377 Scorpions vs. 496 HO

[77charger]

drives will last alot longer behind the small blocks for sure.They are pretty good engines.

[spectras only]

I have the 377's [ not the scorpions ] and couldn't be happier with them [87 octane ]. They spin faster and more power than standard BB. Unless you're a midget ,the big blocks are difficult to access even to the spark plugs . Here's a picture of my engine bay , clearly a lot more room between the two engines than with big blocks.
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/twin%20377
Match made in heaven for a 24' boat
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/IMG_1607%20copy.jpg
Have Bravo 1X drives with 1.65 ratios that allows my bravo1 26P's to spin up to 5150 rpm's. Put some 28's for more top speed .Some penalty in the holeshot , but less rpm's for longevity.
http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/twin%20bravo%201X
loafing about http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/J...166%20copy.jpg

[rvrhlic]

I am looking at a couple of boats...both are 30' and same hull, the one comes with twin 377 scorpions runs high 70's low 80's all day long and is a decent price. What I would like to know is how much more performance could I expect if I supercharged the scorpion engines. Next....I would really rather go with the big blocks but if they performed the same, the fuel savings along with the difference in price would draw me towards the 377's. I would also consider getting the 496 ho's and add the Raylar kits down the road. IS THIS WHAT I SHOULD DO??? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
If you are thinking about adding the raylar kit, you would be much better off just getting the 525's and beign done with it. Adding the raylar kits to the 496 can blow the engines. I am speaking from experience.

[Raylar]

Whatever you choose to do, it will depend on how you plan to use your new boat and also importantly what kind of resale you will have when and if you resell the boat. If you like to accelerate quickly and have a fast top speed, then there is " no replacement for displacement!". The 377 Scorpions are nice motors and they perform nicely in smaller boats. I think if you look at the overall performance and the resale, you will step up and get the big blocks. The HP525's are great engines, except for the price Mercury gets for them. If the price adder for the HP525's is not a problem for you, then order them, you will be happy with them and the performance and resale will be great on the boat. If you are pushing your budget like most boaters are today then the 496's are the best investment for power, reliability and resale. As for adding our kits to the motors, I will just say that over a hundred of them are out there all over the world now and are not blowing up any motors. the ***boater on here with the comment just can't seem to understand that any motor new or otherwise can let go. Even new HP525's blow up very rarely but it does happen and those are blueprinted motors. His Raylar kit did not cause his motor to blow up and his boat is running all last year with a Raylar motor.
This is a great place to get feed back on your decision and you might also want to ask the same question on some other forums like OSO. Whatever you decide, you will love your new boat! Have a great time with it and be safe!
Good Luck,
Ray @ Raylar

[Phat Matt]

What else can we eat besides popcorn?

[Escape Velocity]

I've always been happier with a boat that has more cubic inches for all-around boating driveability, especially for getting on plane. It's the kind of difference that even passengers, not just the driver, notices.
I've also been extremely pleased with the improved performance of my 496HO powered boat with the Raylar HO 600 kit. It really woke my motor up, and the midrange acceleration is now the "push you back in your seat" kind. Before, it seemed like the boat just kind of gradually speeded up. This particular kit is more of a complete makeover because of the need for different pistons and rods, but those were both changes that I wanted to make anyway to make it a truly high performance engine. I got a very good deal on the boat by buying it with a 496 in it. It made financial sense for me to upgrade not just the motor, but I also had money left to upgrade the Bravo X drive to an XR drive with Max Machine Worx parts and still be ahead of the game.