292 Fastech exhaust upgrade
 

Hello.
I have 292 Fastech with 377 Scorpion engines. Kicking around idea of upgrading engine to headers. I already have silent thunder box removed with straight pipes-it is loud, even too loud for my taste.
My question is : is it worth spending 5k on it ?
I know there should be few HP bump and probably 100 lbs plus weight savings.
Anyone went this route ? is it worth the money ?
My boat runs hi 70 at the moment. I mainly want to shave some weight from the back.

your boat runs high 70's on gps. Stock 320 efis?

Yes, 76-77 on GPS.377 Scorpion engines, 30P labed Bravo One props.
Confirmed with GPS gauge, Raymarine navigation and phone app.

ok nice. So those are blue motors? Im jealous.🏁

Yes, Blue tops. That was my requirement when looking for 292. I moved up from Baja Islander with 530HP big block. It was fun boat but couldn't handle anything on Lake Michigan.

You won't really gain anything by moving to headers. If you're looking to replace the exhaust because it's time to do so, you can't go wrong with Stainless Marine.

The problem with headers is over time, they will fail. Considering how much they flex while running in rough conditions, they will crack. A few of my go fast buddies (including myself) at the marina went with Hardin, IMCO or Stainless Marine because of the reliability issues involving headers (and initial cost). Friend of mine's set of CMI's would consistently fail every few seasons, he's been running stainless marine manifolds for over 8 seasons now with no issues on his 850 hp blower 502's (boat didn't see any loss in mph without the headers). Stainless marine is definitely the best bang for your buck. IMCO are nice too but they use a wet joint design.

As others have mentioned...headers in your application would be a waste of money with no performance gains.

spend the delta cash on hyd steering (if you don’t have it), bigger tabs, or something else...if you plan to keep the boat.

I see. I have bigger tabs and hydraulic steering already.
Just wanted to go on plane faster, my idea was that shaving some weight from the back would help a little.
I am planning to get 353 or 382 in 2 seasons. Maybe it doesn't make sense to spend money on it.
30ft is a little small for lake Michigan.

Save the money for your next boat...