496 HO mods

[JustMercMe]

Ok, I know you 22 classic guys have played around a bit w/ this combo. Whats the best bang for the buck on mods for this setup? What would be best to go about first? Exhaust? Is a shorty gonna help a lot with a stock setup?

Thanks fellas?

[Carl C]

Shorty gave me 3-4 mph. CMIs, zilch. Is your exhaust aluminum? If so it flows very well. HotShot Mick did the Raylar kit with CMIs and was disappointed but I don't know what his goals are. The consensus on this forum seems to be to go with a 502 or basically anything but the 496. That's just what peeps have been telling me.

[BigGrizzly]

The 496 is a small motor in respects to internals. It can be made to run well, and is pretty durable. the problem is not too many good mods available that make a big difference. The real best bang for the $$$ is a supercharger, problem is the cooler is a little small it works just could be better. As for Micks boat it was not a disappointment it went 80, people just though it should be better for the price. Merc, you know the drill $$ X $$$= horsepower

[JustMercMe]

Shorty gave me 3-4 mph. CMIs, zilch. Is your exhaust aluminum? If so it flows very well. HotShot Mick did the Raylar kit with CMIs and was disappointed but I don't know what his goals are. The consensus on this forum seems to be to go with a 502 or basically anything but the 496. That's just what peeps have been telling me.

I read a lil of your thread when you installed your shorty and was wondering what the end results were....Just did'nt know if it would make that much of a difference on a bone stock boat....All I've done to mine is put tips on. Did'nt know if it would be worth more to me to go with a shorty or exhaust system first. Did you have to change the prop size you were running? As far as the 502 thing....I gotta stick with the 496 for now unless somebody wants to trade even for a 525.....:lightning and I don't think thats happening.:wink:

[JustMercMe]

The 496 is a small motor in respects to internals. It can be made to run well, and is pretty durable. the problem is not too many good mods available that make a big difference. The real best bang for the $$$ is a supercharger, problem is the cooler is a little small it works just could be better. As for Micks boat it was not a disappointment it went 80, people just though it should be better for the price. Merc, you know the drill $$ X $$$= horsepower

Know it all to well! Just concerned about the consequences.....Reliability and lack of fundage.:biggrin.:

[Carl C]

Try a shorty with 28p Bravo 1 prop from Mercury Racing (labbed). That got me a solid 3 mph, maybe more. My motor is stock otherwise except for the CMIs which turned out to be $5,000 bling. The prop is debatable, the shorty will definately help. Some are running blowers on stock 496s but I would build the motor and do it right before force feeding it. Others will tell you not to bother putting that kind of coin into a 496.

[Carl C]

I thought some others would chime in on this??

[gcarter]

I thought some others would chime in on this??

Must have all been asleep.

[Dr. Dan]

:wavey: Save your money and enjoy your boat...get some seat time in it...and in time...like after a few seasons when the "Initial Investment Shock" has fully set in and by then you will have a much better base line to judge improvements.

I drove our 454 for 5 years until I decided to really screw ours up...and as you can see from the other thread its not worth anything to anyone but you! So keep your money...in your pocket and save it for a day when you can do the prudent thing and just put a 525 Pull Out Motor in it...and be done with it.

You can take the money from a shorty, the money from headers, and you can add them together and deduct it from your total cost... the 496 can sell for another offset. All of the sudden your $15,000 investment is only an $8000 investment netted out.

The end result will be a very unique boat with no need for slight add ons because as every one here knows...there is no replacement for displacement, period. Worst case you can get an HP500EFi and save even more.

Dwight(Air Tankini Removal Boy) has replaced his engine twice in less than 4 years.... because he opted not to do this originally. I was a dumbass and listened to CDMA and RoadTrip and a Dog Earred guy....and it never ends no matter what. But in all seriousness .... hang onto your cash and then go Blue! If it helps I didnt have to wonder about 2 to 3 mph...I jumped right to a plus 20 mph mark and its been a big grin ever since. The only true add on that can net out that kinda difference is supercharging or blowing it...and I think...by the time you make the necessary changes even doing that... you will be damn close if not more jing $ that if you went Blue.

