496HO v 502 carb
 

Hi everyone!

I've got a revenger 25 with a 502 carb motor in at the mo. I've sold a 454 to a friend who is interested in trading it for a 496HO that got wet, not under, just wet.

Is it worth my while rebuilding the 496 to use, or should i stick with my 502?
To create the perfect combination, could i put the 496's injection, ecu etc on my 502, creating a 502HO? I know they're pretty different animals with one effectivley being tall block, but the headers swap over!
Maybe i could create my own intake to get around that issue, can't be that hard changing a carb to a throttle body right? What else would i need to consider?

James

James
I would probably stick with the 502 just for potential future build. It could be a nice 540 with a stroker crank someday. I have 496's (almost ready) that are going to put out some pretty decent power however if I had the choice you have I would probably have chose the 502. End result would be very close to the same with all the good guy parts. Are you for sure your 502 is a tall deck?

I'm of the opinion that you should keep and seek to develop your 502 as a base platform. The 540 is hard to beat for a somple combo and is deffinately my next build project.

The 496 is the tall deck, stroked and bored 427 truck block +0.125" and a 4.125" crank isn't it? So he means the 496 is the tall deck and the 502 is a standard deck height I think?

I suppose you have to take into consideration some other factors though; are both motors stock? does the 496 have any other goodies or work done? how many hours on your 502 vs that 496? and most importantly, when you say 'Wet', how wet, for how long and was it fresh or salt? if any salt got in that 496 and it wasn't completely stripped or seen to ASAP, it's an anchor now anyway and I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.

If the engines are of comparable build, time and bolt on's though, stick with the 502, it's probably why he want's to swap in the first place!

If it is a merc 496 it is not a tall deck. It is hard to tell by reading your post, but if it is a 496mag/ho merc then it is a gen VII motor, you 502 is likely a genVI and may be a genV, either way the gen VII motors are very different with little to no parts interchangability. The injection from the 496 will not work. This is if it is a Merc motor or a GM late model big block.

Stick with the 502 if you ever want to upgrade power there will be options. The 496HO is a great power plant if left stock. I just had this conversation today with someone who knows about the 496 and trying to add power. It can be done to some extent but you better have deep pockets.

My $0.02

Cheers for all the advice guys!

It was the 496 i was referring to as being 'tall deck'. As Ghostrider mentioned i'm of the impression it's a stroked and bored 427, making it tall compared to my 502.

I don't know what the hours are on the 502, just that the bottom is freshly built and the top is new.
The 496 got wet to an unknown extent, in salt water, and i don't know how well it was washed through, if at all. I'm guessing i should leave this well alone then!

I'd like to be able to build a reliable reasonable HP motor relatively cheaply, so it looks like my 502 is the way forward!

Cheers, James

James,
I would run and hide from a merc 496. I was going to build one, but there is only one manufacture that makes performance parts for this engine and their anything but cheap. You could build a mean 454/502 for a fraction of the cost. The 496 could be a great engine but in my opinion there are better less costly options.