I have an 02 with 496 ho's and went from using 26p merc bravo 1 to 28p lab finished merc bravo 1, many owners of 31 with this engine combo are using these .

26 sonic,
What difference did you see. Mine only turns 5000 to5100 rpm with 26 lab bravo one.

When I bought my '03 31SS with 496HO's, it came with stock 26P Bravos and was all over the rev limiter at only 72 MPH. I see mid-74's with stock 28's @ 4900 RPM and just over 75 with labbed 28's @ 5050. Elevation will play a part in the RPM you can achieve. I'm at about 900' ASL, plus I'm running through mufflers.

exmark31 i see 75mph gps with 28p labbed @ 5000-5050rpms. don't be scared to trim it up!!

When in doubt, trim it out!
Probably not good advice, but it sounds good!

my 01 with 496ho's with stock 26P runs just fine without hitting the rev at about 72-73.