ZR6 ECM upgrade for 2004?

[dfoster]

Hey Nautique Jeff...

I was poking around on some old threads and saw that you had a 2007 236 with a ZR6 and you upgraded to the 2008 ECM to boost your power.

Is that possible with an '04 ZR6? I have an SV211 and would always like a bit more power. How did you learn if it was compatible, and what was the cost?

I had been wondering what the difference was between the 375hp, 390hp, and now even the 409hp that they get out of the 6.0L, but didn't have an easy way to know what changed and whether an upgrade was possible.

Has anybody else done this type of upgrade? Was it worth it? Noticable?

Can't wait for summer... need to spend the winter thinking of projects.

Doug

[NautiqueJeff]

I did mine back in 2007 when Zero Off was just coming out. Nautique wanted me to test it out on my boat, but my ZR6 had the old ECU and wouldn't work with ZO. PCM sent me the new one so that I could test ZO. I actually ran ZO and PP side-by-side that year.

No idea what the cost would be to do this, and the HP boost was just a bonus for me. I can tell you that the ZR6 375 to 390 change is all software-based. Not sure on the 390 to 409/450, but I doubt it is just software for those.

[jsta281]

Don't mean to hijack to far a field, but over the last 10 to 12 years engine tuning to increase horsepower with hand held tuners (as well as custom tuning with software such as hp tuners and SCT and others) has become so common place in the performance car and truck world I am surprised this had not become more available in these marine applications. I'm surprised PCM and Indmar have "held off" the custom tuning bug as successfully as they have. I'm sure it has to do with the potentially voiding of the warranty on the ridiculous price of a replacement engine, but there sure seems to be market for this kind of tuning.

[dfoster]

I agree completely. I can get a new chip for my Mini for only a couple hundred bucks... and with ODB-II, you just "flash" it, nothing under the hood.

If PCM sold me the upgrade, that would be fine. I am out of warranty as it is, so I've got nothing to lose.

Maybe this is a new biz opportunity?

[JUST-IN-TIME]

There are a few companies that will do it
There is a company in AZ that does it
I forget the name but they do sell a 1200 program where you can tweak it, but I would not unless you know what your doing