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Considering going from 500 efi to intakes and carbs

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Old 10-04-2025 | 08:51 AM
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Default Considering going from 500 efi to intakes and carbs

Looking for opinions. How difficult? Any downside? I have 3 of these in my 2000 43 Scarab AVS. They are 25 years old now and with some of the stories of NLA injectors failing and leaning out and trashing engines I thought about going to carbs. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for your replies.
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Old 10-04-2025 | 06:24 PM
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That would be a lot more grief and money than just buying different injectors and have the ECU's tuned.
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Old 10-04-2025 | 06:46 PM
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You'd possibly gain hp from 5000 / 5200 up and give up 4 times as much torque from idle to 4500 due to runner length. IF your engines have stock cams that are done by 5400/ 5500 youd most ;likely end up going down a pitch in prop to get it to drive the same and in end fight to get it to drive as good as it currently does assuming its dialed in currently. Runner length dictates tq, you have 14.5" runners currently, most intakes have 3" to 6" runners, personally I wouldnt do it unless you plan other mods, Smitty
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Old 10-05-2025 | 07:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Rookie
That would be a lot more grief and money than just buying different injectors and have the ECU's tuned.
Who tunes ecu's and what injectors do I buy? Thanks.
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Old 10-05-2025 | 07:56 AM
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I was really hoping it would be a simple swap. I didn't think there would be much difference between my motors and the old 500 hp blue motors. I think they came with single plane intakes.
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Old 10-05-2025 | 08:02 AM
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I did it but completely had new engines built and just used the 500efi accessories and part of the wiring harness. Best move I made getting Rid of the efi. I’m old school so I like tuning on carburetors. This is in a 2003 30ft twin step cigarette mystique.

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Old 10-05-2025 | 08:15 AM
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Articfriends is correct. I have HP500EFI's and just use injector cleaner every other tank of fuel. They have around 780 hours on the motors and run great.

My engine builder (RIP) had a combo where he used the stock intakes with a 540 cu in kit and out of the box AFR heads. The thing had 700LB of TQ at 3500 rpm and made about 640 HP. That is some killer TQ for a NA motor and what we need most of the time.

You can seek higher HP but those intakes unless modified are not good at it and you normally lose low end TQ.

It's not a race boat.
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Old 10-05-2025 | 08:37 AM
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Nice setup cig 28. Looks sweet. Exactly what I had hoped to do. What carbs and intake are you using. And look, no $900.00 thermostat housings that you can't even buy anymore. I take it you couldn't continue to run the stock ignition?
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Old 10-05-2025 | 08:38 AM
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In looking around I was maybe thinking about something like this.

https://www.hardin-marine.com/p-1356...oval-port.aspx
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Old 10-05-2025 | 08:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Wildman_grafix
Articfriends is correct. I have HP500EFI's and just use injector cleaner every other tank of fuel. They have around 780 hours on the motors and run great.

My engine builder (RIP) had a combo where he used the stock intakes with a 540 cu in kit and out of the box AFR heads. The thing had 700LB of TQ at 3500 rpm and made about 640 HP. That is some killer TQ for a NA motor and what we need most of the time.

You can seek higher HP but those intakes unless modified are not good at it and you normally lose low end TQ.

It's not a race boat.
Are you still running your stock injectors? What injector cleaner are you using? I always overdose my boat with Seafoam every time I fuel up.
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