Need the facts (From the OMC xperts)

**Charles Salsman** · 02-14-2007

What kind of hull? And I guess your 140 is a real 140. The 135 became the 115 in 1977..... Rated at prop.

I did buy some reeds today, and looking for some filler blocks. I have a set of 73 cylinder heads. Is there any other parts I should be loooking for deals on? Electrical? The bigger carbs?

And... since I have my cowling all sanded bare. (Former owner attempted a mediocre paint job I guess) Can we talk about the cutting of the louvers into the cowl?

**tthibodaux** · 02-15-2007

Originally Posted by Skoontz

My 140 had no problems turning a 28. 5800 out of the box, with a vented hood, 6200. Seemed just perfect to me.

Take into consideration his motor is a 1976/135hp not nice and new or fresh rebuilt. If you jack the motor up HIGH enough it will turn 9700 but after about 6800 he's not makin hp he's just overreving the motor.

**Skoontz** · 02-15-2007

The hull was a 17' Switzer Super Sport, weight of 900 lbs. The motor was a '79 140, 99 cubic inch, i.e. the good 140. the 122's had V-6 gearcases, were heavy, etc etc.

All we jacked the motor was 4", at 5, the rooster tail was too big. Hole shots were OK, the boat would lug briefly, jump up on plane, drop down, the engine would rev higher so you take your foot off for a blip, then hammer down. I wasn't ever after hole shots, just the end speed.

**tthibodaux** · 02-15-2007

Originally Posted by Skoontz

The hull was a 17' Switzer Super Sport, weight of 900 lbs. The motor was a '79 140, 99 cubic inch, i.e. the good 140. the 122's had V-6 gearcases, were heavy, etc etc.

All we jacked the motor was 4", at 5, the rooster tail was too big. Hole shots were OK, the boat would lug briefly, jump up on plane, drop down, the engine would rev higher so you take your foot off for a blip, then hammer down. I wasn't ever after hole shots, just the end speed.

Your right. It will most likely run some big #'s but I still think all around boat performance would be better if he stays more conservative. As I found with my boat your only gonna get so much of one thing before you lose another. Charles, so many people are not only right but also wrong so the best thing to do is TEST all affordable options and see what works best. Get a GOOD boat setup FIRST and then you can adjust for speed.

**Bill Gohr** · 02-15-2007

I did write a book, John Tiger had the idea to write an article about modding V4's, so he and I sat down and gave the short version of all of this, it was in Bass and Walleye or Hot Boat, called I think "the Venerable V4".

What filler blocks are you looking for? Your motor should already have the good ones in it, the 135 style make mor HP than the 140's and the 140's made more low end. The 115's were the same block and porting, the 135's got the exhaust, carbs and heads. In your years the 115 had a 2:1 and the 135 had the 1:92's. All the V4's 78' and up were 2:1.

Back in the day, whenever that day was, my last Vector had a 78' 140 on it, Ricky came up with this bare block he had buried in his back yard for 2 years, he said thats what the old drag racers did to season the block. So I take this wad of dirt and rust and spend a week trying to make a block out of it. After cleaning, boring and modifying it, squared ports, finger ports, .020 over, KR pistons, yadda, yadda, that motor would spin a 24 at 7750, and the boat, was 775lbs, full dresser, ran 83MPH. After snapping the crank, I switched to another block with the big center main, that motor never spun like that "seasoned" block. Go figure.

**Charles Salsman** · 02-15-2007

Originally Posted by Bill Gohr

What filler blocks are you looking for? Your motor should already have the good ones in it, the 135 style make mor HP than the 140's and the 140's made more low end. The 115's were the same block and porting, the 135's got the exhaust, carbs and heads. In your years the 115 had a 2:1 and the 135 had the 1:92's. All the V4's 78' and up were 2:1.

Ok, I have in my notes to look for filler blocks, either 322684,322722,392000. I double checked my parts manual, no sign of filler blocks. Went to BRP website and those fillers above are for 115, 140 motors. Searched my model# 135643 for "filler block", came up with nothing.

I'd have to backtrack to figure out where I came across the info & those part #s. Probably this site, but most of my notes are little scraps of info from the internet.

Or are you just seeing if Im paying attention?

My list of simple mods from my notes:
73 Heads 317848,849 (which I have)
78/79 V4 Carbs 1 3/8" (Not sure of the benefit)
Cut tuner ~7.25" below powerhead adaptor
Intake Fillers
Fiber Reeds (Have ordered)
Scoop Cowl or Poor Man's Velocity Stack(?)
NoseCone (Still looking)
"Dry Stacking" (Not sure of any benefit)

Then I have another list of things like the porting work, which if I were going to get into it that deep, Id send it off to someone like Monty Racing (For example)

I asked on my last post about the mods to the cowl, have any of you done any of that?

**Charles Salsman** · 02-15-2007

Originally Posted by tthibodaux

. Charles, so many people are not only right but also wrong so the best thing to do is TEST all affordable options and see what works best. Get a GOOD boat setup FIRST and then you can adjust for speed.

If you can't tell by now, I like to do my homework before diving headlong into something. But I can amass the parts I need with no risk, since they are easily liquidatable if I find I dont need them. (New Old Stock stuff anyway)

Bill Gohr: Seems I recall reading somewhere that you have/had a 15' Allison bassboat from the same era as my Ranger.... I didnt realize it, but it looks like in 1976 Ranger made a 15' model also. This is a pic of what the Ranger version looks like. (Got the pic from a for sale ad online)

**Skoontz** · 02-15-2007

Dang Bill...Where were you when a couple 155XS Merc jerks were hunting me down? I pulled by them, but, with what you did, I would have eaten them....And Mercs taste better with every precious bite after you get the first inital bad taste out your mouth........

**Charles Salsman** · 02-15-2007

E-z there tiger, or next thing you know this thread is gonna turn into one just like at any of those other boating forums. Lets stick to the *facts* and let the chips fall where they may!

Some of the other boating sites are so full of smack-talking egotists its hard to wade through it all. My hats off to the guy running this board.

**Bill Gohr** · 02-16-2007

No, never a bassboat, many 15 Allys though, have one right now that is getting, guesswhat, a modded V4 crossflow.

When you were talking about filler blocks I thought you meant exhaust. Yes, the intake fillers are good to have, we stopped using them only because they were not alcohol resistant parts and there were reports of them falling apart from certain fuels. The 392000 part number you listed are exhaust parts.

As far as your list goes, scratch the dry stacking, takes away bottom end, it would increase high RPM's but I don't think you'll be running it that high. As far as porting, I think I do that too.

Skoontz, the bad thing is back then I was building those 1500XS's too, way back then, I worked for Ralph Kozan and that was ALL we did was in line 6's.