New 500 EFIs being built by Potter Performance
 

I'm very excited to be having Ron Potter at Potter Performance building me a set of 500 EFI motors for my Fountain. Ron is great at documenting everything to do with his builds with pictures and videos so I thought I would put together a build thread as we go. First my boat is a 1996 32' Fountain Fever with a single step hull. When the motors were running right the boat ran a consistent 74 MPH. We just pull a set of 502 415 HP motors out of the boat.The motors had loss of power and a exhaust leak. When we first talked about this project we thought we were only going to put a set of stainless marine manifolds on and keep on keeping on. My motors had roughly 400 hours on them so I thought they were still in good shape.I took the boat to Potter and Ron was going to do compression test and a couple other test on them see what kind of shape the motors were really in. Couple hours later I got a call both motors had water on the cylinders and all threw the top half. At that point we decided to pull them out and take off the intake manifold and pull the heads to see how bad things really were. The exhaust ports on the heads were eat up so bad they were no longer rectangular. The intake's almost had a huge hole eat into both of them. Each motor still has water laying right on top of the piston's. The valves over each one of the cylinders that still had water laying on them was so rusty the rust was flaking off just by touching it. Short of the long my motors were junk!!! I'm going to put the pictures up that Ron took for me on what we found when he tore into the motors in a little bit. I like to follow some of the build threads so I thought I would try one my self just to see if I can make interesting as some of you guys can.

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This is what the motors looked like when we started this build.

Once we pulled the motors out the fun began. I had to clean the bilge. Boy was it[ATTACH=CONFIG]516491[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516492[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516493[/ATTACH] nasty. I'll put a few pictures up of what that looked like too.

After about 5 days of scrubbing and scraping and whole lot of busted knuckles this is what the bilge[ATTACH=CONFIG]516494[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516495[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516496[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516497[/ATTACH] looks like right now. Much better.

I still have a ways to go before the bilge is satisfactory but we will get there.I have pictures of what we found when we pulled the intake's and heads off the motors. I will post those next as soon as I can get them out of my email.Check out Ron's web site. The guy is a genius with performance boats and marine engines.I was just reading the motors he builds under engines.This guy get's 1320 HP out of a marine engine on 93 octane pump gas. Check it out. http://www.potterperformance.com/ENGINES.html

Good luck with the project! Your boat should be in the ninties by the time you dial it in. I just dropped a set in my 29 last spring but was missing 2 cylinders for some reason. I actually took it to Real Fast Marine Reggie III to get them running right and get me dialed in Cant wait for spring![ATTACH=CONFIG]516499[/ATTACH] By the way thinkin about putting a set of prochargers on them but waiting to see where I am at when they are running right.

When you say build you a set of 500EFI's do you mean stock, modified,,,,,? What HP are you shooting for?

looks much better.. you may want to take a look at the condition of the port side stringer forward of your outer motor mount, that stain looks like wood rot

You should call Ron and talk to him about what your thinking. I was raised as a third generation commercial fisherman and have been running and around boats since I was a baby for the most part. Ron is one of the most noligable people I have ever talked to about boats in general. Then motors? Man this cat is a step above anyone I have ever talked to about motors. Go to his website and check it out and you will see what I mean. He does all of his own machine work right on site. I really wanted a set of whippel motors but just could afford them this time around. I'm going to keep this thread going with pictures and video of the dyno tuning. I think you will get the idea.

The red mark you mean? Hopefully that's the one you see. If so that's were the battery box was bolted threw the stringer and it bled off the washer side. Not sure why they bolted those threw like that anyhow. The way they were bolted down they weren't moving even with out the threw bolt. Let me know if that's what you see please.

Wildman. We started out with a set of 415 hp EFIs. We started to go back stock and Ron thought those would turn out to be somewhere around 425 or so just rebuilding just like they were. I wanted to get a little something more out of them. Ron said we will bore them a little bigger pistons a little more cam and the headers of coarse. I can't forget those. The stinking manifolds are what got us here in the first place. I can't believe they were still running even but they were still doing that. I guess I'm lucky I didn't mess more up than I did. I'm about to put up the pictures of what we found when we tore into them in a few minutes. But to answer your question.500hp each or maybe just a little more if possible is what we are shooting for. Anyhow Ron's website if you guys what to see some real motors is. potter performance.com check it out and let me know what you think. This guy ran Nortech engine program for over 20 years.

This is what we found once we got into them.[ATTACH=CONFIG]516801[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516802[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516803[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516804[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516805[/ATTACH]

Here is more.[ATTACH=CONFIG]516806[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516807[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516808[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516809[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]516810[/ATTACH]

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Boy what a mess!!

Tbrown. That is a good looking set up you have by the way.

T brown known fact it takes 16 hp to pick up 1 mph you only count 1 side, one motor,so 415hp to lets say he makes 575ish like yours. thats about 8.5 mph ontop of 74 mph =about 82.5 . that would also be with about 11 to 12 % slip. you better get one of those Reggie speedos I heard livorsi made them SPECIAL for Reggie.Your phone called me to day .I called you back. I proved this theory when i supercharged 425 hp to 625 hp 75 mph to 88 mph 1 more lb of boost added 20 hp put me at 89.5 down stream I could hit 91 /92 mph figure 89 plus 200 more hp they dynoed 809 hp at 5200 im spinning 31 ,5 blades 5800 slips 11% Im right at 100 mph thats all I can get you know what all 3 .of my gps ,s read anyways good luck with your build dont have real high expectation and you will be real happy .I did a thousand things to get my slip down some of the things made me loose speed. I change x dimension and center of gravity,and blueprinted hull. I started out with whipples on 8.1 now they are 3.3on 509,s SORRY I DIDNT READ THE SECOND PAGE .

