whoo frickin' hoo!!!!

[SaunaKing]

Finally got a chance to rip it up a little in my new boat. I got a 88 18 Charger DL with 200 Merc w/ mod vp gearcase a few weeks ago and had it rebuilt. I had it in the water before but the temp gague was off so I was taking it easy. Got the temp gague replaced and got it back Friday night and put in the water today. The shop recommened a 28 chopper since he had my 26 spinning 6500 so I traded the 26 for the 28. Pretty much stock setup - no jack plate, no setback, no remote thottle or trim.

My old boat was a 15 Checkmate so I have never been much over 50mph driving a boat and man did this feel great!!

Hole shot was pretty crappy and i felt a lot of cavitation in sharp turns but the power and acceleration was AWESOME!

Never experienced the feeling of getting a boat up on the pad and feeling those vibrations as you fly along the water... I am addicted!

Had it up to 71.4 on my handheld gps and am just learning how to drive. I did learn that when it starts tilting back and forth at speed (chinewalking??) that its a LOT better to trim in than throttle down:eek:

Damn it was fun!

But i think i would like a second prop - i like to wakeboard & wakeskate and this prop just wont work for that - at low 20s mph the boat comes off plane.

What would be a good prop for this application? I am thinking a 24 or so laser - is that what the plain jane prop is called?

[Raceman]

Ain't nothing like it is there??? Post some pictures.

[SaunaKing]

Hopefully i can get some tomorrow

[pyro]

21 pitch Trophy Plus works great for me, and it still tolerates being jacked up high without ventilating too bad. Excellent ski prop.

Also pulls hard, accelerates great, and major bowlift, with 1.87 gears you'll run about 62-63 mph at 6300-6400 rpm within seconds if you feel the need to punch it wide open. Comes in handy when you want to haul around 3 frends and a heavy cooler.

Also, 21p is low enough pitch for some serious boat abuse holeshots-- from a dead stop, trim up fully, and punch it, for wheelies and airtime...

[SaunaKing]

Originally posted by pyro
Comes in handy when you want to haul around 3 frends and a heavy cooler.



Thanks Pyro,

now what would i want with a heavy cooler???:D

6300-6400rpm - thats too high right? You can only do that for very short bursts, correct?

The mech who did the rebuild said when he ran it with the 26 chopper he had it up to the 'p' in RPM

by the way - what is normal operating temp using the gague? I have the heat sensor in the top cylinder and it runs between 3/8 and 5/8 pretty much all the time today for the 1 hour + i ran it.

Best conditions for cooling was around 3800 rpm would bring it from 5/8 (wot or idle) down to under 1/2

cheers.
Tom

[Jimbob]

Pyro's recommendation of the Trophy 21, use one on me Laser 380 for sking.
Oh yeah, v-pads are a hoot to drive!:D

[pyro]

Correct. I don't hold it there too long. I only punch it WOT with the 21 to "feel the rush" or to terrorize the guy riding the tube behind the boat for a few seconds. Generally when I use the 21, I'm keeping under 30 mph most of the time.

-chad

[outboards4life]

Originally posted by SaunaKing
Thanks Pyro,

now what would i want with a heavy cooler???:D

6300-6400rpm - thats too high right? You can only do that for very short bursts, correct?

The mech who did the rebuild said when he ran it with the 26 chopper he had it up to the 'p' in RPM

by the way - what is normal operating temp using the gague? I have the heat sensor in the top cylinder and it runs between 3/8 and 5/8 pretty much all the time today for the 1 hour + i ran it.

Best conditions for cooling was around 3800 rpm would bring it from 5/8 (wot or idle) down to under 1/2

cheers.
Tom


6300 Rpm is not a problem unless you are running oil injection. I don't know of a lot of people that like the mercury style of oil injection because of the plastic gear that is on the crank. 63-6400 rpm is about all you want to run an engine with oil injection. As far as engine temperature. i'm sure your talking water temp which should be about 140 degrees.

