Fixed my low WOT RPM issue today!

ric · **Posted:** Sun Jun 22, 2014 8:57 pm

Well, as some of you read since I moved my boat to the St. John's River I've been having some engine performance issues. Living on my small lake I never had the space to notice. WOT RPM would only get around 4100 with a 19 pitch prop. I refused to pitch down to a 17 because 19 is what the boat came with, had to be something wrong. I checked the normal stuff and everything was fine, was kinda lost. The engine has always been a little hard to start and my old chevy v8 days had me thinking the timing might be off. So I finally got a hold of a timing light and around 5pm headed to the marina in between rain storms.

Sure enough, timing was horribly off. At 1000rpm idle it was at 5-6 degrees advance. So I adjusted it to 10-11 degrees advanced and went out for a spin. Mercruiser calls for 10 degrees at 1000rpm. Previously 4100rpms was all she had and it took forever to get there. With the timing set correct? 4600rpms and jumps out of the hole like a bandit. Engine fires up like a new car.

Not very often is an issue this big fixed for free. Dodged a really big bullet. The cloud cover was thick and my phone wouldn't lock GPS often, but when it did WOT MPH is now around 46mph. Not bad for a 4000lb boat with 220hp.

Went out on Lake Monroe to ride over to the city docks and grab some dinner downtown, the water was beautiful and calm passing under i4

Noticed the water getting a little choppy, looked to my rear to see this!!! Better haul ass back home!

Barely made it back but I didn't get wet thank god that's the worst. Ate Wendy's drive through instead.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:00 am

timing can play a huge roll in the aditude of a motor.. i know that in my custom mapping that i make for my truck in EFI Live the timing is the biggest element for maximizing my power and fuel economy. i used to cruise not he HWY at 2,100 rpm with +28* and i was only getting 14-15mpg @70 after hours of mapping i have hew dialed in and mapped to 2,000-2,100 @ 70mph and +39* and 19-20mpg. now i have trans shift mapping and around 60 or so hours of tuning to get things optimized in a 4wd truck on 35s in the hills. on flat HWY i am 20-21 depending on speed.. i got 18.72mpg running 80 for 294 miles yesterday coming home.

in a boat i try and check my timing at the beginning of every season as the distributor cap can twist from the vibrations over time just like any car dis cap..

blue dragon · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:01 pm **Posts:** 792

I call BS on the 46 MPH ric

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:30 am

blue dragon wrote:

I call BS on the 46 MPH ric

I was using Navionics (which doesn't record top speed) to one I downloaded on the fly that did record top speed mid run. GPS signal was spotty due to the weather and it only got signal once while in a sweeping right hand turn. 43mph. It was getting dark and the speed limit is 25mph figured it was time to slow down. I'll give it a go again this weekend with just me and the bimini down with the program that records

Jdpber · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:37 am

depending on what phone you have i know the androids use the accelerometer to help calculate the speed and if you were in a turn treating excessive G pull it can alter the speed reading on the phone.. what was the pitcopressure dash gauge reading? Also i would do it on a clear day or use a hand held true GPS. hell even your car gps..

your lake has a speed limit? this is a first i have heard of a lake with a speed limit HAHAHA.. now no wake zones are common and sound ordinance zones, but a speed limit BAWHAHAHAHAA we have guys with 30' race skeeters that blast around the lake well over 100mph.. one guy races in a lot of poker runs all over the east coast and some simi pro offshore racing and has a twin jet turbine that on occasion he will launch in the lake and whip out a speed run.. i know he can break 180 and slings a rooster that is about 100yards and 40' tall.. but 25mph i laugh at you.. i could not slolum ski in your lake lol i ski at 34mph and i guess i would be breaking the law..

ric · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2014 8:41 am

There's manatees that's why.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Johns_River

If you head out to Lake Monroe there's no limit. The go fast guys regularly do 100+ across it. Velocity Powerboat's headquarters is on the lake.

blue dragon · **Joined:** Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:01 pm **Posts:** 792

Jdpber · **Posted:** Mon Jun 23, 2014 11:49 am

oh. well i do not have to worry about those in my lakes,. plus the average depth is 85'

TFD2001 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2014 6:06 am

Jdpber wrote:

depending on what phone you have i know the androids use the accelerometer to help calculate the speed and if you were in a turn treating excessive G pull it can alter the speed reading on the phone.. what was the pitcopressure dash gauge reading? Also i would do it on a clear day or use a hand held true GPS. hell even your car gps..

your lake has a speed limit? this is a first i have heard of a lake with a speed limit HAHAHA.. now no wake zones are common and sound ordinance zones, but a speed limit BAWHAHAHAHAA we have guys with 30' race skeeters that blast around the lake well over 100mph.. one guy races in a lot of poker runs all over the east coast and some simi pro offshore racing and has a twin jet turbine that on occasion he will launch in the lake and whip out a speed run.. i know he can break 180 and slings a rooster that is about 100yards and 40' tall.. but 25mph i laugh at you.. i could not slolum ski in your lake lol i ski at 34mph and i guess i would be breaking the law..

LOTO has a 30 mph speed limit at night (1/2 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise)... But during the day, not uncommon to see offshore boats running 120-150+ down the water.. Problem there at night is, water patrol, sitting in the channel, running radar, sometimes with no lights on... :shock:

Walt · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2014 7:46 am

TFD2001 wrote:

LOTO has a 30 mph speed limit at night (1/2 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise)... But during the day, not uncommon to see offshore boats running 120-150+ down the water.. Problem there at night is, water patrol, sitting in the channel, running radar, sometimes with no lights on... :shock:

That's why I would run WOT... at night.... without lights on! OK, so only a few times... but it was a rush. My LOTO days are behind me now.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2014 9:52 am

this is why i boat in non communist controlled waters

ric · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2014 10:23 am

The St. John's River has cops every few miles. Keep the radio low, people in their seat without beer cans flashing, and NO wake in a no wake zone and you'll never get pulled over. There's plenty of idiots blowing through no wake zones (there's plenty of em), blasting stereo going nuts for them to pick and choose.

Now, once you're beached up somewhere it's game on do whatever. There's also canals to go down to raft up together that they won't bother you in.

Jdpber · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:54 am

we have no wake zones. but minimal cops.

www.iFourWinns.com

Fixed my low WOT RPM issue today!

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