Whipple reliability ?

[Stoked]

I have a Stoker 224 with a HP500EFI and XR Bravo, the boat runs 100 on GPS. I am looking for the acceleration of a Whipple system. I have spoken to Dustin he was very helpful and assured me that I would continue to have excellent reliability. I am real close to taking the plung but a few testimonials sure would be nice
Thanks Steve.

[HM]

As long as you have someone who is familiar with the Whipples, they are excellent and very reliable.

[NashvilleBound]

Funny you should post this as I talked directly to Mercury Racing today about this. I have the Ultra 247XS with the HP500EFI and wanted to do a Whipple system. Problem is I have the XZ drive. Thats not all.... If you upgrade (me) to the XR drive gears they say its only good up to 670 horse. They wanted me to put on the dry sump 6...oh sure, would you take $5000 for it..riggghhht! It looks like a whipple system is out unless I can score a used high end drive. Though he did say that with the smaller boats...like yours...theres not near the drag and resistance so it "Might" be ok. Unfortunately thats not good enough for me. I could just see my drive grenading, on the lake, and me having no option but to shell out another $15k, or more, for a new drive. Good luck whatever you do. NB

[Stoked]

NashvilleBound: My friend just picked up a 2001 27 Hallett equiped with a Merc 575SCI. I went for a ride Sunday and was amazed, the torque was unreal.( the boat is awsome too It ran through 3 foot disorganized ocean chop with no problem) I am sold on a blower. The Whipple supercharger seems perfect for my application, but like you, reliability is number 1. I hope I can get some real life stories on peoples experiences with what appears to be the choice for me. Good Luck with your project. Steve.

[6741]

You should talk to WHIPPEDCALIBER!!

[HighRoller]

I'm a jet guy,but in regards to Nashville's comments...Have you looked into the BMAX??

[Raypanic]

I have twin 502's whippled with minor head work, 700 hp each in front of IMCO Extreme SC drives. Ran all season about 50 hours. No problems awesome power and acceleration. 38' Powerquest. Set up by Tyler Crockett in Michigan. Starts and Idles like stock. If you are still concerened take notice the blowers on the new 1050 SCI merc are Lysholm (sp?) They are the same manufacturer as whipple uses. Very reliable and long service life .
[ September 19, 2002, 02:07 PM: Message edited by: Raypanic ]

[NashvilleBound]

Dont get me wrong....I think Whipple makes the finest system but I fear the out drive problems. Its not a question of the Whipple reliability. If I could do the XR upgrade and not have to worry, I would have it done in a heartbeat! Aren't the IMCO Extreme drives pricey? Its not too bad if you can spend $10k for the system, including upgrades, but $30K?? You can get the new HP525EFI for just a bit more. I would really like to hear "real life" stories to help with the choices too.
[ September 19, 2002, 02:24 PM: Message edited by: NashvilleBound ]

[Pure Magic]

Stoked:
I have a Stoker 224 with a HP500EFI and XR Bravo, the boat runs 100 on GPS. I am looking for the acceleration of a Whipple system. I have spoken to Dustin he was very helpful and assured me that I would continue to have excellent reliability. I am real close to taking the plung but a few testimonials sure would be nice
Thanks Steve.28 Magic Cat 850Hp with a Whipple System 7psi. XR drive with ITS. 45 Hrs so far no problems. Ez on ez off.

[NashvilleBound]

Thanks Pure Magic....Few more stories like that and I'll be game too!

[gmnhra]

from whittier, drive east on I-10 to Montclair..
have GT Performance do the whipple setup and go thru the drive....
25 foot daytona with a GT Performance whippled 540 and upgraded B1 (straight cut gears, etc...)
starts and idles ....runs hard...no drama...

[NashvilleBound]

Gary was already in my plans to do it. Its good to hear that your not having problems. Gary comes highly recommended.