[SaunaKing]

My daughter Erika & me

[SaunaKing]

Got a line on a 25" High 5 Prop, should be getting it this week and trying out this weekend.

[blkmtrfan]

Sweet looking boat :cool:

I really like it :D

[pyro]

The HighFive is probably not going to have the balls to pull up a skier, unless that motor is really strong, or has a 2:1 gearcase. It might be perfect for barefooting, though. 19-23 is typically what you want for skiing.

REMOVE the oil injection system if it still has it. It's a ticking time bomb for your motor.

-chad

[Firestarter]

I am glad you are liking your boat. I talked to Paul last night and he said your boat fly's!.
I would run a trophy in the 21-23 range if you want real power. That High Five is going to be OK, but not like a Laser to Trophy for hole shot. It will be VERY smooth running though.


For those of you that don't know, that boat is a George Linder designed 18 DL Classic by Charger boats. It is basically a scaled down Challenger 21 with a slightly larger pad. The cockpit is EXACTLY the same size as the Challenger.
These are AWSOME running boats..... to bad there are not a lot of good ones around anymore.

RT

[SaunaKing]

Regarding the prop, i am going by the recommendation of the guy who rebuilt my motor. I trust his judgement and if i dont like the prop he will let me swap it for something else. I mentioned the 21 trophy but he thought the 25 high5 would be a better combination of pulling power and performance. I will talk to him again after reading some of the input here and discuss a prop other than the high5 - thanks guys

Regarding the removal of oil injection - I have read a lot of posts here of people saying the same thing. I like the convienece of oil injection and want to keep it.

Please don't take this the wrong way but it seems to me the way oil injection systems for mercs are described by a lot of people on this board is borderline scare mongering.

What is it about the injection system that is the problem? My understanding is that the potential problem would be between the oil tank in the boat and the small about 1 litre tank sitting on the engine. But if this fails, you still have that litre of oil that is gravity fed into the motor, correct? And when that tank is not full the alarm goes off.

I am just after a better understanding of the reasoning behind the oil injection removal suggestions.

Thanks Pyro - I appreciate your help and knowledge.

Tom

[rpm racing]

what otter lake are you on? A good friend of mine is on otter lake which is off Hwy 15 North of Kingston. The reason why so many people remove the oil injection is because it is one thing that if it fails or stops working you WILL damage your motor. The second reason is because most guys around here run at high RPM like over 6,000 and up to 9,000 and the stock oil injection does not feed enough oil to the engine at these RPM's. If you premix your fuel you know that the oil is going through the engine for sure. If you want to keep your oil injection that is fine just try to keep track of the amount of fuel and oil you use, that way you can get an idea of what ratio you are running. YOu can always just add a little bit of oil to the fuel and keep the oil injection just to be extra safe.

[SaunaKing]

Thanks rpm,
I am on the Otter Lake about 5 miles south of Parry Sound.
Good suggestion about keeping track of the amount of oil I go through using the injection. I haven't done that but I will start.

[Firestarter]

Tom keep the revs under 6700 and it will be ok. The gear is plastic and doesn't like RPM. You will not have any warning should the gear fail.

[rpm racing]

firewalker, is this the boat that has the same deck mold just cut down from a challenger? So would that mean that the dash is the same width and the back seat would fit both boats? Does this boat have a pad? Last question, is the old race boat you were telling me about a 18Dl same as this one?

