance won't be a concern. The downside is that it makes the heads more prone to cracking, which, having raw water cooling, already puts additional stress on them.
I had been thinking I'd either just replace the head gaskets and run it as-is, or do the Vortec head swap. This is an interesting, in-between option. Adding closed cooling would alleviate concerns about milled heads cracking, but that would then run the costs up into the same range as doing the Vortec head swap. I had been thinking that longer-term, I might re-power it with a big block and Bravo setup. Marinized versions of the Chevy LS engines are also beginning to appear. Long-term, when budget permits, I'm thinking a LS/Bravo setup would be the ultimate setup, since it would offer better fuel economy, less weight, and more horsepower.
On 8/14/13 4:51 PM, Joel Billingsley wrote:
> Excellent! I know it will turn out well with your persistence and attention to detail. I look forward to taking a cruise in the old girl. Assuming it was a blown head gasket, which I am positive was the case, you could research milling the heads to restore compression ratio to 9:1. I think I calculated that it dropped to 8.2:1 or thereabouts which has a direct effect on the output. With the extra displacement and the original compression ratio, the boat will really perform.
