I have enjoyed this entire thread!!! Thanks for sharing and all the contributions from others.

In the area of cutting the transom to increase waterflow to the Lower Unit, did you ever consider mounting "fences" at the tunnel step to keep the air pressure from blowing out the water ahead of the pickups? I see a lot of later model boats now using this method of keep the airflow clean all the way to the rear part of the hull... so I was just wondering.

I had CCMS do their reed cage mods last winter and also run their reed sets. There was a noticeable improvement at idle.

The problem with rubber is that with fuels, it will always break down. A way to fix this issue is to remove the rubber, clean the metal cage and dip the cage in ProSeal, then lay the cage on a sheet of glass, with a smaller cut piece weighted to the top side creating a perfectly flat sealing surface. Trim as needed for airflow with a fine X-Acto blade and if you started with a truly cleaned surface, they will last as long as the reed itself.

ProSeal is a fuel sealant used to build tanks in the wings of aircraft, seal aluminum panels and retain sealing on pressurized windows for nearly every aircraft made in the world.

Reworked Cages w/new Mercury CF Reeds
 

Really sharp interior!