[pyro]

You're missing the main point here. It isn't IF the injection CAN fail, but WHEN it WILL. The oil injection pump's metal gear is driven by a large diameter spiral PLASTIC gear on the crankshaft. This gear strips out and the pump stops rotating. This happens more quickly on motors run over 6000 rpm, but it has been known to happen within the first 100 hours on new motors used on less-demanding applications, as well. An overheating or "hot" running motor can soften the gear so it burns up more easily. The Oil Warning Module should detect the lack of pump rotation when it stops hearing pulses from the rotation sensor. BUT... This part is one of the most common electrical parts to fail on Merc V-6 motors. Now you've put your faith in a 6" diameter plastic gear spinning against a metal gear at 6000 rpm, and a problematic electrical part to warn you if the little Mikuni pump stops turning. Will you hear the warning beeper over the noise of your 200 at wide open throttle? Of course not. You will begin to hear it as your motor starts to lose power, as the pistons melt down, bringing it to a sudden stop in the middle of the lake.

Oil injection feeds 100:1 at idle, 50:1 at W.O.T., and a progressive mixture in between. After idling for a few minutes, the float bowls (or EFI vapor separator) are filled with several ounces of weak 100:1 mix. You punch the throttle wide open and accelerate hard. The time you need the lubrication, it isn't even there. 50:1 is good for 6000 rpm motors. If you run it up there often, or especially if you regularly turn well over 6K, you should be at 40:1.

THIS, my friend, IS INDEED "scare mongering" LOSE the system.

Pre-mix with an appropriate ratio measuring cup when you fuel up. You always will know what your motor is burning, unless you forget to add oil :eek: :confused: :rolleyes: :( :mad:

-Chad

[Adam]

Hey Pyro quick question here.

I have what I assume is the same engine as you do. 1995 200 Merc Xri EFI. At the moment I am breaking in a new cylinder so I am running a premixed gas that is 50:1.

I have the onboard oil tank and one in the engine that I check every two days to make sure that oil is running through the system (i.e oil level is going down).

So far so good. No warning beeps from the engine. I am constantly listening for these, having blown the engine before. Of course I have only run it up to 4600 rpm.

I planned on stopping the pre-mixing in a few weeks once break in is complete. You are saying this is a bad idea? If I continue to mix won't I clog up the fuel injectors in the engine?



Tom, with a name like "sauna-king" I can only assume you are a fellow esto?

[Firestarter]

RPM,

That is the boat. It has the same cockpit as the Challenger. It has a slightly wider pad.

If you want one, don't buy one that is newer than 89. The older they are the better. As Sauna is finding out they are a fast boat. On any given Sunday with a good motor and setup, they will beat the Charger STV ( needle nose ).

RT

[blkmtrfan]

Well I can say from first hand experence that it will fail if you run your motor on a performance boat any where neat 6500 RPM. I lost a perfectly good 2.4 in my third season (I'm sure onlyabout 100 hours on it) dues to the oil injection failing. I't not the little tank on the motor, it was full, it was the plastic gear and it let go and I just about thru a rod thru the side, ruined one hole and a crank. I really would reccomend taking it off if you plan on spinning over 6000. Just my .02, no scare tatics ;)

[blkmtrfan]

BTW Firewalker what happened to Charger it seems they made some real interesting boats, maybe you could put together a little history thread :)

[AnthonySS]

...Sauna King

With the right prop and 200 HP...you could get it too run 75 to 80 mph.

I like the DL...its a decent ride in some sloppy water which will usually leave a Vking in its wake;)

[SaunaKing]

Pyro - thanks for the detailed explanation of what causes the oil injection failures. Now I understand what you are saying and get the logic behind mixing.
What are the negatives of mixing oil (50:1)? Especially at low rpms? In my old boat (70merc) I often would put around with friends for a good hour or more at barley over idle. This boat does not seem to like going slow, the motor won't stall but it really gurgles & burps if you know what i mean. Will the higher concentration of oil in the gas at that speed make it run even rougher (and smoke more)?

I am going to seriously consider losing the injection, although I guess I qualify more as a recreational boater than performance.

Adam - I assume an 'Esto' is estonian? I am not Estonian or Finnish. My background is Polish but since I discovered the sauna at a buddys cottage in the early 90s I have been a big enthusiast. Built my own in '99 and have a hole in the ice during the winter so I can enjoy year round!

