I ran flat top pistons in my 350 for a while but could not get away from the
detonation problems. Todays premium gas is about like the old days regular.
I went back to the partially dished with a flat top where the squish area is
from keith black. KB has the high silicon cast pistons that take a bit more
abuse similar to the ones gm puts in it's high end engines.. Forged pistons
are the strongest but they have a higher expansion rate and require a looser
fit. Makes them a bit trickier to fit correctly in marine applications
because marine engines are far less consistent about operating temp.

The v6 is basically a v8 minus two cylinders. Not sure exactly what parst
are completely interchangable but it doesn't really matter, the aftermarket
v6 parts are just about as cheap as the v8 ones. It is handy because a lot
of the external bolt pads are the same so the v6 and v8 are easily
interchanged.

You'd be far better off with a 350 that trying to build up a 6 cyclinder.
It takes a whole lot of hp to go faster on the water and the v8 has more
heavy duty options like 4 bolt mains. On the water you can't build hp with
rpm's like you can on land so on water displacement is everything. All the
serious go fast boats have 502's. If you have space in the engine
compartment it's probably almost completely a bolt in substitution.

"Gorf" wrote in message
...
I have done some research and heard you can put higher compression
flat-top
pistons in the 4.3 and gain a few HP. Who makes these pistons? I have done
a
bunch of searches and come up empty handed.

A related question, I have also read that the 4.3 is a 350 minus two
cylinders and that the pistons and rods are the same. Is this true or
false?




--
John

WWW.Firewalk-NC.com

"Be the change you wish to see in others"

----Gandhi