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mid 90s XL vs XLI

killerbe20

killerbe20

Member
I am currently looking for a new boat. My previous boat had a mercruiser engine so i do not have much experience with crusader. I have learned through my adventures that boat brokers are not always as smart as they think they are. I am coming here looking for some answers I have been unable to get.

I am looking at boats in mid 90s range. I was wondering if anyone could give me a quick break down of the pre-1998 454 XL vs XLI. I think i have been able to determine the XLI is EFI and the XL is not, but not positive. (After 1998 it is really easy to tell a MPI just by looking at it) Are there any other major differances besides EFI and carb?

thanks in advance!

capt josh keeran
www.propositionsportfishing.com
racine, wi
 
I think you are a bit early in the switch over to fuel injection. Think Crusader did it more like the mid nineties. The "I" usually appears with the fuel injected engines but I wouldn't swear there was an initial distinction between throttle body (TBI) and multi-port (MPI).

The big addition was the introduction of the computer controls spawned by GM's employment of the Delphi designed microprocessors. there were many frequent 'enhancements' made in the late 90's. The only concern I know of is for the early TBI units - some parts for them are hard to get, if at all. Not a huge deal as the rebuild shops can usually find you a replacement or rework what you have.
 
thanks for the reply!

I loved the MPI advantages I had with my previous Mercruiser. I am convinced I will be happier with Crusader engines over the Mercruiser, just not sure if i will be happy with carb motors after running the MPI for so many years.

Running a Lake Michigan charter boat, majority of the motor hours will be spent near idle RPM/speeds. Does anyone see an advantage of the EFI/MPI over the carb in this aspect? I never had any issues in the past with the MPI but may of my counterparts with carb motors seem to.
 
The multiport should be "friendly" to the engine if you spend a lot of time idling or trolling. The computer will fire the injector just enough so, as long as the sensors are working, a reasonable air/fuel mixture results.

Many carbs deliver a rich mixture at idle/trolling. Usually not serious but can shorten engine life. Most are easy to fix but not always easy to detect.

The other potential improvement is the newer ignition systems - HEI variants and the newer ones provide timing control to minimize damage while maximizing economy.
 
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