[Stoked]

Nashvillebound What kind of dollars do you plan on spending above the base price of the Whipple charger. Dustin at Whipple says it is a very simple installation. One of my best friends has been an automotive tech for over 20 years has worked for Saab, Lexus, and is now with BMW, I had planned on a weekend install and out to the river the next? Any thoughts?

[NashvilleBound]

[ September 30, 2002, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: NashvilleBound ]

[gmnhra]

i am with nashvillebound....
it is true that bolting the whipple stuff on is easy. however, the trick of the trade comes in knowing what other mods need to be made..fuel delivery systems, ignition/timing, intercooler water supplies, and most importantly...having the diagnostic equipment to dial the system in once it is bolted on...the lake test and tune is where the experience comes in....
blower motors make big expensive bangs when not setup properly (voice of experience speaking!!!!)
good luck..

[SmartMoney]

28' Conquest Party Cat - 509 Whipple with XR Drive - 725 HP and ran all summer with no problems!

[Stoked]

Lot's to think about. I feel there's no sense in reinventing the wheel, so all input and experiences are greatly appreciated. Anyone out there with stock HP500EFI power?

[roln 20s]

I agree- I have seen a lot of boats with over 700 hp running the XR drives without any problems. I have seen DCB and Eliminator do it on plenty occasions- and haven't heard of any problems yet otherwise they probably wouldn't do it any more.
Roln 20s

[NashvilleBound]

Now that I am on a quest I am seeing it more too. It even all over the new Hot Boat mag with the tunnel boats. Sounding better all the time. NB

[Stoked]

[
NB Talking to my mechanic buddy last night, he put me on to a website with more Whipple stuff than I could read, my brain started to hurt. Lots of good stuff, very encouraging!!! Check it out. www.offshoreonly.com (http://www.offshoreonly.com) Go to Search and type in Whipple Superchargers. Let me know. By the way your Idea of doing both boats sounds interesting, although I am still in warranty Until April 2003. Just a thought.

[NashvilleBound]

I will check it out completely and report back tomorrow pm. NB

[NashvilleBound]

Ok, That was very uncool! Now my head hurts TOO!!! Way too much info. After about an hour of reading posts I registered and started a new thread 'Will my XR drive hold up?' (something like that) I still cant think straight. We will see what comes of it. I will keep you posted....some friend you have :rolleyes: NB

[Steamin' Rice]

NB,
Lots of good people at OSO with lots of big HP motors. Dustin is on that board as well. I have a stock HP500EFI and have been debating adding a whipple to it at some time in the future. I even added extra gauges, and extra water dump, and the XR drive to the boat while they were building it...I'm more concerned about drive reliability than I am motor reliability with the whipple. I am under warranty until May 2003, and probably wouldn't make a major change to my boat at the beginning of the summer, so I am probably looking at Nov-Dec 2003 at the earliest to add the whipple to my boat. Hopefully by then I will have enough info from other people to guess if my drive will live or not..
Good luck and be sure to post if you add the whipple. It is a damn nice looking setup.
http://free.***boat.net/gallery/Gearhead_Garage/Motors_and_Drives/Whipple.JPG

[Stoked]

Steamin' Rice Same deal here I had the boat built with a Whipple in mind. Spoke to Dustin at length. Al Stoker built the boat accordingly:
hatch, guage package, XR drive,(nearly went with the Imco drive, too much $) Dustin and Al have told me the boat will pin you to the seat, Sounds pretty cool!!!!! Still looking for a couple more real life stories and I'm gonna do it. The wife has given the thumbs up.

