Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

[emilsr]

Apologies if this has been discussed; couldn't find anything with the search field.

What options are there for replacement plug wires for the 496? Iboats has the best price (of course) on the factory set, but it's almost $400!?!?!? That's a lot of money for 8 short wires.

Any other options or is that it for this application? I'm at my 5 year "replace all the rubber" interval so it's going to be an expensive off-season....especially if I'm going to have to pay $50 per plug wire. :facepalm:

 

[Don S]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

The "5 year replace all the rubber" is typically referring to the bellows that are under water, not spark plug wires. If the plug wires are ok, don't change them.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

Thanks for your reply Don. My concern with the wires has to do with past experience; when they go bad they tend to arc. Not a good thing under the hatch to say the least. I'd rather replace on a specific interval than wait for a problem.

Paranoid? Probably.

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

If you're a handy guy, you could get a universal wire set and make your own wires.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

I thought about making my own; am a reasonably handy guy but time starved which is why the set would be more appealing.

Is there anything "special" about these 496 wires or will any good quality wire/connector/boot work?

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

My boat is a 1996 and they are original.

In my years of working on boats, we really only replaced them when needed.

On the 496 you will know by running it at night looking for a light show.

The nice thing about the 496 is you can buy them individually when needed.

You could also check to see if Raylar engine (866-496-8181) still has any good takeoffs at a discounted price,
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/2891489-post2.html

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

My boat is a 1996 and they are original.

In my years of working on boats, we really only replaced them when needed.

On the 496 you will know by running it at night looking for a light show.

The nice thing about the 496 is you can buy them individually when needed.

You could also check to see if Raylar engine (866-496-8181) still has any good takeoffs at a discounted price,
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/2891489-post2.html

Light show + fuel vapors = BOOM I'm an adventurous guy, but that experience isn't exactly on my bucket list. If I wait 'till I see sparks then I'm putting myself and everyone around me in danger.

You're about the 10th guy that's told me not to worry about it (and I DO trust the opinions of competent marine mechanics), but I'm still hung up on this "no sparks in the engine bay" thing that the USCG has. Paranoia in my old age kicking in I guess.

 

[scoflaw]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

Big blocks are well known to eat plugs and wires much quicker than its little brother, mouse.

Ohm check the ones you have. Auto Zone sells lifetime sets for about a $100. Don't see why they wont work

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

I'll check the local "Vatozone". Thanks. Perhaps they can cross reference the Merc part as the Chevy truck wires aren't long enough.

Another member here sent me a link to rockauto.com; they have them as well.

Plugs are on my winter to-do list as well as they're approaching 350 hours; thanks for the reminder.

 

[scoflaw]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

Interesting, about the length, didn't know that. Maybe Summit or jegs. MSD

Got a 8.1 in my 2001 pickup.. on its 3rd set of plugs and wires at 85,000, and I'm not changing these parts out for the exercise.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

Length due to the exhaust manifolds, and also boots are different (from what I've been told).

I can't really tell if my performance is off as we moved from a 600' elevation lake to a 4300' elevation lake....so of course I'm way down on power (had to drop 2" of pitch on the prop).

Back in the 90's when I was living overseas I had a German hot rod (323i Alpina) that developed a stutter after a shade tree tuneup. After spending many hours and hundreds of dollars chasing it down, finally found a crusty old BMW mechanic who basically told me I should leave the wrenching to him; turned out to be the aftermarket plug wires I installed. :facepalm:

For that reason I'm a little leery about trying out the cheaper wires, but we'll see.....

 

[Don S]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

OEM wires are about a hundred bux each from Merc.

Keep in mind, iboats does not sell OEM parts for Mercruiser, they sell aftermarket parts.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

OEM wires are about a hundred bux each from Merc.

Keep in mind, iboats does not sell OEM parts for Mercruiser, they sell aftermarket parts.

That's about right; almost $100 per wire if you buy them individually. They give you a discount if you buy all 8 at one time: $518.

Iboats has the Sierra wires for $324 plus shipping. http://www.iboats.com/Premium-Spark-Plug-Wire-Set-Sierra/dm/view_id.221993

Insane....

 

[scoflaw]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

So you have a 496 with a carb? An EFI system would be able to compensate for altitude.

You know merc aint making there own plug wires, there outsourcing from someone.

For a 100 a pop I would make up my own from some quality parts

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

So you have a 496 with a carb? An EFI system would be able to compensate for altitude.

No, it's EFI. It compensates so it runs fine....but it doesn't make the air any less thin. As altitude (or density altitude) increases, power output decreases. Air density drops approximately 3% for every 1,000' and the amount of power the engine produces drops accordingly. Add in the effects of heat/humidity (density altitude) and the loss can be higher. Pilots and drag racers know all about this stuff, but it affects anything with an internal combustion engine.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

but I'm still hung up on this "no sparks in the engine bay" thing that the USCG has. Paranoia in my old age kicking in I guess.

I can't really tell if my performance is off as we moved from a 600' elevation lake to a 4300' elevation lake....so of course I'm way down on power (had to drop 2" of pitch on the prop).

I completely understand where your thoughts are with this.

That's why i showed you the Raylar offer to try and help save $$$ as i figured you were moving forward with new wires one way or another.

Please don't take this the wrong way but you do bring up a very good point, since you do run in higher elevation (now), like you say you are not completely in tune with how your engine runs, so doing more preventive maintenance like plug wires is really a good thing even if it's very expensive to do.

And to be honest with you even though i did basically say not to worry about it, you should, due to the fact that now that i think back about it a little more, i have actually done and have heard about more of the 496's needing to be replaced vs the standard style wires on average.

Or you could always run it at night! Sorry, this is kind of a inside joke to me because this is how i have easily found 3 bad 496 wires so far.

Don't mean to scare you, just seen it at a few different angles. Good luck.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

Thaanks for the input FT. I have run it at night and there's no disco lights in there. That's good I think.

Takeoffs never were really an option. Raylar was supposedly going to make some premium wires; never saw any and I'm not sure they're still around anyway.

After almost a year I've pretty much figured out how the boat runs with 65-80hp missing. Quieter (may be the thin air), idles about 50rpm slower. Other than that it fires right up and runs great. Biggest surprise was finding a prop style I didn't particularly like before suddenly became my prop of choice (out of bout a dozen I've collected...have had a prop fetish since I was a kid). Good news is I'm now trimmed for about a 40mph cruise, where I like to run, versus the 50-ish I was set up for at higher power.

 

[Fun Times]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

Takeoffs never were really an option. Raylar was supposedly going to make some premium wires; never saw any and I'm not sure they're still around anyway.

It appears one half of "Ray"lar has moved on.

Larry should still be there though.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

It appears one half of "Ray"lar has moved on.

Larry should still be there though.

Should be, but not answering the phone. I'll give him another shot before pulling the trigger on $500 in plug wires. Really want at least OEM quality.

 

[stonyloam]

Re: Plug Wires for Mercruiser 496mag HO

OK here are my thoughts, for what is worth, and that is not much. You can get them here for about $450 http://www.mercruiserparts.com/Show...20.png&inbr=7460&bnbr=100&bdesc=CYLINDER+HEAD (check to make sure that is your part number), and that amounts to about $90 a year if you change them every five. That is probably less than 20 gallons of gas. You probably burn more than that in an afternoon right? Seems to me that you are worrying way too much about it, so just change them with OEM and do the rest of the rubber next year and don't stress yourself out. Don't know why they are so expensive but there must be some reason, so I would not fool around with anything but OEM. Just IMHO. Good luck