525 EFI how many hours...
#51
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
How about sludge build up? A guy at the lake has a pair of 2003 525's which he has owned since new. He has been religious about changing his oil every 10 hours or so.The boat has aprox 250 hours on it and he decided to rebuild the motors. What he found in the oilpan and pickup filters was astonishing and does not make sense. There was lots of sludge.The first 8 years , he used Merc oil and most recently, switched to a synthetic blend. What would cause this sludge situation?
#53
Gold Member
Gold Member
Slightly off topic but here goes.
What sea water temp are you guys seeing on your 525's?
My Smartcraft SC-1000 gauge reads 148-150* pretty consistently, regardless of the air, water temp, or RPM. I thought this motor has a 160* t-stat? All my other my other efi/mpi motors ran around 170-175*.
What sea water temp are you guys seeing on your 525's?
My Smartcraft SC-1000 gauge reads 148-150* pretty consistently, regardless of the air, water temp, or RPM. I thought this motor has a 160* t-stat? All my other my other efi/mpi motors ran around 170-175*.
#54
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How about sludge build up? A guy at the lake has a pair of 2003 525's which he has owned since new. He has been religious about changing his oil every 10 hours or so.The boat has aprox 250 hours on it and he decided to rebuild the motors. What he found in the oilpan and pickup filters was astonishing and does not make sense. There was lots of sludge.The first 8 years , he used Merc oil and most recently, switched to a synthetic blend. What would cause this sludge situation?
#55
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It's my understanding that Mercury uses raw blocks for their racing engines and machines them in house to exact tolerances. Forged crank and pistons and steel H beam rods are used. Engine is balanced and blueprinted. Heads are made to Mercury specs by Edelbrock. Intake and throttle body are designed and made in house and flow very well. Header problems seem to be more common on multi-engine boats with long, unsupported, tails. The package includes billet pulleys, combination electric and mechanical fuel pump to eliminate vapor lock, large capacity heat exchangers for engine coolant, steering fluid, oil and fuel. Service is available just about anywhere because all high performance shops know these engines well. Am I wrong?
#56
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I have recently switched to full synthetic to since I am running 20w50 in my engines. At 10 bucks a quart, and 22 quarts for an oil change, I don't know how much longer I will run it. I cant attest to any change in sludge, as the engines haven't been apart. I do know when I was running 20w50 conventional, I had some sludge in bottom of the pans.
#57
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I think blueprinting means that you've gone over all measurments and aspects of the build. Things like measuring and recording deck height, piston to wall clearance, bearing clearances, PTV clearance, guide clearances, etc. All the things most good engine builders do, not just mercury racing.
#58
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Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Antioch il
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This is the million dollar question. Just pulled the motors out this fall with 640 hours on them still running!!! Port had all the seals still in place. Starboard had the heads done at one time. Would still push a 38 sonic 75. But they were tired!
#59
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I think blueprinting means that you've gone over all measurments and aspects of the build. Things like measuring and recording deck height, piston to wall clearance, bearing clearances, PTV clearance, guide clearances, etc. All the things most good engine builders do, not just mercury racing.
Back to 525s. With the low seat pressure I can see spinning them faster as a big problem. I want to know what tore up the hbeam rod 8 that eddie pictured! I don't think the rod snapped...something else failed causing that carnage.
#60
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I read a lengthy article regarding oils a while back, after we tore a few engines down with a bit of sludge sitting on the bottom of the pan. According to the article, it mentioned the sludge can be from the additives added to the base stock, to make the oil a multi weight. They said it was mainly from the breaking down of that particular additive, which is mainly an issue when running a conventional, non synthetic, multi weight oil, such as a 10w40, 20w50, etc.
I have recently switched to full synthetic to since I am running 20w50 in my engines. At 10 bucks a quart, and 22 quarts for an oil change, I don't know how much longer I will run it. I cant attest to any change in sludge, as the engines haven't been apart. I do know when I was running 20w50 conventional, I had some sludge in bottom of the pans.
I have recently switched to full synthetic to since I am running 20w50 in my engines. At 10 bucks a quart, and 22 quarts for an oil change, I don't know how much longer I will run it. I cant attest to any change in sludge, as the engines haven't been apart. I do know when I was running 20w50 conventional, I had some sludge in bottom of the pans.