[NashvilleBound]

YOU TOLD YOUR WIFE???????
[ September 30, 2002, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: NashvilleBound ]

[Whipple Charged]

To answer all your questions, your drives will hold up. The XZ and XR are plenty, especially the XR. You have to remember, if Mercury tells you what there good up too, there is a certain margin, it's the same as running 6lbs. of boost in the engine. Post on OSO, Steven David runs XZ's on his 43 Black Thunder with 500 HP EFI sc'd, approx 150+ hours of only ocean running, which is far harder than lake boating.
Theres no question you can break your drive, that's obvious, but with the XZ or XR, your mind should be much more at ease. It really is not a major concern with these 2 drives, especially if you don't hammer it out of the hole all the time. I run the crap out of boats during our testing of kits and have yet to break either drive, and we DO HAVE to nail it from a dead idle to test the fuel system. We even have about 5 customers running black hawks. We make the motors idle smooth and so they shift back and forth very easily.
The kits come complete minus the fuel lines, but everything else is a very straghit forward system. You don't need a scanner to run or test, but theres no question its the best way to test. The technical things you have to do, set fuel pressure, monitor fuel pressure, set idle (set screw) and adjust TPS voltage (volt meter). You need a good gauge, not a standard electric fuel pressure gauge, that should only be for reference once it's been properly checked with a quality mechanical gauge. GT is highly recommended, they have all the necessary tools for installation and testing.
Thanks,
Dustin

[NashvilleBound]

See, I knew it would all work out. Dustin guarantees the drives wont break. I'm sold. jk.... Seriously, thanks for the info Dustin. I am ready as soon as I know my ski pole can be fit in. The more I learn the better I feel. I can't seem to get a picture with enough light in it to send via internet to GT for the ski pole problem. Its the little things. Dustin, I e-mailed you earlier.... NB

[Steamin' Rice]

Hey Dustin,
Thanks for the info. I have one more question that I wanted to ask...What happens if I have the whipple charger on my HP500EFI and I can only get 87 octane fuel?
Most of the time I use my boat in the ocean or at Lake Havasu where good fuel is available, but once a year I take a trip to Lake Powell for a week, houseboating on the lake. When I was there this year, I think that the only fuel availablle on the lake was 87 octane. At the start of my trip I would obviously be able to fill up with 91 octane, but what about using 87? Will the motor live if I add octane boost and am easy on the throttle or am I asking for trouble?

[Steamin' Rice]

NB,
Do you have the Dana ski pole that mounts to the front/top of the motor? I have the same one and would be interested to see if you are still able to use this after you add the whipple. Let me know how it works out for you...

[NashvilleBound]

SR: I do. What did we pay for those? I am sure I could sell it but have to have a replacement. Even if I have to go offset and have a new headrest made. Ever hear of anything? I have a Dana Marine rep looking into right now.... I am now at 99% a go! Just talked to Billet Marine to do my drive upgrade too. Its all coming together. NB
[ September 24, 2002, 12:17 PM: Message edited by: NashvilleBound ]

[sofa king smooth]

I have a conquest deck boat with a GT quad rotor making just shy of 1200 hp, I run an xr drive and have had no problems.I did brake the gears in my 2 inch shorter lower unit.I put about 30 hours on since then with no problems.I do drive the boat quite hard however, I just roll on it out of the hole.

[Stoked]

NB I spoke to Whipple today, sounds awful tempting, Heading to the river this weekend, can't wait! As son as my boat goes out of warranty, I'm gonna do it. (the weeek long oil change that is) Keep us posted.

[NashvilleBound]

I put about 105 hours on it the first season, so I am way out of warranty. I had the same thoughts.
[ September 30, 2002, 06:03 PM: Message edited by: NashvilleBound ]

[Steamin' Rice]

NB,
What's the word on your ski pole?? Are you going to be able to use it with the whipple or does it have to go??
Also, what's the maintenance like with the whipple-charger??

