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Crusader 454 block id and some other

realcaptron

Regular Contributor
Hi folks.....new to this forum but hoping to get some help. A few months ago I picked up a 1976 32' Jeffries with twin Crusader 454's. They start and run great so far but I am getting to a point that I want to start learning more about what year of mfr these engines are...kind of assuming they are not original but they might be. I know that manifolds and risers and v drives and oil coolers all have dates of rebuild or replacement painted on them, and with the boat 40 years old, I'm certain these raw water cooled motors must not be the factory originals. As I said they start up almost instantly and idle great. I have not put it up to cruise speed yet. So how do i determine the year of build on these motors? Also, I am concerned that the distributors may not be marine grade. I believe they are HEI's and they have vacuum advance diaphragm coming off distributor to carb. Question, if these distributors are electronic ignition (not points), then do they still present safety hazard with potential sparks? A marine mechanic told me they do not, but that the vacuum advance from distributor to carb will very adversely effect fuel consumption. So....are they an explosion hazard? Should I worry about vacuum advance if my intention is to "cruise" this boat at about 1200 rpms? Its gonna be a gas hog I'm guessing, so I have no desire to cruise it on plane. I don't mind doing 8-10 knts from point a to point b. Trawlers do all the time. Thanks for any help.
 
First off, the auto HEI distributor poses an explosion risk as its NOT rated for the marine environment....I'd suggest you find another mechanic as well as swap out the HEI-vacuum advance distributors for marine rated parts.

as far as the 'dates' - there are many. The block will have cast codes showing where and when it was made...the marine OEM will have an inferred date based on the serial number and then the hull will have a build date too. The GM block data is on many auto www sites. The factory tech support line will help you track down a serial number if it isn't on the page here (go to the engine service manual link -> crusader page -> serial number page).
 
Makomark...so far I have not located a block id, but I found the Thermo Electron tag with serial number 20298 and model number CH350. That is for starboard engine. It seems to be a really old number since I have not yet found that number in any lookup that I can find. I have a hard time believing these are original motors since they are still running great and look decent but who knows.
So I am ready to pull the trigger on two distributor conversion kits to yank out the HEI's in there now, but only hesitating because the engines counter rotate. The port side is left hand (standard I believe) but the starboard side runs right hand. Not sure how to easily determine if both distributors are common. Any help appreciated. I would like to get these ordered and changed out. Thanks
 
So I am ready to pull the trigger on two distributor conversion kits to yank out the HEI's in there now, but only hesitating because the engines counter rotate. The port side is left hand (standard I believe) but the starboard side runs right hand. Not sure how to easily determine if both distributors are common. Any help appreciated. I would like to get these ordered and changed out. Thanks

You will find that both distrib rotate the same direction and are the same part. Because, the cams rotate the same direction...
 
2X what dd said!!

the 'magic happens' because the LH engine drives the cam with a chain; the RH engine drives the cam thru a pair of gears. End result is both cams spin the same direction (different grinds) and both distributors are driven the same direction (and are interchangeable, if the need arises)....

FWIW, my mid80's vintage CH350 have SN's starting with 56xxx. Also, the SN plate should have a LH or RH in front of the number itself...
 
But don't forget that even though they rotate in the same direction, the firing order is different.

roger that. thank you all. continued advice may be needed when I change them out. I have ordered Delco Voyager electronic conversion kits from an outfit in Florida that supposedly apply to all 454's built since 1968 to 2014.
 
guys....I found my block id's. My port side engine is 10069286 with tag saying left hand and the starboard is 14015445 with tag saying right hand.
My research into blocks tells me the port motor is newer and mfd only in 1990 and 1991, while the starboard engine shows dates of production between 1978-1990.
If anyone has any further insight into these serial numbers and anything I need to know about them, I appreciate it.
 
GM stopped making 454's long before 2014.....that said, the EST distributor fits the SBC as well as the BBC.....

I believe what you fund are the block casting numbers....I'd suggest one of the hot rod www sites if you want to research casting number further....

The serial number plate should have the LH or RH info. sounds like what ever you have in there has been replaced since the hull was made...maye more than once.
 
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