You will be very happy with Rons work he is very detail oriented. I am glad I spent the money and had Ron build my engine, it runs flawlessly.

FWIW. I built a 500 EFI with AFRs, Bob Madara cam, .030 JEs 9.6:1, dynoed 572 HP @5400 on 89 Octane. Ran mid 70s in a 271 Fastech.

Thank you guys. Keep the info coming. Maybe I'm wrong about the 500s. When Ron said 500s I thought he ment 500 hp total. I hope to get 570 something out of them. I'm going to ask Saturday when I see him.

I just noticed you said you ran mid 70s. That was a single motor right Jake? I ran constant 74 with my 32 with 415s.

27' Formula single with 1.5 XR 26 Bravo 1 spinning to 5400.

Ron is doing my 525's right now as well.....

Pat

I have fresh 540s 615 hp each I ran last season 80 single step fever took the air filters off just before putting it away jumped right up to 90 gps with stock 30 bravos and -2 imcos.
Rich

Pat Ron is building you two as well right now? That's assume. Isn't he great. I can't wait to get mine back in. It's like said Ron probably wasn't getting any were near 415 hp out mine since I bought it. This just because of the normal wear. He thinks I would be surprised at how much faster and how much more power I would get a posed to what I'm used to. So I really can't to get mine back in to see what we have. How long has he been working on your now Pat? Have you been to his shop? Or did you just ship him your motors? I see your from Maryland. I'm from the eastern shore of Maryland my self. I used to run around Solemons and hang around Verras. You ever been there before?

Man that's fast Richard. I hope to see something in the 80s. To be honest with you. I let a guy tune mine up when I first moved here to Florida and I haven't even seen 70 since that point. But we blew what we thought was a manifold gasket on the test run after this other guy tuned them up. Turns out it was a hole in the manifold not a gasket. The other mechanic told me no big deal just run it and have fun for a while and then we will put a set of headers on it. Good damn thing I didn't listen to him. I had water on the cylinder then and would smoked a motor had I kept running it. I learned one good lesson. Pay the extra money for the best mechanic. This is why Ron Potter is working on my boat. He will be the only one who ever puts a wrench on it going forward. I live in Florida now. My office is just around the corner from his shop too so this makes it a little easier for me. Good luck with yours Richard.
Norm

I know a lot of people with his motors and they are very pleased , I know a mechanic who has Ron on speed dial here in NJ and is on the phone with him all the time.
I have even seen people pull his motors and sell there boats with out them. I had terrible luck with engines before I hooked up with Ralph at Pro Rock in Brick NJ. When I first got mine it had mild 540s and ran my test run on a lake in Florida 80 on a very cold winter morning.
Rich

Lucky, was your boat once up around Orange Beach, AL or Destin,FL?

I like the look of Potter's shop. Clean and parts stored orderly.

X2, looks awesome!

It's been a great pleasure so far dealing with Ron .... I sent them down in December and told him when I needed them back by!!!


Pat

Dyno them Friday and shipping home to me tomorrow.....

Post the results when you get them,,,, please.

Looking forward to see the results. Thanks for sharing.

I'm curious to know how much you saved rebuilding your existing engines compared to buying new ones? And warranty comparisons?

No Crane. My boat was bought brand new from a dealer in Md. I'm the third owner all in Md until now. I live in Bradenton Fl now. Moved here just so I could get more time on my boat in a year. A lot more things to do here as we'll.

Spicy let me know how they turn out. Especially let me know how they look on the dyno. Sounds like he building yours right front of mine. I'm in no hurry at all. Ron's going to reinstall mine back into my boat for me as we'll. I'm right here close to him. We have a good two months before we will get serious about boating again right now so no rush on mine what so every. But please let me know what you think about yours please.

Spicy what's the ending results from the dyno? Also post pictures what they look like to please. All of his look just like they run totally out of site!! Let us know please. I'm looking every day hoping to see them. I'm anxious as everyone else.

First Engine Dyno @ 564.9 HP with 590.6 Torque
Second Engine Dyno @ 564.6 HP with 590.0 Torque

Warranty with Mercury is a year, Potter has given me a year Warranty as well.

I was sold with Ron on the head work changes he did over Mercury, just a few small upgrades for performance / reliability. As far as savings I don't know how to answer, first what Ron and I worked out will never hit the net as I don't see it my place to post his pricing, and that as I only have hearsay on what Mercury charges, I had several other things that I had to change out ... Couplers, Had some powder coating done, and I had a bad heat exchanger so really couldnt go apples to apples, I'm happy so far, they just need to get here!!! according to the tracking number they are in NC trucking there way up 95

I will post pictures when they get here... But I'm sure that they are Blue & Black just like when i sent them down, just shinier and the internals are healthy!!!


Pat