[pyro]

Pre-mixing during break-in with the injection gives a combined 25:1 at WOT, and 33:1 at idle. This is a richer mix for break-in, tneds to smoke and foul plugs a lot. Don't wait to break-in to be finished, you can control the ratio yourself with pre-mixing.

Get "oil injection blockoff kit" from www.rickracers.com E-mail sales@rickracers.com Barbara will get you a custom-bagged kit, containing:
Merc blockoff plug
o-ring
2 screws
brass threaded plug

Crimp off oil hose to avoid mess. Remove oil reservoirs and hoses. Disconnect oil cap sensor. You may have to cut some plastic wire ties. Remove the oil injection pump, and slide the gear shaft assembly out from behind it. Replace with plastic plug from kit. Remove oil warning module. It connects to the pump rotation sensor, among other things. Disconnect all of its connections, and the sensor, too. The overheat sender will remain connected to a small terminal block on the starboard side, where the overheat horn wire connects, this alarm will still work.

(ON EFI ONLY):
You will need to remove the vapor separator mounting screws and a couple of hoses to move it out of the way for pump removal. You will also remove the "water in fuel" alarm box (on the front), since it relies on the oil module.

Every electrical connectoing can be unplugged with a quick-disconnect bullet, or from a screw terminal block. You will not need to cut anything.

The leftover components can usually be sold here on the board if you keep all of the fittings and screws.

Pre-mix 50:1 if you putt around at idle and run midrange throttle. Mix 40:1 of you run the hell out of it.

Using too much oil will make it idle rough with lots of nice blue smoke :D It will also load up and foul plugs. So oil it accordingly. Synthetic oil will smoke less, but I use Merc Premium Plus in my motor. The only bad thing about it is the carbon build-up.

-Chad

[SaunaKing]

I am going to leave the setup alone this season and learn to drive the boat. I am going to add foot throttle, trim on wheel, solid mounts and setback or jackplate during the offseason. I hope with the current setup I might push 75 since i was able to get 71 on the first day.

[AnthonySS]

OH Yeah...you'll need all the go fast stuff to make it an even better and faster ride...sounds like your headed in the right direction.

PLAY SAFE

[Adam]

Originally posted by SaunaKing
discovered the sauna at a buddys cottage in the early 90s I have been a big enthusiast. Built my own in '99 and have a hole in the ice during the winter so I can enjoy year round!

Is that yours in your avatar? Nothing like a nice hot sauna in the dead of winter. I hope you are using that hole in the ice to cool off. Simplest way to test for anurisms or any heart defects is an instant change in ambient temp of 100 C !!!


Pyro, thanks for the description. I will have to look into this a bit further.

[Kavalk]

Here's an old brochure shot. I've got the rest of the pages from that year as well.

[DoktorC]

Congrates!! It's nice to see another Charger on the board lol. You'll have alot of fun with that. It's really easy to learn to drive..at least mine was compaired to the Voodoo.

Do you have a bow tank or a stern tank? Mines in the bow and I can literally (but I don't :))take my hands off the wheel @75mph the boat is solid on the pad.

I'm just starting to get mine dialed in so if you have or need advice or tips let me know!

[SaunaKing]

Originally posted by Adam
I hope you are using that hole in the ice to cool off. Simplest way to test for anurisms or any heart defects is an instant change in ambient temp of 100 C !!!

Absolutely!

yes, thats my sauna in the pic. I am in the lake at least once every month of the year. Too bad its such a bitch to cut the hole in the ice. This year I had about 26" of ice to deal with.

[SaunaKing]

Thanks Doc,

My tank is in the back. Looks like there is a section built into the boat for the tank. Half under the back seat and half behind the back seat.

I still am not 100% sure exactly when I am on the pad but it does get squirrely at around 70mph and I have only been up there a couple times. I have yet to get a feel for it.

I was following your thread last month about your setup. I am going to hold off changing setup until after the season.