What is the difference between a 496Mag and a 496MagHO?

[GRADS]

Other than the obvious 50 H.P. difference? Is it possible to upgrade a Mag to an HO?

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

One has a HO....one doesn't.

 

[707dog]

The mag motor has cast lower end parts and the magho has forged steel...please correct me if I'm wrong just going off what I thinki know didnt Google it yet

 

[BHC Vic]

Other than the obvious 50 H.P. difference? Is it possible to upgrade a Mag to an HO?

I don't think so. Could be wrong though

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

No forged stuff in either, HO has a different cam and heads from what it remember.

 

[fishing fool]

Mag 4800rpm
HO 5100rpm

 

[McRib]

I've been told the mag bottom end is weaker. Other than that cam and ecu program.

 

[HOOTER SLED-]

The HO has higher output.

 

[CoolCruzin]

$6000.00 difference

 

[ACS]

04 and older HOs had the forged bottom end. 05 and newer they were the same.

 

[rvrrun]

04 and older HOs had the forged bottom end. 05 and newer they were the same.

With exception of the cam and tune.

 

[n2otoofast4u]

Just buy my junk, then you have no worries about any of this! Turn key, and cruise like a boss!

 

[ACS]

With exception of the cam and tune.

Thanks,I left that out

 

[bilge rat]

4 90 sick !!!

 

[GRADS]

Any Whipple computer flashes available for this motor?

 

[robby dmax]

Any Whipple computer flashes available for this motor?

Yes!!

 

[robby dmax]

I believe only the very early 496ho had forged internals..but as far I know the only difference is the cam and the ecm program and you have an HO.

 

[GRADS]

Would be nice if there is an upgrade considering I might be coming home with one tomorrow. We'll see. Definitely would be the slowest boat I've owned in 20 years. But I'm cool with that.

 

[Deltarat]

Would be nice if there is an upgrade considering I might be coming home with one tomorrow. We'll see. Definitely would be the slowest boat I've owned in 20 years. But I'm cool with that.

Upgrades are few....
Replace cam with HO cam
Whipple tune
aftermarket exhaust

or enjoy the boat and put all of that money towards a used HP 500 and swap it out....

 

[Bigbore500r]

Cam and tune. Most of the motors have the same rotating internals as the GM 8.1 Vortec truck motor, just with Merc part numbers. I wouldn't hesitate to make a MAG into an HO, 300rpm isn't gonna make or break the bottom end.

 

[milkmoney]

Why fuck with a 496. U leave them alone and jus use them. If u want faster, but a boat with a bigger motor [emoji106] [emoji202]

 

[Singleton]

Any Whipple computer flashes available for this motor?

Yes, I have the Stage 2 ECU Whipple upgrade on mine. Mid range acceleration is great, but I don?t think I would do it again. At higher rpm ranges the soot increased and my transom is dirtier now then before. Plus you are running 91 octane and that can be harder to find on the water

 

[Bigbore500r]

Why fuck with a 496. U leave them alone and jus use them. If u want faster, but a boat with a bigger motor [emoji106] [emoji202]

It's an easy 50hp with a factory cam swap and re-tune. Cheap upgrade. I'd do it

 

[poncho]

Why fuck with a 496. U leave them alone and jus use them. If u want faster, but a boat with a bigger motor [emoji106] [emoji202]

Exactly what I plan to do after researching the mods for these motors, I get into some serious water on the ocean and dead nuts reliable is crucial.

 

[Heylam]

Why fuck with a 496. U leave them alone and jus use them. If u want faster, but a boat with a bigger motor [emoji106] [emoji202]

Great advice right there.

 

[rvrrun]

Why fuck with a 496. U leave them alone and jus use them. If u want faster, but a boat with a bigger motor [emoji106] [emoji202]

Sometimes people want to waste money for the sake of wasting it. Next week, we are installing a Procharger on a 1993 Chevy work truck with a utility bed full of tools and equipment.

 

[Old Texan]

Bottomline: How many MPH's will 50 Hp get you? Is it worth the cost and possible affect on reliability?

And who is really gonna notice?:skull

Had a guy back in GA that changed props and did some motor upgrades that added 5-7 mph. He was all excited and bragging until another guy commented that no one noticed and why the hell was he still the last boat to dock at the marina bar after a day on the water? Poor fella's bubble burst and we never heard much from him again.

 

[milkmoney]

Sometimes people want to waste money for the sake of wasting it. Next week, we are installing a Procharger on a 1993 Chevy work truck with a utility bed full of tools and equipment.

