Guess what engine part this is from a Chevy powered boat

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565bbchevy

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Aug 8, 2011
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One of my friends ex brother in law has a boat with a newly built 540 Big Block Chevy and he is one of those guys that thinks he knows everything about Chevy engines but really only knows enough to be dangerous.
So anyways he bought the 540 short block earlier this year and put on some Merlin cast iron oval ports, Jeg's roller rockers, Cloyes gear drive and a new Hydraulic roller cam.
He had the engine installed after he and one of his friends assembled the long block and was plagued all summer with driveability issues and replaced the carb and ignition system, new plugs etc. trying to fix the issues and even tried different props to gain the power he thought he should have and then the last time he had it out my buddy was with him and it started loosing oil pressure so they got it back to the marina and recently pulled the engine and it is now at my buddy's house and he is disassembling it and sending me pictures from his phone.
When my buddy told me what this piece was I could not believe it was possible.
He pulled off the balancer and then removed the timing cover and this piece fell out of the assembled engine.
 

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crotchss

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Not for sure but the ripples remind me of the oil ring.
 

565bbchevy

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It's not a good picture but this is the next picture he sent me.
 

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565bbchevy

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The second picture if you look closely shows were the piece in the first picture came from.
 

online170

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Oct 28, 2010
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I was going to guess the Thurst Main Bearing shell, but looks like its maybe the Number 1 main bearing shell?
 

565bbchevy

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online170 said:
I was going to guess the Thurst Main Bearing shell, but looks like its maybe the Number 1 main bearing shell?

Yes, it is half of the number one main bearing that got chewed up by the gear drive, you can see the gap above the crank where it used to be and the other half is working it's way out also.
I will post pictures of the carnage after my buddy starts tearing into it.
This thing was still running all the way to the marina but would not start again.
 

565bbchevy

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jociha said:
Did he at least use a cam designed for boats ?

I am not a boat guy but I was told the way it is set up the engine spins in standard rotation so the hydraulic roller cam would be like an automotive application.
I know he bolted the new mail order heads on without checking anything on them.
He also is running an Edelbrock RPM intake that he later took off an had extrude honed for $600 because he felt it would make a lot more power and he had plans to do the same for the heads until this happened.
My buddy took off the valve covers and said there was a bent pushrod, he sent me the picture but I am still not sure which one it would be. :rofl:
Also notice how well the exhaust manifolds sealed with all the blowby on the heads.
 

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565bbchevy

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I forgot to mention the Merlin cast iron heads he is running on the 540 BBC are the 269cc oval ports.
 
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