'01 lightning upgrades
 

I've been thinking about easy upgrades, if there are any, to my lightning. I have been considering labbed props or even shorty drives. I am running 500 efi's w/ bravos. The props are 4bl bravo 30". I am already running 80-85, depending on load and conditions. I know the x-dim is pretty high already but I was wondering if anyone had any experience. The motors only have about 250 hrs so I really don't want to get into them yet.

Leave it alone. I started with the same set up as you. What you have now is fine. I went with wipples at first then full rebuild from crank up and sport masters, 5 blade labbed props and it will run 104mph but if I could go back to stuck I would. Just trade up to a faster boat.Why spend money to go a little faster ? The boats that beat you now will still be faster.

500 efis are due for a top end job around 250 hours, i would at least do a leak down and if it shows good then replace the valve springs. for some upgrades get the props labbed and have the ecms remapped, this should get you 2 to 3 mph

I have a 2000 Lighting with 500 Efi's and Xrs and run 31 4 blade labbed props I have 300 hrs on my motors and Its in the shop right now getting valve springs changed and also changing head gaskets Mercury says valve springs are do to be changed between 250-300 hrs so I decided to do the head gaskets also and put the conetic head gaskets and lap the valves.

yeah, I just had the springs replaced, leak down, drive alignment etc... recommended by Merc. I would agree that a big time upgrade is not in my future. I was just looking for a small tweak or two. I just love the turn key nature of the efi's and nothing would warrant not having that.

I agree, I also have a 2000 Lightining Classic with 500 EFI's. I am soooo glad to not have carburators anymore. Just turn the keys and they start. I have 215 hours and they are running great, I guess that I am looking at doing the top end soon, but it runs so good I hate to touch it.
David:p

I know, I hated to do that as well but when I talked to Merc Racing they told me that the new springs and gaskets would continue to give me a bulletproof setup. I had LCM do the work and if anybody works on a bunch of blue motors it would be them. It is just good insurance. Losing a spring and dropping a valve would be really bad!!!

I had 300 hours when the springs failed on my port 500HP.
Upgrading the springs is cheap insurance, vs my having to buy a new port engine, then upgrading the stbd. to match.
Are you bumping the rev limiters at WOT?

The way I am propped now 5,000 is about top rpm and I don't see that but for a few seconds a weekend, mostly I am running 2700-4000 range typically 3200 rpm. So I would like to think I am being pretty easy on it. However I bought it used with 190 hour on it and I don't know anything about it's past history. The boat was in excellent shape cosmetically, and I had a leak down test done and all check out good. How many hours can I push the envelope to before doing the top end?

Is it a viable option to just change the springs and not pull the heads? We used to do that on the Cracker box race boat all the time.
TIA
David

an ecm remap as stated, a crossover to remove circulating pump, a larger filter element, a set of trik props and under drive pulleys will get you 5.