Mercury 400R & 500R: Which Engine for Your Boat?

Transcript

Mercury Racing recently released two amazing new outboard engines the 400r and 500R all in a very short amount of time between those releases other than the obvious 100 horsepower difference there are two completely different Outboards that can fulfill different applications and make a really wide range of boats perform better than ever let's get a better look at them both and see what those differences are mercury has been on an innovation Bender these last few years first they introduced the unique and technologically advanced 600 horsepower V12 outboard this thing is a beast in every sense of the word it's huge and the Mercury designed 12 cylinder output 600 horsepower with ease the primary application of this engine is for the ever larger outboard boat they can be seen rigged in Du trips or quads on such monsters as the Valhalla 55 they're filling their roll very well for this purpose but not all large center consoles need or can handle 600s enter Mercury's allnew V10 400 horsepower although out for a short while it's proving to be a huge success and a requested outboard on many boats known for its power and torque throughout the throttle range it's being rigged on more boats of all kinds Mercury Racing got its hands on the 400 and introduced this V10 Powerhouse in February 2022 it was an instant success designed specifically for center consoles and catamarans capable of speeds over 75 mph taking all the benefits of the 400's completely new V10 design the 400r has some impressive specs the 400r is naturally aspirated that's right naturally aspirated 5.7 L V10 that replaces the L6 400r it's designed to run on 87 octane fuel and is more fuel efficient than the L6 400r it replaces although the powerhead is a new design it takes much of its inspiration and Technology from the 4.6 L V8 300r it's powered by a Mercury Racing quad cam four valve qc4 design with double overhead cam shafts and four valve aluminum cylinder heads with a Mercury cast V10 block the cylinders is set at a 64° angle making the power head narrow enough for 26 on Center mounting allowing for easy multi-engine rigging which is a common arrangement for this motor this narrow rigging capability opens the door for more possible multiple engine setups and center consoles looking for maximum performance the ability to get these new engines in 20 25 30 and 35 in lengths allows for a wide variety of single and multi-engine rigging the key to this naturally aspirated Powerhouse is its specially designed 92mm throttle body in tuned intake able to draw in a massive amount of air to create power at any speed combined with a Mercury design throttle body Servo motor and tuned intake power is instantly available at any RPM up to the maximum 6,000 6600 RPM the engine also boasts Mercury Racing's fuel pressure sensor to adjust fuel in response to throttle manipulation instantly this combined with another Mercury technology transient spark technology that automatically adjusts the spark timing creates incredible bursts of power to get up to on plane and still produce amazing results at Mid and top end the 400 RS midsection is Beefy and has also been enhanced with a lot of new Technology and Engineering Mercury Racing Advanced midsection or AMS had heavyduty guide plates installed stiffened and tune engine mounts and an isolated power head for a smoother Inquirer run quality there's also a rear tie bracket that can be options for mounting on high performance cab hands the 400r also comes with two gear case options one the sportmaster gear case is utilized on boats capable of more than 85 mph it's designed as a surface piercing design and has a low water pickup there's also a merker racing 5.44 HD gear case this option is ideal for heavier center consoles and Bay boats that require more of a submerged gear case for heavy Stern lift like the surface piercing gear case it also has a 1.60 to1 gear rate ratio these gear cases can push a new line of performance propellers Mercury calls the Venta line other exciting technology on these performance Outboards includes DTS or digital throttle and shift this AIDS in precise and instant response when utilizing Mercury Racing zero effort controls when using this system adaptive speed control will ensure RPMs remain the same regardless of SE conditions that create load changes helps in not playing with the throttles as much while underway trying to maintain maximum performance and takes a lot of the cerebral constantly having to think about fine throttle adjustments away these Outboards are also fitted with a whopping 150 amp alternator offering twice the output power of the L6 400r with power hungry systems on board this outboard is a huge benefit and will charge well even at low RPMs electr hydraulic steering also AIDS in positive high-speed control and self-contained electric steering for joystick works really well at low RPM there's also an access door at the top of the cowling allows for easy servicing of routine maintenance fluids of course these engines are offered in Mercury's Phantom black and now Cold Fusion white with Mercury Racing graphics and devil red trim there's also an option for ready to paint model that can be custom painted with decals that can be placed after the painting so these engines are gaining quickly in popularity and were very well received when introduced but Mercury Racing wasn't done there they they had another surprise up their sleeve the allnew 500R many have speculated about why they didn't introduce this motor simultaneously in Miami when they did the 400r just a few short months after the Miami show we and other media were invited to the 50th anniversary celebration of Mercury Racing in Charleston South Carolina without prior indication it was there at the celebration dinner