525 header issues?
02-10-2012 | 12:36 PM
#11
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From: Chicago, IL; Onekama, MI
There is a difference between the CMI headers and the Merc ones. Even though they look the same are made at CMI there is a very important difference. The Merc headers are not heat treated after production. This makes them more prone to cracking. You can thank Merc for being too cheap to have them made correctly and then charging you 3x the price for an inferior product!
02-10-2012 | 04:38 PM
#13
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From: Mount Laurel, NJ
I'm sure I will get attacked for this,but my 2004 382 Fastech with 525's has the original CMI's it left the factory with.Pressure tested them last year,and all is good. I am going to replace them this year with GEN X's,for simple fact I don't have problems, and don't want any. We replace water pumps,belt,and hoses. All water/cooling related parts before they fail,why not headers? They are not cheap,but new 525's aren't either. Watch the 2 you-tube videos CMI has out.Very informative.It's all about water flow,not so much pressure.Everything has a life span.My boat has 240 hours and 8 years on it. I think the headers held up well. I have silent choice as well,and use it quite often. I also boat in salt water.Boat is lift kept and flushed 10 minutes a side. One thing CMI talks about is not to raise rpm's above idle on flush.A standard garden hose usually doesn't have the proper flow to keep up with cooling the headers above idle.
02-10-2012 | 04:43 PM
#14
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From: Clarkston, Michigan
Well lots of us are running it and the Mercury Racing service manual says it is good to 2,500 rpm only (I believe). If it voided the warranty I don't know why it would be in their shop manual. Maybe the person who told you that did not know better....
02-10-2012 | 09:53 PM
#16
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From: 1 Flu Ovr KuKos Nest-WI
Why do boat manufactures install silent choice if Merc does not approve of it? Is this notice something new from Merc? Never read anything in Merc's operator manual with a new boat that stated not to use silent choice or we'll void your warranty. Can anyone scan and post this info bullentin or is this just hear-say?
02-11-2012 | 12:14 AM
#17
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the warranty is only one measly year. maybe mercury wants to give some guidelines for those who choose to run silent choice after the warranty period or maybe the service manual is referring to only the early years when mercury still used their original silent choice. i don't know...... bolting on or altering pretty much any component that is not a merc part will void the warranty. what i am hearing from some is with the state of the economy merc is tightening any and all loose ends that could potentially cost them money. they are much stricter on the factories then ever.
02-11-2012 | 11:01 AM
#20
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thanks a lot! do you happen to know what year this was printed?
this backs up my guess in my last post. they are basically saying "we don't recommend it, it will void warranty but if you do decide to do it this is how it should be done"
this backs up my guess in my last post. they are basically saying "we don't recommend it, it will void warranty but if you do decide to do it this is how it should be done"
