to run or not to run; drilled black max exhaust liner

[Pray-2-miss-logs]

So I'm assembling a 2.4 onto a 2.0 mid. I bought a 2.4 mid and adapters to ensure I had everything I needed to mate the 2.4 to the 2.0 mid ( i had the mid 80s 2.0 175 with gigantic exhaust ports).

Keeping to the point, the mid I purchased has an exhaust liner with (4) 1/2" holes drilled in the front (boat side) through the myriad of small factory holes.
Am I going to hate the sound when idling through no wake zones? Everything I have is loud, and I like tastefully loud, but there is a difference and I'd like not to be obnoxious or inconveniently loud. From what I understand there's no real performance gain, if there is then end of discussion; I'll just run the relieved liner.

 

[merc245]

you won't have a problem with it, but every female you load in the boat will!

 

[chrispallen]

run it, it actually is a safety feature...for kayakers

 

[chrispallen]

here is my old 2.0l drilled with a few other goodies, but you get the gist of the sound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4P-HuhT22w

 

[Pray-2-miss-logs]

O yea that sounds great at idle. My old 2.0 was loud as hell wot anyway so I don't predict a whole lot of difference there.

Thanks for your input guys.

while we are at it, I'm concerned about my mid 80s dinky steering arm (attached to the swivel). I'm planning to modify the newer (90s model) 2.4 swivel to fit my engine bracket as it has a much beefier steering arm.

Am I worried about nothing, are there safety/support brackets for the Ole 80s arms?

 

[sonicss31]

Keep the drilled out exhaust. How else will they know it's not a fishin boat?

 

[175checkmate]

Had the same 2.0l mid that I put a 2.4L drilled and dry stacked mid. Here was my solution to the wimpy steering problem.

http://checkmate-boats.com/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/2040/title/dual-cable-steering-2/cat/568

 

[Instigator]

Zero performance improvement, only noise.

I have done many that way and am old enough now, I'll only do it on a light/fast boat that gains from it.

Another point that many don't realize, you actually don't notice the noise in the boat too much.
It's everyone else that hears it.

I remember a friend yrs ago, coming down the Ohio River at 50 mph and I could here him miles before I could see him!

I'm old school though and much prefer go over show.

 

[Mark]

Yup, obnoxious and inconveniently loud. I am on the back side of the mountain and spend money to finds ways to quiet down my toys. Disconnected my thru-hull and now exhaust thru prop. Now we can talk while we boat. Didn't lose any performance.

 

[Stevenlockamy]

The boat sounds great chrispallen. Curious though how high is your motor set up. In comparison to the pad? Looks way up there to me. And what kind of check is that.

 

[chrispallen]

it was a predictor, right about even with the pad, had a 6 inch set back.

boat was perfectly set up, I was seeing 73-74 gps with an XR-2 that had velocity stacks, jetted up, the exhaust was freed up a bit and a 2:1 gear ratio..

i know that people say that there is no performance increase, and I would agree IF all you are doing is drilling out the exhaust, but if you are freeing it up, etc. i would have to differ with that opinion...

that is what makes this forum so valuable, you can take what others say, take what I say, and decide what works best for what you want to do and what you have the expertise to do...

my suggestion is to document everything, take some before and after readings, etc...