that they introduced allnew Mercury Racing 500R the following day we got to test ride various boats with this engine that were a perfect match and truly brought out the full potential of these engines personally I think it was marketing genius to separate the two announcements so that each could get the attention it deserved the new 500R certainly did impress although both are impressive Outboards the 400r and 500R have a lot more than 100 horsepower separating them the 500R is built on a 4.6 L 64° V8 fourstroke power head this is boosted by a Mercury Racing Supercharger Mercury Racing says a stout new crankshaft specific to the 500 r model rides in a 230° Groove main bearings for improved oiling and features a larger more robust 1-in drive shaft splines the connecting rods rod bearings and pistons a strengthened to handle increased combustion pressure and a higher 6600 RPM Red Line a a new low inertia flywheel allows the engine RPM to climb faster for improved acceleration supercharger booster pressure is increased by 26% compared to the older 450R model the 500R features a new attenuator with a larger intake to accommodate increased air flow demand the throttle body diameter is increased by 15% from an 80 mm to a whopping 92 mm and the shape of the supercharger inlet is redesigned to improve flow the charge air cooler fin density and flow pattern are all optimized to improve efficiency another new feature these high output Outboards have is humidity compensation technology for the first time available on Outboards the sensor that's located in the intake attenuator can determine the humidity level of the air being drawn in the ECM then takes the humidity data temperature and air pressure and determines the ideal spark timing it allows for the best calibration based on conditions for maximum performance this makes really good engineering sense think of how much better an outboard performs in a dry cool environment compared to a hot humid one such as a summer day here in Florida Mercury Racing claims up to 30 additional horsepower in humid conditions and tested 15 seconds of reduction of acceleration from 0 to 70 mph those are impressive stats like the 400r Mercury Racing beefed up the midsection of the 500R with its Advanced racing core or Arc the strengthen transom plate now has more rigging holes allowing for more vertical lift options while rigging now tuning to get maximum performance is possible with twice the adjustment of the 450R in any rigging situation trim has also been beefed up with two main hydraulic Rams backed up with two new booster Rams with trim speed reduced make making fine trim adjustments as possible under any kind of condition the hydraulic steering on these Outboards has also been strengthened with 18% more torque than the 450R steering components have also been made 20% stronger and changed from aluminum to stainless steel like the 400r there's also an optional rear tie bar bracket for cat applications the gear case options for the 500R are also an all new design the r drives operate in submerged transition and full surfacing applications in two configurations with a 1.60 to1 gear ratio and a larger 1-in drive shaft these have Crescent leading enges and what Mercury Racing calls a long aspect torpedo hydrodynamically tuned for high-speed performance The Wider 5.9in gear case house larger 1 and 1/2 in prop shafts and gearing that can drive propellers up to 17 in the base R drive is best suited for submerged and transitioning applications for boats capable of top speeds from 85 to 100 mph these are perfect for many high-speed center consoles on the market today they have a standard skeg length and a possible left or right hand can to balance any steering Force generated by the outboard the r Drive sport is designed for surfacing applications and boats capable of speeds Beyond 100 mph it has a longer skag and a wedge shape Leading Edge the shaft is made from Aerospace stainless similar to those used in Mercury Racing's m6 and M8 Stern drives these prop shafts can easily stand up to the punishment of surfacing propellers digital throttle and shift controls DTS help control this Beast along with adaptive speed control and Mercury Racing's digital zero effort controls just like the 400r this engine will work with engine guardian and vessel view they're also available in the same colors as a 400r and I have a top cing door for maintenance servicing while there is some crossover between applications these are two very very different Outboards that differ in many more ways than just their horsepower output they share some technology but also have unique features and Technology each feels a niche and in need for a specific craft and specific boater both are solid options for new build and repower and for anyone looking to get the maximum performance possible from their outboard and their boat whether you're a racer or you want Peak Performance I believe you'll be more than happy with either of these amazing Outboards and each is going to be better suited to your particular application I think Mercury Racing has done an amazing job in the design of these racing Outboards their uniqueness sharing some technology yet having their own features and functions and their own designs and their own separate application really there's never been a better time if you're in the market for a Performance Racing outboard there's never been a better time for you the choices are out there they're amazing Mercury Racing has done an incredible job on marketing these you need to check them out if you want to learn about Mercury's allnew 150 and 200 R Racing Outboards don't forget to hit the like And subscribe button and ring that notification Bell so that you know when that video is available for you to watch thanks so much for watching and we'll see you back here soon