15 400R news

[FUJIMO]

Why would we not compare it? This is the replacement for the high performance two-stroke engines, yet it's too heavy for 90% of the applications it's supposed to be replacing. It's a badass piece for sure, but it's just too damn heavy.

It was a joke. No one is more Merc 2-cycle on the brain than yours truly. I agree with what your say'n comepletely, but...jeeees, lighten up would'ja?

[MODVP22]

Structural, you got to put that pipe down......

I hate to say it but I found out the hard way he's right. I've got a boat with 18" of set back and that anode braket keeps breaking and the clamp/swivel seperates and bolts break. I'm on #3 now

[Rayzor]

It was a joke. No one is more Merc 2-cycle on the brain than yours truly. I agree with what your say'n comepletely, but...jeeees, lighten up would'ja?

Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh! Sometimes this internet stuff sucks, because if we were all sitting around BS'ing, we'd all have big smiles on our face discussing this crap - even if we disagreed on some things.

[FUJIMO]

I completely disagree with you. The material those anodes are made out of have no strength at all. I had two of them break on me when I first started with 100+ mph outboards over 15 years ago - the first thing I do is remove them so they don't break-off and fall into my gearcase/prop. I haven't run that cross-piece anode on any of my Mercury 2.5/3.0/3.2s since 2000. And with the transom bracket bolted to the transom, how is it providing any structural strength???

I guess these X-Cat guys didn't think they were structural either........

Your the exception, not the rule. You can remove them if you'd like. Only on the fastest boats out there, boats like yours, does it make the most sense. The majority of owners leave them on. Most common for boats left in the water, unlike yours & raceboats. I come from a Merc era when this was the standard clamp bracket on all Merc V-6's. We drilled new transoms for these clamp bracketed motors and would never think of removing those zincs. They double as support to hold the two clamp bracket halfs aligned properly during and after installation. Are they meant to hold the entire clamp assembly from failing? No. But they provide clamp alignment & prevent clamp bracket movement, when your transom bolts stretch, transom compresses, and otherwise gets loose, which then works your tiltube more.

[Rayzor]

$45k now? Why not $65k or $75k? A 15" mid costs 20 grand more to manufacture? Merc has these guys in a headlock.

Like Double Rigged said, 20" at $27k sounds like a real bargain now.

Merc has us all in a headlock - I know guys spending $50k for a new long block, $100k for a new complete 1,350 when they blow up out of warranty. Even $27k for a new standard 400R is a lot of $$$. I know all my boats are old now, but I'm glad I've got them and they're paid for! No new builds for me in the coming years........

[Rayzor]

Your the exception, not the rule. You can remove them if you'd like. Only on the fastest boats out there, boats like yours, does it make the most sense. The majority of owners leave them on. Most common for boats left in the water, unlike yours & raceboats. I come from a Merc era when this was the standard clamp bracket on all Merc V-6's. We drilled new transoms for these clamp bracketed motors and would never think of removing those zincs. They double as support to hold the two clamp bracket halfs aligned properly during and after installation. Are they meant to hold the entire clamp assembly from failing? No. But they provide clamp alignment & prevent clamp bracket movement, when your transom bolts stretch, transom compresses, and otherwise gets loose.

If this is true (and I believe you that it is), why isn't that piece made out of a strong material? They could mount an anode in another location to take it's place, letting that piece be a truly integral (and strong) part of the transom bracket. You can break one of those anode pieces with your bare hands.

[FUJIMO]

If this is true (and I believe you that it is), why isn't that piece made out of a strong material? They could mount an anode in another location to take it's place, letting that piece be a truly integral (and strong) part of the transom bracket. You can break one of those anode pieces with your bare hands.

Again, your thinking about your world, your boat, your application. It doesn't need to be any stronger for the average boat, the other 97 percent of the other boat types that these clamp brackets were used on. It been unchanged since its inception in '79. Years ago, I remember discussing Bravo drive & transom plate warranties with my OEM Merc Rep regarding they're failure rates in the first 5 years of Bravo One drive production, back in the late 80's, early 90's... (Let just say I built a few hundred offshore powerboats) He politely reminded me that 90% of all his MerCruiser drive warranty issues, came from less than 10% of his customers. I don't know why I brought that up(?) lol

[noli]

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Photo Credit: Mercury Racing

[noli]

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Photo Credit: Mercury Racing (Shahul)

[whipper]

The skirt is basically part of the cowl for that look. Im guessing its a heavy mother all in all top and bottom cowl. It would be interesting to know how much just the drop on weighs? Carbon pieces by Mike Nass could probably cut the weight down considerably. Sweet looking behemoth for the rich and famous for sure!! Outa my league unfortunately. Merc needs to up the boost on the Verado 200 to 325 and some one make a 15inch to SM for them. That would be an interesting project and light weight. Shouldn't be a problem getting big hp from that block. 1.5lt indy cars seem to not have any trouble getting 900+++HP from a couple of litres.

[2jz]

The skirt is basically part of the cowl for that look. Im guessing its a heavy mother all in all top and bottom cowl. It would be interesting to know how much just the drop on weighs? Carbon pieces by Mike Nass could probably cut the weight down considerably. Sweet looking behemoth for the rich and famous for sure!! Outa my league unfortunately. Merc needs to up the boost on the Verado 200 to 325 and some one make a 15inch to SM for them. That would be an interesting project and light weight. Shouldn't be a problem getting big hp from that block. 1.5lt indy cars seem to not have any trouble getting 900+++HP from a couple of litres.

Im with you on this one. I dont need to wait on mercury to turn up anything just find me two donor verado i4 motors and access to a dyno im sure we can sqeeze an extra 100hp -200hhp out of it with a aftermarket standalone system. Mercury did all the hard work already from a engine builder and tuner point of view its 4stroke and force induction. Guys no matter what you think or feel can be removed or lightened. the verado i6 will not get any lighter just think about all the different components it has over a two stroke motor. im focusing my energy on the verado i4 boost n fuel is all the love it needs to make more power and its only around 500lbs.

[AZMIDLYF]

I'm excited to see what the performance gurus can do with a supercharged motor. We will find out quickly where the weak links are.

As stated previously.

[F14]

They double as support to hold the two clamp bracket halfs aligned properly during and after installation. Are they meant to hold the entire clamp assembly from failing? No. But they provide clamp alignment & prevent clamp bracket movement, when your transom bolts stretch, transom compresses, and otherwise gets loose, which then works your tiltube more.[/QUOTE]


That makes sense but that is not the definition of "structural".

[Markus]

They double as support to hold the two clamp bracket halfs aligned properly during and after installation. Are they meant to hold the entire clamp assembly from failing? No. But they provide clamp alignment & prevent clamp bracket movement, when your transom bolts stretch, transom compresses, and otherwise gets loose, which then works your tiltube more.

That makes sense but that is not the definition of "structural".[/QUOTE]

"structural" is defined as

"of or relating to the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of a complex whole."

So, it does qualify as "structural"

[tux974]

They are far from structural!
The only purpose they serve is sacrificial if you keep your boat in water especially near any (EMF's) electrical magnetic fields....
Certainly not important or necessary if you trailer your boat......