I've had many boats over the years and the urge to have more hp is a never ending quest. I've resisted modding my engines because I'm not a mechanic and I don't want to pay the high prices to have it done. If you have somebody do it for you, many times it's not done right and you're engine goes up when there's nobody around to tow you back to shore. I've seen friends go through major headaches due to engine mods, I've seen people working on their F'd up engine while everybody else is having fun on their boats. I see thread after thread in the Technical section on how somebody F'd with their perfectly good engine and now it runs like crap and nobody can figure it out. This is why I've resisted temptation to mod my engines and just be happy with stock. I never miss a day on the water because of it!! So...I've come up with some rules for engines after years of observation. Some of you might take issue with it because working on your engine is just as much fun as boating, which is cool, but for those of us not mechanically inclined, here ya go...

Rule #1...don't F with your EFI set up.

Rule #2...Better yet, don't F with your engine, it was designed to do ONE thing and it does it well.

Rule#3...If you want more hp, get a different boat or different engine that was designed for the intended application.

Rule#4...Don't worry about a few mph gain in speed, it really doesn't matter. The only thing it means anything to is the owner's ego, nobody else cares...so why put yourself through the headaches and expense.

Rule#5...If you want to F with something...F with your lawnmower engine...it's cheaper in the long run, and if you break it, at least you don't have to mow the yard!!!

Rule#6...If you want to F with your engine that cost as much as most cars, you might as well have a second boat that works such as a Boston Whaler because you're not going to do much boating in the first one.

Rule#7...Do you like boating or F'ing with your engine? Pick one because the two don't go together.

How true, how very painfully true, But what would we do up here in the snow all winter if not for our engines? The wife might make us work on the house or something.

last year it was cam lobes, this year seems to be the year of the head gasket.

Haha, you sound like my dad. Hell, I offered to pay for the 400SB for the vette (Lingenfelter ) and he still resisted! Same thing with the boat. Come on dad, Ive never seen a 454MAG with a dead battery

I use to beat the crap out of my boats just changed the oil every 15 hours and the drive as well. 100% stock and never gave me a problem

Can a get an AMEN?

That is one of the reasons I sold my 27' with a blower last year. Other being bigger. Always tinkering on it. Either polishing, or thinking how to make it better. Not fixing.

New boat is EFI!!!!!!!!! Now I don't even raise the hatch anymore.

Life was good this summer!

The flip side of this discussion. I think I would rather buy/build mild reliable motors than pay Merc price. Just use good parts/builder,and keep the power reasonable. A warranty woud be nice as well.

#4 I always worry abou that little extra speed. I do it for me since it is a personal challenge. I don't race anyone (other than my GPS) in the Velocity, why should I?

I guess you're right