What's up with these reeds?

[imq707s]

I decided to pull the cards and reeds out of my 89' OMC GT200 Looper today. Ever since I got the boat last spring, it's never really wanted to idlel very smooth and I've always suspected the reeds.

Well after I pulled the reeds out I noticed that some of them actually looked burt...almost like someone has held a match up to them. They are black and charred. What could have caused this? The ones that were not burnt were pretty warped.

Well....it looks like I'm going to order a new set of Boysen reeds soon. I'm sure that will cure my idle problem and give the motor some more low and midrange power also. Do you think I will notice a top end improvement?

[Dukeofchippewa]

Don't know what caused it but hopefully someone will know. I wouldn't put new ones in til you find out.

[Reese]

The first time I replaced my metal reeds the instructions said to increase the jet size from 1 to 2 sizes up. I ignored those insturctions and my reeds kinda looked like yours.

Apparantly the glass reeds are not as tollerant of lean sneezes or backpulses like the metal one. Not sure if that's the cause of your problem?

[ssent]

The boysen reeds I installed said to retard the timing a little on start up after installing to prevent a lean sneeze back through the intake and flaming the new reeds. No main jet size increase needed if stock airbox was reinstalled per the instructions. You might need bigger secondary jets, or maybe smaller air bleed jets to richen up the idle. Did your motor sneeze or small backfire on startup much? Someone from here should know all about this. Sorry I couldn't help much.

[imq707s]

Yep.....it's always sneezed really bad while idleing. Maybe the warped reeds caused the sneezes...which in turn caused the burnt reeds :confused:

It still has the airbox on it, and the jetting is stock except it's been bumped up one size on cylinders #3 & #5. All the plugs look good, none look lean.

[BenKeith]

Glass reeds can't handle any lean spit. Personnaly, I would change back to steel in basicaly a stock motor turning less than 6,500 rpm.

Lean most likely caused your problem. You need to go at least six sizes smaller on the idle jets. There are other things that can cause lean spit but I would start with the idle jets. If yours are still the OEM's #35's I would change them all to #28's or 30's. If you still get a bad lean spit, you probably have ignition problems.

[Reese]

Ben is right on....I should have said idle jets...my bad.

[T-REX]

I sho am glad ta see anudder guy dat likes tha ole steel reedz!!!...

Reese, go winterize ya lawnmower!! ;)

[Reese]

Imma winterizing Rex...Imma winterizing. Yuz gots to be careful about that oil a freezn'. ;)

Hey about dem reeds I never really noticed any difference on a fishn mota. Even when I got the jets dialed right...at some moment in time...it would sneeze or fart and dem sons of bitches would burn or crack...I eventually went back to the steel reeds and never thought about it again. I'm sure they make much more sense in drag or lake racing.

[imq707s]

I think the idle air metering jets are 35's (stock I think) . If the motor is stock....shouldn't the stock jetting be OK? I only spin it up to around 6000...maybe 6200 every once in a while. The guy that I bought the boat from said that the guy he bought it from put the reeds it....and he owned it for 7 years :eek:

Aren't fiberglass reeds supposed to be changed every 2 or 3 years? I bet those reeds have been in there since 1996....or maybe longer :eek:

[BenKeith]

If you ask for advise and don't listen, why ask?

I guess it like the old saying,

Advice - A wise man seldom needs it, A fool seldom heeds it, so why give it.

[imq707s]

Ben....I read your post about changing the idle jets....and I'm looking into geting some new ones. I was just wondering why I would need to change them on a stock motor. Thanks for all the great info.....I really appriciate it.

By the way....each carb has two small air bleeds in the front, are they both idle jets or just one of them? I think one is a 35 and the other is a 39. By going to a 30 as you suggested, will it just richen up the idle, or will it also affect part throttle running?

Thanks again for all the info....I'm not ignoring it :D

[BenKeith]

It's not stock, the factory jetted it for steel reeds, it didn't come from the factory with glass reeds. When you get a new set of Boysen's they plainly tell you go 10 jet sizes smaller (richer). The few times I've used them, I've found that too much, usually about 6 works fine.

The #35's are the idle air, the 39's are off idle (mids), changing the idle's will not change the mids.

Like I said, I would throw the glass reeds in the trash, find me a set of reed stops, order a set of steel reeds from Rickracer and get rid of the problem. You will see absolutely no performance benifit with the Boysen's. When you install the Boysen's, work for hours and "maybe" get them all to lay flat, for the first moth or so they might make it idle better but that soon goes away because they won't be flat after that.

I've got two power heads, my main one I run steel, the backup I have the Boysen's. Both are turned 6,500 - 6,600 rpm, both put out "well" over 250 hp. The only reed problems I ever have is with the Boysen's, which will go in the trash the next time I pull the intakes of it.

[imq707s]

Ben, just a few more questions.

1. If I go with metal reeds, would it still be a good idea to go down to size 30 idle bleed jets?

2. Will going from a 35(stock) to a 30 jet cause any plug fouling or excessive smoking problems?

Thanks again for all the great info.

[BenKeith]

If you go back with metal reeds, leave the 35's in.

If you go back with glass reeds, you have to go with smaller jets to richen the motor because glass reeds makes it idle too lean. The engine doesn't pull the same amount of vaccum at idle with glass as it does with metal so all you are doing is getting it back to where it should be, you are not actually making the motor richer than it was jetted with steel reeds.

[imq707s]

Well I decided to order a set of Boysen reeds for my motor. I also got some #30 idle air bleed jets to replace the stock #35's. I just have to bolt the heads back on the motor and I'll be ready to go.

By the way....I checked the main jets and cylinders 1-4 are #62's and 5&6 are #65's. Does that sounds right? The motor is pretty much stock except for smaller heads and plugged idle relief’s (150psi) and the Boysen reeds. Should I jet up cylinders 1-4 to #65's also?

I got all of my parts from Brent Gill at www.DiscountOutboardParts.com

All I did was email him a list of the parts I needed....and he emailed me back a paypal invoice all ready to go. It couldn't have been easier. And his prices were great.....I would highly recommend doing business with him. :D