Bad Start

[Bender]

It was nice around noon today so I figured I would take my boat out for the first time of the year to shake it down and get ready for opening day in a couple weeks. I started it on muffs last weekend and blew out the fogging oil since I didn't want to blast that crap into the lake and everything seemed fine. So I backed her into the water and the motor fired right up and I pulled off the trailer and beached her and shut it down. Parked the truck and fired it back up again and idled down the channel to the lake, about 1/8 mile. I got onto the lake and BZZZZZZZZZ!!! SH%#$$^$%^$%^OOT!!!!
I saw that there was no water pressure on the gauge when I started it up, but there was water coming from the pee stream so I figured the gauge was sticking and it would be O.K. when I went above idle. I was wrong. There was still some water coming from the pee-er ( family friendly) but I shut it down immediately. I checked the intakes and they were clean so I took it back to the trailer on using the TM and took it home.

The intakes look clean as far as I can see up in there. I do have an appointment next Friday at the dealer but if I can fix it sooner then it is better. It is a 2006 (on an 07 boat, one year of use) VMax 150 carb. I never once even bumped the motor without water running to it. I am going to go try to blast air backwards down the pee-er ( kind of like that term now) to see if that can clear anything up.
The only thing worse than waiting to be on the water was getting out there for 5 minutes only to turn right back around and come home. Any other suggestions?

[bothomas]

hopefully you just need a new water propeller. I take it the BZZZZZZ was the alarm that the motor was too hot?

[Bender]

I think so, I don't know what the oil pressure buzzer sounds like though. I wouldn't think that the impeller is bad already, but maybe. I took it out I would guess about 40-50 times last year, and didn't run it too much.

[boater]

Check the oil tank on the motor if it is low you get a buzzer too

[MIbasser]

Sorry to hear of the boat. That's not a way to start out the season. Is it still under warranty?

[zooker]

i normall will get a low oil buzzer when fairly low-not out- and trim it way high to load the boat..dam boulders in launch area..

zooker

[boater]

Ive goten it with only 4 oz. low in the tank

[Bender]

MIBasser, there are 7 years left on the warranty.
Oil levels are fine, I checked the main tank in the boat and the reserve on the motor. I overlooked flushing it with the garden hose adapter on the bottom of the cowl so I will try that tomorrow. I sure hope I can get it fixed, but I will still take it in and see if they will fix the gas gauge that is screwed up.

[MIbasser]

Best of luck! See ya out on the water soon.

[zooker]

umm bender on the stratos the gas tank is an L shape. it wont read right no matter what is done.. this is a design flaw in that type fuel tank...

zooker

[zooker]

bender here is a link to guys in the know.. explaining your gas problem..

http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=271492

zooker

[boater]

hope you get it on the water quick keep us posted as to the results

[bassdaddy]

just a thought, but you might want to check your poppet vavles,,or thermostats...hope it helps

[Bender]

I flushed it this morning for about 10 minutes and the water pressure gauge went up to 10. I the hooked up the muffs and fired it up and let it idle. About 5 minutes later, same thing. The pee stream is there, but not as strong. I am heading out of town tomorrow so I will just plan on letting the stealership take a look at it on Friday. Thanks for all your suggestions.

[1FASTLASER]

Hmmmmmmmmmm................sounds like one of 2 things to me.......faulty sensor which can only be checked with an ohm meter and/or a weak impellar. But it is possible that he has an obstruction somewhere. I have seen that before. I do a little trick on MY engines ............I have the gauge hooked into the same area that the tattle tail is that way if one doesnt work neither will the other and I SHUTDOWN immediately and figure out why.

[bamabassman]

hope you get it fixed man. hate to hear of a fisherman with a boat that don't "boat". god luck and hope it is a cheap fix. let us know, ok?

[Bender]

It is going in tomorrow morning. Laser, I think you are right, either a weak impeller or some blockage. The W.P. gauge does work since it came up when I flushed it and the motor is getting pretty hot when the alarm goes off.
Now my only concern is getting these guys to cover it under warranty if it is not my fault.

[MIbasser]

Bender, only one week left before the opener, hope they fix it in time!!! Saw a bass boat out on Kent this morning (7:30ish) on my way in.

[1FASTLASER]

Bender after you talk to the shop again for my own information find out what those hammers are supposed to run when warmed up. I know what Merc and OMC are supposed to run around but havent turned alot of wrenches on the hammers. lemme know what they find and the temp please. Looks like I am gonna have to get me a hammer CD and really start digging into these motors. There are more and more of them showing up and sooner or later they gonna have some problems that are Hammer related only and I need to be on the ball.

[Bender]

Got her back and on the water this evening. $361.49 for an impeller and housing. Th joys of owning a boat with a bigger sized motor and learning the hard way. I will do it myself from now on for sure.
I just wish I knew what killed it, they said it was burned up pretty bad. Maybe fishing with ice on the water in air temperatures in the 20s? Maybe when I got into a bit of sand on my second to last trip out? Somebody's kids playing around with it in my old shop at my old job where it was kept last year? (might be the case, that same somebody broke the screen on one of my X52s last year) I may be trimming too far up, but I do watch the gauge and when I hear the motor telling me the prop is slipping I drop it back down a little. But I really don't know.
Laser, I talked to the guy at the counter and he said they should run at 190-200, "just like a car". He is a nice guy, but maybe just saying that because he didn't know.
She is back up to running 19 psi at WOT at just a hair over 60 on the GPS at 6k RPM. NEED MORE PROP! Hopefully I'll have the cash for a used 24 4-blade at the end of the month.
Edit: what a great feeling to be up on pad blasting across the water.

[bamabassman]

great to hear bender!!! glad you got her going.

[boater]

good to hear hope you have all your problems out of the way for the rest of the year