I rode on a 382 with HP500's this weekend. WOW! Very impressive. The boat ran right up to 5100 RPM, noooo problem. However, aside from the swim ladder making horiffic rattling noises at low speeds, the boat sounded mean. Once I quieted the swim ladder, I did notice another noise that sounded like a slight rattle from the "Silent Thunder" platform out the back on the starboard side. At first, I thought it might me a lifter(s) or a valve(s), but if you lifted the engine hatch, that same noise was NOT detected. The noise appears intermittently and around 1000-1400 RPM. Apparently, the starboard motor has been "gone thru" and also has had the lifters replaced and re-adjusted (I guess because one lifter failed after the rebuild, so they just put a whole new set in). Has anyone else experienced this? Couild it be a bad "flapper" in the "Silent Thunder" exhaust platform?

Last, what props have ya'll seen run with this combo? Currently, it has a set of Mirage 3-blades on it, but I forgot to check the pitch. It seemed to "blow out the props if you gave it too much throttle coming on plane. Very minimal bow rise. Cruise speed seemed a little slow at 3200 RPM at about 37 MPH on the speedo. Mid- range acceleration wasn't like I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, it performed very strong, but just seemed to beg for 4 blades! What pitch 4 blades have ya'll seen with this combo?

Here's some potential rattles: the anti-reversion flappers inside the exhaust, but this boat may not have them since it has silent thunder. My boat doesn't have silent thunder so I don't know.

The mirrors on the engine cover above the engines can rattle if loose. I replaced several missing rubber grommets and snugged the mirrors down and this eliminated some nasty low speed rattles.

If the boat has a VHF attenna, especially a long one, it can rattle at low speed. The antenna can also scratch and groove the gel coat. I put a piece of soft plastic tube around it. After I get the gel coat buffed later this year, I'll put some clear helicopter tape on the gel coat to protect it. I may still need the tube to prevent the rattles.

I don't know for sure, but I wonder if the drive and trim tab pumps could be rattling on their mounts which are slide on mounts. I doubt it, but I searched every possiblity I could find in my quest to remove my rattles, which I think are gone.

G

I'm assuming it has Silent Thunder. There was another 96 382 at the marina next door. It had 502 mags, but also had typical thru hull pipes coming out the transom. The one I was looking at seemed to have the transom/platform much thicker and rectangular flappers on the outside like my 1990. Does that make sense?

My 98 has a bolt UNDER silent thunder as opposed to your bolt on swim platform/silent thunder. The concept is the same, just how it's made. I have removed mine and put exhaust tips on. Have since found out my rattles are the swim ladder bouncing around in the ladder well.....good thing you can't hear it at 50mph!!!

Can't believe you can even get a 382 on plane with three blade mirages.

I would try some 26 or 28 Bravo four blades or labbed 28's would be even better.

RedDog382, this thing was great coming out of the hole! I can't even imagine what it would be like with 4 blades!

I heard that 26's came with the 502 mags. I wonder what came with the 500's? For the HP increase 415 to 500, would 28's do it and not sacrifice holeshot? I like my holeshot and mid-range. That seems to be where most of my boating is done!

The fastech's with 502's had 26p Bravo's. The straight hulled 382 with 502's came with 24p bravo's. For a straight hulled 382 with 500's the 26P will be very close to what you need.

Don

Is this a 382 FASTech or not? The first FASTech year was 1997.

From what I've seen, the HP500EFI motors came with 28 pitch Bravo1 4-blades. I labbed my 28's and didn't notice much difference....but I wasn't very scientific about any performance measurements either.

Regarding the antenna, I lower mine to the rear and installed a clip to snap it into.....something like you would snap a fishing pole into.

Thanks Don.

Well, I was able to speak with the always helpful people at Formula and they sent me most of the data I needed. It turns out the the 502/415's came with 21P, the 502/500 came with 23P and the 454/525 came with 25P. The particular boat I'm speaking about must've had 23P 3-blades
because the specs match almost exactly (speed and RPM wise).

The top speed info I could get was on the 502/415 and it topped out at 62MPH @ 5000 RPM. The 502/500 topped out at 70 MPH (no RPM given) and the 454/525 topped out at 72 MPH (no RPM given).

No fuel data was given for anything but the 502/415. It consumed 26 GPH @ 3000 RPM (which is 34 MPH). I'm sure that by switching to 4-bladed props the fuel consumption would drop and cruising speed would increase.

Doesn't seem to hateful...

I have some 24P Bravo's on my ol' 292. I'll keep those and try 'em on the 382 if all goes well.