WOT Chevy 350 4BM??

Fishy McGee · #1 09-01-2008, 04:55 PM

I've replaced the 305 in my 79 V-20 W/OMC 800 with an S&S remanufactured Chevy marine 350 with 4 bolt mains. I haven't been able to get a straight answer from anyone at S&S as to what WOT should be(I think I'm talking to counter sales people without a clue). I'm trying to size a prop and don't know what my WOT RPM's should be. Anybody out there in V-20 land have some info for me??? Please....Pretty Please......
Thanks

THEFERMANATOR · #2 09-01-2008, 05:03 PM

It really depends on which 350 you have. The early style 350's that used the valve cover bolts going around the outside of the valve cover should hit around 4,000-4,400 WOT. The 86-95's with the center bolt valve covers but non vortec heads should run anywhere from 4,200-4,600(some went to 4,800 depending upon which heads and cam). And most of the vortec engines should run from around 4,500-4,800, and the later MPI's went up to 5,000 or 5,200. These numbers are just rough numbers as drive combos and engine combos can affect the WOT range.

Fishy McGee · #3 09-01-2008, 05:35 PM

Thanks. I guess it's the older model. Valve cover bolts are on the outside. I was under the impression that the 4bolt main was a higher reving engine. Also, how far from "red line" is "WOT"? They are different right?

THEFERMANATOR · #4 09-01-2008, 06:17 PM

WOT is the max RPM's you can reach. Red line on an old style 350 would probably be around 5,000-5,500 RPM's. I would not reccomend runing it there for any length of time though. If it were mine I would prop it to run at 4,300-4,400 max RPM's with a light to moderate load. And most all of the marine engines are 4 bolt main blocks. The marine engines were normally modified truck engines, and most of the heavy truck blocks were 4 bolt main blocks. The real low HP engines would have been 2 bolt main blocks, but most anything over 230HP would be a 4 bolt main.

Fishy McGee · #5 09-01-2008, 06:33 PM

Hey man, thanks for the info. 4400 sounds safe to me too, so that's what it'll be. Zephyrhills Fl?? My buddy just moved back here from New Tampa....Beautiful area down there...and no witerizing!
Thanks again

THEFERMANATOR · #6 09-01-2008, 07:18 PM

Yep, just north of TAMPA, the big SH!TY. I remember back when TAMPA was just another city, about 25 miles away. Now you can't tell where TAMPA ends and we begin.