Am thinking of upgrading my 496 ho's , anyone done this ? how much hp gain . looked into a few builders kits seem to be $7k range!!

There's the Raylar kits. They'll put you between 525-600 depending on how much you do. Just remember the cast internals in the 496 should be changed with forged parts for good reliabillity. Cheap, Powerfull, Reliable. Pick two.

got a quote from tyler crockett for $4,500 anyone familiar with his products?

call performance marine jason sarris racing engines they are in bolton landing lake george have a dyno a in house machine shop, they race opa class 4 and 5 check them out ,they have a website, awesome team up there,