If you do anything add steering....if you dont have it...that will come in handy and it wont go against anything you do now or in the future...it works as a good safety add on no matter the power.

Just my $.02

I love the color of your new ride BTW...great looking boat... let me know if you need any matching Donzi Gear to offset your new toy! :biggrin.:

Good Luck Merc.

Doc of Been There Done That! Got the T-Shirt :kingme:

[harbormaster]

I am selling a new lower cost CMI 496 Stainless header system with tail pipes for about 2500 dollars.

As for Supercharging the 496, most of them do not have forged steel components. They also have powder steel rods, and the hypertechtic pistons. not good for longevity. The first 2 years had forged cranks but the accountants put an end to that. Just like they did with the aluminum manifolds which are now cast iron.

THE LAST YEAR FOR THE 496 IS 2010. PARTS WILL DRY UP. AND NO ONE WILL WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. SIMILAR TO OMC. (my opinion)

Best bang for the buck would be to sell your engine, and take that money and apply it to a used blue motor. I say blue motor becaus when you take it somewhere for service all you have to say is 500 efi or 525 and they can get all the specs.

There are some quality "custom" motors out there but they tend to complicate the equation when it comes time to get them serviced. Its prudent to keep a binder with a list of all the internals and specs so that you give them to whoever is working on it. This eliminates the need for the shop to reverse engineer your "custom" engine to fix it.

Best advice is leave it alone and enjoy the boat. If you have the money burning a hole in your pocket. just add a thumpin sound system, LED lighting in the cockpit/engine room. You can also bling out your dash and engine compartment. You will be faster that everyone else and your boat won't even be moving.:yes:

[Carl C]

The blue motor is sound advice but I don't see any reason for not going with the shorty now. It is a mod that will give instant results, not just in top end but also in helping the boat run flatter in the rough and it should still work well with a blue motor in the future. I bought my boat new to enjoy turn key reliability for a few years. I have a $440 payment and I'm not in any hurry to pull my motor. I thought the CMIs would help but the claims in the ads are BS. I got very little or no improvement. They sure look purty though. Maybe JMM is in a similar position. My motor came with an all aluminum exhaust with huge ports. CMI techs said they had never heard of a factory aluminum exhaust on a 496 HO:rolleyes:. That could explain why I didn't get the claimed results. JMM, I know your boat is at the shop now but I'd really like to know if your exhaust is iron. Also, adding the shorty will require going to a 4 blade prop. If you don't have access to props for testing the Merc Racing 28p Bravo 1 will get you close to where you want to be. Or you could bolt on a pro-charger and run the snot out of it but I'd purchase towing insurance through BoatUS:yes:.

[JustMercMe]

The blue motor is sound advice but I don't see any reason for not going with the shorty now. It is a mod that will give instant results, not just in top end but also in helping the boat run flatter in the rough and it should still work well with a blue motor in the future.

I think that would be my best bet also....Really would like to go blue in the future. Already given Mercury Racing a load of money....might as well not stop now! Somebody's got keep em going!:yes::yes: Man, I hesitated on a couple of 28 Bravo 1's last week for $300.....Shoud've pulled the trigger I guess!

Thanks for the info guys!

[BigGrizzly]

Merc, I was thinking about this. I believe your X is 2 inches higher to begin with and you have Hydraulic steering. So the shorty will be too high. The mor I though the more I though of your family back ground. SOOO as a re evaluation I think you need to leave it and we can prop it. My stuff hasn't been tried on that boat. I also though at what Harbormaster said, because of the relatively short production of that engine family and the few people making GOOD stuff for it, he is correct. I think I would wait and do it right or with a new generation motor if one come out in the near future.

[Carl C]

Merc, I was thinking about this. I believe your X is 2 inches higher to begin with and you have Hydraulic steering. So the shorty will be too high.

