Bought my first go fast!
03-25-2019 | 07:31 PM
#1
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Bought my first go fast!
Bought a Baja 29 outlaw as my first boat, and I’ve taken it out today for the first time and man am I excited for summer. It has the 496 Mag, which I have a question about. It has about 145 hours on the motor and while it’s really fast I bought this thing for the long run and instead of buying a whole new boat, id like to buy some giddy-up parts for the existing motor. Is it okay to do that? I’m very familiar with car engines but not marine.
03-25-2019 | 08:25 PM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,612
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From: ALTO, MI
Welcome to the hot boat club. I have been hooked for 41 years.
what I am going to suggest is from experience.
Build a 540 or larger cube engine and put that into your boat and sell the stock low hour engine that is in there now.
You are going to spend a LOT of money to gain maybe 5 MPH.
Whereas IF you build a 540 for about 700 tp 750 HP and install the right lower on your outdrive for proper prop shaft height you could gain upwards of 10 or more MPH.
Being a 29 Ft. single engine boat you are underpowered to begin with IF you intend to go fast.
I am no expert on the 496 but I don't believe you will be able to create enough HP to make the boat go fast without the potential of bottom end damage. (I never built a 496)
what I am going to suggest is from experience.
Build a 540 or larger cube engine and put that into your boat and sell the stock low hour engine that is in there now.
You are going to spend a LOT of money to gain maybe 5 MPH.
Whereas IF you build a 540 for about 700 tp 750 HP and install the right lower on your outdrive for proper prop shaft height you could gain upwards of 10 or more MPH.
Being a 29 Ft. single engine boat you are underpowered to begin with IF you intend to go fast.
I am no expert on the 496 but I don't believe you will be able to create enough HP to make the boat go fast without the potential of bottom end damage. (I never built a 496)
03-25-2019 | 08:46 PM
#8
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,992
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From: Cleveland Ohio
Run the boat a few more times and make sure it performs up to spec for the engine thats in it. You can upgrade your 496 Mag to a 496 Mag H.O. pretty easily, this would get you 50hp. If thats not enough then do as Tinkerer said about building a N/A 502 based drop in engine. You will also need high performance exhaust, drive upgrade, new prop and external steering if going for the N/A engine build.
03-26-2019 | 07:38 AM
#10
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,590
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From: Endicott, NY
Enjoy the reliability of the 496. Go boating for the season. No reason to upgrade, make sure you have enough time to use the boat and to justify the project and $ it will take to upgrade.. Take out is probably your best bet, but it will be a project, it will cost a bunch and it always takes a bit to get things just right.