[NashvilleBound]

[ September 30, 2002, 06:03 PM: Message edited by: NashvilleBound ]

[565edge]

I have a whipple on my chevy truck,it has been on for 2.5 years with no problems,power increase is incredible,i went ahead and built a 383 stroker with dart heads and a hydraulic roller cam,i make the max of 9 pounds of boost,i did have another company burn my chip and performance was very noticable,he does boats too,a friend put a whipple on his 26 dcb and had some problems when he tried to poor boost to it,he had the guy who did my chip re-calibrate his and the boat is night and day diffrence. :D

[NashvilleBound]

Stoked: Was trying to get your E Mail but couldn't ....write me if you cant post it. BTW...why cant you post it? I thought only uc feds did that?!?!

[roln 20s]

Dustin-
Just curious- did you guys stop making the HP 500 EFI whipple that is mounted on the front left corner? Was it replaced with the screw whipple on top or are they both available? I am all for the screw type- but I know some people with space issues may be interested. Thanks
Roln 20s

[Steamin' Rice]

Roln,
I think that the new type is the only one that is offered for the HP500EFI, but there may be a few of the old style whipples around.
From what I understand, the new style doesn't really require any more height clearance for the motor because the top of it is still lower than the CMI exhaust that comes with the HP500EFI. I think that people with twin applications were having space issues witht he side mount whipples which is why they changed to the top mount style.
Hopefully Dustin will confirm this...

[roln 20s]

SR-
That makes sense to me. The HP 500 EFI whipple on top is one sweet set-up. I love your boat and would love to hear what you run if ya get the whipple. I visited shockwave on a saturday and greg waited around for me knowing I was only 20 yrs old and just wanted to check it out for fun. If I buy a V- 99% chance it will be the 25 Tremor or the 29 Mag. Add a whipple for $5K to a HP 500 EFI, and get the RELIABLE power of a big block 8:71 or 10:71 engine for a fraction of the price. I like that idea :)
Dustin- another curious question- do you plan on designing a whipple system for the new HP 525 EFI. That is one sick engine also. Just curious.
Roln 20s

[Whipple Charged]

If your stuck running 87 octane, then do not add octane boosters, they typically don't work and are hard on the plugs. NOS is one of the only brands that actually does something. If you keep it below 2lbs. of boost for the majority of the time, you should have no issues at Powell. You have a bit higher elevation which will lower the overall cylinder pressure. You'll still be able to cruise at much higher speeds below 2-3lbs. of boost.
Roln 20's, we stopped making the side mounted system because of size constraints. The dual and triples were difficult to install. The new system requires no height (1" lower than headers), requires .5" of forward clearance so it seems it will fit on almost every boat. I've even put it on little 20-21' boats with no seat or hatch mods.
565edge, the gentelmen your refering too is really good at that line of work, he worked for us from the beginning and for about 8 years after that until he went on his own. We refer a lot of customers to him, he did all of our pre OBDII chip calibrations.
Thanks,
Dustin

[565edge]

Dustin,your guys blowers are awsome,one of your guys gave me daves number to help me out after i built my motor and i appreciated that,just couldnt believe that dave was 45 minutes from me.Good luck and keep up with a great product.What oil should i use in my blower?thanks.

[SteveDavid]

Hi,
As Dustin noted, I've been running their newer 500 EFI design Blowers for about 17 months now. Have about 170 hours on them virtually trouble free. Mine is a triple engine set up, gross weight about 13,500 pounds. Initially we had some ECM calibration issues IE: running very rich. However, Dustin fixed the problem immediately, and the service has been phenomenal. Dustin, his Dad, the entire company have been first rate since the get go.
Our boating is pretty much in the Ocean, travelling to the Bahamas and the Keys. R/T distance of between 360 and 450 miles. Average cruise RPM (subject to conditions) is 3,500 (67 MPH) to 4,000 (78-80 MPH) for 2 to 3 hours. Upgraded to XR drives when we installed the Whipples.
The Whipples idle perfect, no exhaust residue on the transom, and actually burn less fuel than the stock 500 EFI's unless you're in the boost alot. We don't see boost until about 4,200 rpm. Top RPM is 5,350 with 1.36 gears and 29" P-5 Hydromotives.
Hope this information helps in your decision.