Pros and cons of prochargeing my 540
 

Im thinking about putting injection and a procharger on my 540 but i dont want to have any reliability problems.Thanx for any info

Mixed answer here for you with my experience. I put a Livorsi Vortech system on my stock 502. Bad news: blew a head gasket and a couple Bravo 1 drives. Good news: went from 64 to 80 gps, after an XR drive and rebuilding the motor the correct way I never had another problem. If I were to do it again I wouldn't hesitate as long as you keep the boost low. On a self-serving note I took the system off before I traded the boat in and would make you a great offer for sale. It was fuel injected and the computer remapped which is something you would have to get done to maintain reliability.

Build your own fuel system & don't rely on anything out of a box for a tune. Have it done in the boat & on a dyno.
If you like breaking drives, you are in luck!

Whipple!! Definately dyno tune!

Just realize that there is no such thing as a kit. You will need to purchase parts and do things above and beyond what you get from Procharger. You will need to upgrade the fuel system in the boat. You will also need the engine built to handle the boost. That means good valves, head gaskets, etc. If you half-ass it, it will bite you. Do it once and do it right. Give me a shout if I can help in any way.
Eddie

I don't want to high jack the tread but what are the pros and cons of procharger systems over traditional roots type blowers?

Only marine kit I have seen with positive reviews has been a WHIPPLE. Personally Procharged two 500efi's 30 Eliminator and had nothing but problems, to the point we pulled the chit off and sent it back.

I had a procharger on my 500 efi. I sold it off and I am now in process of building a 700HP 540. Prochargers can be reliable if you rig the entire system. Install a new high flow fuel system with larger lines,pumps,injectors and filter. Larger oil cooler and the best head gaskets you can find. If you run exhaust temp gauges and monitor them you will pretty much never blow it up. The problem with supercharger systems is that they claim you just bolt on all that horsepower and go. If you bolt it on without doing the other things I mentioned, you will have problems. Jeff Wurl

Whipple charge looks better setting on the motor

The procharge is a littler noiser

If the Whipple takes a dump all the metal goes in the motor. On a procharger self contained (oil), if it goes the blower blades are caught by the intercooler so no metal gets to the motor. The intercooler can be cleaned, 60$

Went over 200 hours trouble free with prochargers on hp 500 motors . But as stated no such thing as a bolt on kit. For the best results set it up on the dyno then put it in the boat. just my .02

Been there!

Young Performance here did my 540 Procharger Combo. Set up right it will make tons of power and live. Mine hits pretty good.

Eddie is right. Nothing is really just a kit. I started with one. It worked ok on my 502 but his setup on my 540 is great.

I previously owned a Top Gun that is equipped with procharged merc 500 efi's with M1 Self contained units. The boat is still going strong for the current owner and has logged over 800 hours !!!
I keep telling him to write Procharger about his / our success on this setup...
The ONLY time i ever had an issue is when a fuel pump went out at about 250hours- but this can happen to anyone with any brand equipment.
I would own a procharged boat again !!!

Then dont do it.

Unless you are going to go through the whole engine youve got and put the right parts in.

Been there done that this advice applies to any "add on" supercharger of ANY type.


UD

Can I borrow .02 cents, I bought my boat after a mechanic looked at it and gave it thumbs up. Twin 502s with Livorsi super chargers/ intercoolers on it, after the 2nd month and 3rd time on the boat both engine blew up. After 7 months of redoing both engines and having Tyler Crokket himself map the computer the boat was up and running, oh yeah cost only about $35,000. Fast forward 2 years, 30hrs on the engines, my port engine starts leaking oil, leak down test reveals something is wrong. My mechanic pulls the engine for a light rebuild, checks on the intercoolers and both are completely clogged up, new ones to replace the intercoolers are $2000/each. I would go with 525's and have them run all day every day!!! Have sunk almost $60,000 in these engines and have only put 30 hrs on the boat. Livorsi stopped selling their supercharges for a reason!!

Livorsi sold a few different supercharger set ups over the years. The Vortech system that I purchased had remapping done, larger fuel lines, bigger injectors, electric add on fuel pump, etc. They warned me when I put the system on about the two things that might happen. The stock head gaskets gave way and the Bravo 1 could not handle the power. As stated by several on here - it is not bolt on and go. Regarding the previous statement about Livorsi's system, I put over 700 hours on the motor after the rebuild and sold it still going strong.

Have 540 with m4 procharger, rtech intercooler, & fast efi setup. The problem with procharger is you prop the boat for max rpm where it is at max boost. When you come on plane you do not have much boost so boat takes it time coming on plane. Good news is procharger is easier on the outdrive, vers roots or whipple blower.

Poor setup can tear a motor up quick. Will procharger make your boat less reliable then not being procharged? Depends on how you drive but when ever you have more HP, the odds of tearing up somethng increases.

That was very well stated.

If you have 800 plus H/P and run your boat several times a season at WOT and have a XR or Imco sc drive at about 50 to 75 hrs. the drive will go
I paid to build a boat like that once and that is what happened to me, the motor was fine and never gave any problem just finally reached the max top end the boat was going to go without going with 1000 HP.

Procharger will operate better on EFI. I know for fact the Carb set ups had issues!Cons the coopernickle in intercooler limited hours.

Pro: Speed
Con: Heat.....and eventually....Kaboom

I recently built a 540 with a procharger after I blew up my 502. Take the time to build the motor to handle what you are going to do to it. If not you are pissing money out the back.

Thanx for all the input guys.My engine was build by Boyd's motorsports in lake George ny.There was no expense spared when this engine was being put together so i think i will be ok with the pro charger.Boyd is putting the F.A.S.T. fuel injection set up on it as we speak.Im already around 700 hp but need more.I sick of that little blue sutphen of morgans beating me LOL.