For sure if you have the raised X you can't run a shorty. Well, unless you are looking for a roostertail like Silverback's.........

[JustMercMe]

Merc, I was thinking about this. I believe your X is 2 inches higher to begin with and you have Hydraulic steering. So the shorty will be too high. The mor I though the more I though of your family back ground. SOOO as a re evaluation I think you need to leave it and we can prop it. My stuff hasn't been tried on that boat. I also though at what Harbormaster said, because of the relatively short production of that engine family and the few people making GOOD stuff for it, he is correct. I think I would wait and do it right or with a new generation motor if one come out in the near future.

The Aronows and the GT's(like mine) have the standard "X". I think they started raising it with the Shelby's right after mine was built. So mine should be basically the same setup as Carl's. I DO wanna try some different props. I think I can get rid of some excess RPM's and gain a mph or so...

[The Hedgehog]

It will take some more beans to bust 80. I would hold out for some blue and do it right.

BTW, I love the answers you are getting on OSO. Priceless.

[Carl C]

It will take some more beans to bust 80. I would hold out for some blue and do it right.

BTW, I love the answers you are getting on OSO. Priceless.

They pretty much verified what I said about the exhaust; Just bling unless you do serious engine mods. They seem to agree with the shorty, and they are right about you not being able to turn 5,300 rpms without sounding the warning horn and then hitting the rev limiter. Your tach is off.

Get the shorty! (jmo)

btw, Sellsman11 is Frankie from Pier 57. I bought my boat from him. Listen to him.

[JustMercMe]

Yep, a lot of guys are saying exhaust over there but I kinda like the replies better over here....I figured they would be a lil bit of a different opinion over that way. Carl by your results I'm gonna go with a shorty first I believe....(Well looking for a 28 Bravo 1 first then the shorty)....Maybe a year or 2 down the road looking into a blue beast....500 or 525.:worthy:

Thanx for the replies guys!

[Carl C]

Yep, a lot of guys are saying exhaust over there but I kinda like the replies better over here....I figured they would be a lil bit of a different opinion over that way. Carl by your results I'm gonna go with a shorty first I believe....(Well looking for a 28 Bravo 1 first then the shorty)....Maybe a year or 2 down the road looking into a blue beast....500 or 525.:worthy:

Thanx for the replies guys!

Actually I see replies very similar to what you got here. The guys pushing the CMIs and Raylar kits are from those companies. You've got several peeps there saying the exhaust does zilch on a stock motor. Now I don't feel so bad. Frankie sells (or sold) Donzis at Pier 57 and said go with raised X and prop. Shorty is like raising X. Do it. Blue motor sounds like the same consensus on both forums.

[roadtrip se]

with a 496 HO with CMIs claimed a bump to 78 on GPS when I talked to him a couple of weeks ago. He is considering a shortie, which is why we talked. No first hand experience here at all, just what he told me. He also stepped from a 25 pitch Mirage to a 27
with the CMI upgrade.

I do have many years of shortie experience. The boat will run different and faster than comparable horsepower boats. Some people don't get beyond the different part and go back to a regular leg, so it is a preference. I run three, four, and five blades on my XR set-up and all have pluses and minuses.

As for blue, I am a little biased...

[Air 22]

As Dr. Dan said...I replaced my tired 454 w a new stock 502 in 2006...good idea at the time for $6500....I wanted an HP500EFI...but not for 20K....so 3 years passes and I need stringer work...uhh-ohh:rolleyes: gotta pull the engine...hmmm lookie what I see on OSO a HP500EFI for half the price in 2006....So I pulled the trigger and aquired the BLUE MONSTER:biggrin.: the 502 was for sale....60 days later I sell it for 8k...not bad in this economy...:wink:
I picked up an easy 10mph over the 502 on my 1st day out...and the dialing in has just begun...Listen to many here...Doc, Tripper etc..do it right save up for a Blue Motor...you wont be dissapointed....TRUST ME:kingme: