exhaust questions. Dry VS. what? WET?
 

In all my research for HP, im noticing the last thing to add on the list is exhaust.. but there seems to be so many different kinds.. Manifolds vs big tubes, etc.. can someone give me a short run down of what all there is out there and the pros and cons of each. It would seem that "dry" exhaust would get SUPER hot, maybe im wrong? Someone knows these answers!

dry exhaust has a water jacket around it and either dumps the water at the end of the pipes or through a thru hull.

if it dumps the water at the end of the pipes, doesnt the forward part of the exhaust get super hot?

Full water jacket.

so whats the price difference and pros/cons of water jacketed headers or "the other kind"

Although I havent looked at pricing lately, the last time I looked, stainless CMI headers were not that much more $$ than aluminum manifolds. Manifolds have a limit as far as horsepower, while headers basically dont. In my opinion, no manifolds out there can match the look of stainless tubular headers.
I run full dry CMI's. Full dry means that the water and exhaust never mix. However, as was said above, the headers are fully water jacketed, they are a pipe within a pipe. Water surrounds the inner pipe, keeping the outer pipe warm to the touch, but far from burning hot. My tails, have a bung welded to the ends, to dump the water via a through hull fitting. That way the exhaust and water never mix. The down side.. Its too damn loud. I know, most of us say I like it loud, but trust me, its toooooo loud. A set of GGB extreme mufflers took the bark out of it.

great info, thats the explanation i was looking for vinny.. appreciate it.. im only finding exhaust systems in the $5k range, am i missin somethin???

if you want the best performing exhaust , go with the KE'S as they are a true 32' in length.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ght=ke+exhaust

second runner up is STAINLESS MARINE manifolds..

my coin's worth.

does an exhaust system require the engines bein pulled to install? wont be able to afford exhaust after the rebuilds but hopefull mid summer.. hate to have to pull the motors again to do that install.

The center manifolds on your boat would be a pita. It is possible though depending on the type of exhaust you choose. Check out lightning's. They look and perform really well and are more reasonably priced than other true headers.

I think the CMI Elbow Top headers like I have on my boat are less than $5k. Maybe $3K a pair? Have you started building the engines yet?

lightning is the brand i was looking at... they seem like a solid piece..

i like gil's dry system. i got over 15 years out of my last set and they saw alot of salt water. i also have been told they produce more hp & tork over cmi & that was told to me by a reputable engine builder by dyno tests they have done on alot of system's. beside's that dry pipes sound bad-ass. even with my gil full time muffler's you can't imagine how many guy's back off when i "hammer-down" as my kid's say. sounds like i have blower motor's. if its to loud your to old

if you have sterling regular header can you go dry or do you need the a whole dry system per say

i'm not an expert but if your tailpipes are seperate from the manafolds/risers and use a jumper hose i would say yes . all you would have to do is buy dry tailpipes. dry pipes are also great because you don't get the water-reversion problems with big cam's.

go with the KE'S as they are a true 32' in length.
Hey OPEN a true 32 feet in lenght ??? :D

the water reversion issue definately draws me to the dry pipes....

i have big cam's in my 468's so to me it's not worth taking a chance. i bet that's why the merc 502's had trouble. they use gil manafold's but the riser wasn't a full dry pipe. gil system's are about $2600 complete at cp performance

are you 468's just bored 454's (330 hp), if so message me!

they were 454 400 cyclone's originaly. now bored balanced, blue printed full roller motor's with merlin rec. port heads. turn 5500 rpm all day and lots of tork . tork is where it's realy at in a marine engine. my engine builder doesn't realy like 502's , i think they have hot spots and don't like as much rpm, i don't realy know for sure

If you are rebuilding and adding hp with a cam that is bigger than a stock magnum cam, you better get exhaust first. Without longer, better exhaust, you are most likely going to have reversion issues.

Check out Revolution Marine Systems for a good bang for the buck.