To much money right there. Lol [emoji202]

 

[milkmoney]

It's an easy 50hp with a factory cam swap and re-tune. Cheap upgrade. I'd do it

What is the gain in 50hp in the size boat he is looking at ????
I had a 496 for 7 years , never touched it , left it stock, worked great for me [emoji202]

 

[nowski]

What is the difference between a 496Mag and a 496MagHO? That's a strange question coming from a guy who had a Merc. 600 in his last boat...

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Took mine out of my Daytona 26 and went with a blown 509, 72 mph to 117 mph and $48,000 later it was pretty much the same as dousing the money in gas and lighting it on fire. 117 was fun though.

 

[Meaney77]

http://www.raylarengineering.com/496mag-marine-performance-parts.html

 

[Uncle Dave]

What is the gain in 50hp in the size boat he is looking at ????
I had a 496 for 7 years , never touched it , left it stock, worked great for me [emoji202]

Yup.

Dont know the boat Grads is getting but a reasonable formula in a non hooked v is about 1 MPH for every 20 HP.

Rather than wrench on these cat engine at all, you are better off building a separate mill so you can keep boating till the day you do the swap, and keep the Mag or Mag HO stock as rock. Putting money into these is like pissing up a rope.

A 500/500 can be had from a gen 1 SBC and is easily doable with ls/ lsx architecture and a good exhaust manifold.

UD

 

[Bigbore500r]

This is a simple upgrade
-factory HO cam installed
-tune it
50hp
You're not screwing with it and throwing aftermarket shit in it, just upgrading it to factory Merc HO spec

 

[dribble]

Other than the obvious 50 H.P. difference? Is it possible to upgrade a Mag to an HO?

The cheapest way to do it is to to take off this engine cover,



And replace it with this one.



A 50 hp upgrade for 20 bucks.

 

[Uncle Dave]

This is a simple upgrade
-factory HO cam installed
-tune it
50hp
You're not screwing with it and throwing aftermarket shit in it, just upgrading it to factory Merc HO spec

Yet its still not that - says the vin or a scan.

If you are going to keep it forever go to town.. if you are going to sell it ...ever... leave it alone.


UD

 

[Bigbore500r]

Some people are hot rodders.....some aren't

 

[Uncle Dave]

Some people are hot rodders.....some aren't

in a resale situation a stock engine is attractive to both types of boaters.

One guy for its purity as a core building block, the other as a trusted set of component assembled by a known entity.

Im a hot rodder myself, and have lost many boating season on mod projects - building another mill would have spared me all that.



UD

 

[BDMar]

Cam and tune

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Some people are hot rodders.....some aren't

It isn't even hot rodding. It is OE parts bin upgrades.

 

[hallett21]

By the time you load your wife, her friends, their gear, fuel etc you're not going to feel the 50 HP IMO.

If you do feel the difference no one else in the boat will. And when your top end number goes from 69-71.5 the guy passing you at 80 won't care either lol

Edit: unless we are talking a 21ft or under boat

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

By the time you load your wife, her friends, their gear, fuel etc you're not going to feel the 50 HP IMO.

If you do feel the difference no one else in the boat will. And when your top end number goes from 69-71.5 the guy passing you at 80 won't care either lol

Edit: unless we are talking a 21ft or under boat

It will feel like just your wife is in the boat.

 

[DaveC]

Leave it alone.

 

[bocco]

Cam and tune

In other words, nothing that would justify the additional cost.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

In other words, nothing that would justify the additional cost.

Like anything about a boat or boat accessories does justify the cost?

 

[robby dmax]

There is no such word as hot rod in a 496 or a 496HO..Just reliable!!

 

[Runs2rch]

By the time you load your wife, her friends, their gear, fuel etc you're not going to feel the 50 HP IMO.

If you do feel the difference no one else in the boat will. And when your top end number goes from 69-71.5 the guy passing you at 80 won't care either lol

Edit: unless we are talking a 21ft or under boat

I have 210 with a 496HO. Def would not want any less power.

I think it is a great overall setup.

 

[Uncle Dave]

If I were going to bothering going into the block with a cam and tune, Id replace the exhaust and maybe heads as well because thats what lets the rest work.

To bother with all that effort and go 2/3rd of the way feels like Im almost finishing the job almost getting some performance gain, but spending a bunch of time and dough for a tiny bump.

Starting in the low - mid 70's you need steering before you can really go any faster safely - ask a 20+ footer loaded with people gas and booze at 75MPH to make a reasonable tight turn at speed and the stock stuff starts showing its weaknesses.

you have to spend more more money to get over the 80 hurdle safely.


UD

 

[Bigbore500r]

It isn't even hot rodding. It is OE parts bin upgrades.

Exactly

You know what Teague recommends for the 600SCI - They tell you to put the 700SCI cam in it

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Exactly

You know what Teague recommends for the 600SCI - They tell you to put the 700SCI cam in it

But resale!! Just put in a new $70k Teague engine. That makes more sense!