Not sure who Billy Brooks is but Buddy Branch in Brooksville is a master on the Cadillac engine for airboats. His number is 352-797-9910. He is a great guy and will treat you right.

Thanks for posting this advice Swamp. Every time I log into SA, I get valuable information from it's members.

Depends on what you are looking for. You can use these which are pretty pricey: http://www.fueltankparts.com/replacement-pickup-tube-thread-in-18-long-cut-to-length-637.html or these: https://www.westmarine.com/buy/moeller--24-fuel-pick-up--14070825?cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC%2520-%2520Product%2520Typ...

Looks like I have a solution to the problem with the help of Deano, Swamphunter, Buddy Branch, and others who commented. After talking to everyone it was determined that my head bolt holes were not threaded to the base of the hole. In discussion which Buddy, he was kind enough to let me know the exa...

Good to know One Eye Gator. I'll check it out.

For those of you , like me, who don't have a GPS onboard your boat, I ran across this site from National Geographic and the United States Geological Survey which provides detailed topographical maps which can be downloaded and printed for your area. Simply narrow your search and click on the red dot...

Which of these bolts would be more acceptable? I'm not sure if zinc plating is ok in an engine even though they come in Grade 8 and F911. Grade 8 - http://www.allensfasteners.com/detail.asp?Product_ID=0029 Grade F911 - http://www.allensfasteners.com/detail.asp?Product_ID=0049 ARP Black Oxide Flange ...

I believe all that he was saying is that given that your rebuild is using the lower compression ratio, that head bolts will be sufficient. And that while studs may have been preferable, they are not mandatorily necessary for that level build. I kind of suspected that was grease on that stud . . . I...

Scarecrow wrote:Why not cut or grind those to the right length?

Thought about that Scarecrow but read that Grade 9 studs would be hard to cut and rethread if necessary with ordinary tools.

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SWAMPHUNTER45 wrote:Yes

No real need to stud an 8.5:1 in my opinion that was what I was trying to relay.

Thanks for the clarification Erik.

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Thanks Erik and Deano for your replies. I truely value reasoned responses that help point me in the right direction and point out things that I might not have thought about. I has taken me over a year and a half to get to this point so I don't want to screw something up and have to redo it. Deano, I...

Well I did some measuring today and here is what I found. The hole depth as measured from the bottom of the hole to the deck is 1,260". The stud threads measure this same amount. Therefore, I'm guessing that the holes are not threaded completely to the bottom of the hole. I also compared the ex...

This is what happens everyday with everything. If you expect aftermarket performance parts to fit. You will change that idea after a little but of experience. WaterThunder, I am quickly learning that with this build. You end up with a lot of money in it and lots of plan b's. Sent from my VS985 4G u...

Condolences and prayers to the family. May he rest in peace.

Reply from Paul at MTS: "Hi Tom, while I have never run across the issue, I found someone who has heard about the ARP Studs issue happening a handful of times in his 30 years of Cadillac engines. "On rare occasions the holes in the the block are not tapped or were tapped short. If the stud...

Thank you for all the responses. Sorry that I haven't replied yet as the mother-in-law is in the hospital so that takes precedence. I will pull the heads off in the next day or so and measure the depth of the holes. It appears that there are 3-4 stud threads above the deck of the hole so what Eric a...

Hey Deano. The studs were purchased from Summit Racing and the Shaft Rocker System was the VT59 from MTS. Here is the link to the studs from Summit. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/arp-135-4007/applications. I have not torqued down the heads yet but the instructions state to tighten them only han...

Has anyone else had to shim the crap out of their shaft rocker system due to using ARP studs which appear to be about an 1/8" too tall on Cadillac heads? I checked with MTS before ordering the studs to ensure that there was enough clearance and they assured me they use them all the time. I have...

Condolences and prayers to you and your family.

Good product. Cut to size. Use the fastener kit to attach to radiator or frame it and mount it. If mounting directly against radiator, use rubber dampeners in between to isolate vibrations and prevent abrasion damage. Thanks Gladescat. Don't know much about it's longevity but it seems to do the job...

I have built them out of aluminum and steel expanded metal with a 1" wide flatbar aground the exterior to fasten it to the radiator. Bk Bkmail, that seems to be the prevailing design from what I can see. Maybe a few changes depending on the mounting options needed but very functional and simpl...

I have stainless expanded behind the radiator and house screen up front never had a problem I have seen so many airboats with no protection that I was beginning to think that the reason was because it restricted airflow too much. Glad to see that you and others do have some layer of protection on t...

Here's what's on my DB. I highly recommend having something fairly heavy duty. A friend of mine almost lost an engine because the air cleaner bolt snapped off and went through the prop. The prop then faithfully handed it off to the radiator with great force, promptly blowing a hole clear through. H...

Krahammer wrote:Here is a photo of mine, from gutter guard material.

That looks like that would fit the bill. Thanks for the photo Krahammer.

jeepinocala1111 wrote:They sell metal screen and I believe he made his own frame.

Aahh. I was thinking only of the fiberglass kind. Didn't remember the metal type of screen.