Fun with leak down testing

[2fast4mom]

Arguably a leak down test is the best way to determine overall health of your motor--at least the rotating assembly.

I have a whole Snap-On brand setup for leak down testing and all necessary tools, and was thinking that if any of you wanted this test you could get it done at my place during the rally at the lunch or dinner whatever I'm putting on here, yet tbd.

I have a rock-free beach now that is 40 ft long and sandy, so it will be marked and you can drive your bow right up on it. I can have the air compressor and tools at the beach or on the dock. Beach probably makes more sense.

I just did leak downs on 3 motors last night. My 300 drag is running 1% to 4%, a brand new 1998 260 (long story) is 2% across the board, and an extremely expensive "best motor I ever made" bought in 2005 from a well-known con artist is at 40% to 7%.

 

[michael j giesler]

If it was built by the same guy that did jason p motor i can verify that junk

 

[FlatOutAlly]

Lou, is that 4-7% or 40-70? That will help tell me know which shyster you are referring to. But I'm pretty sure I know.

 

[whipper]

Lou your such a gracious kinda guy.:beer: Super nice thing to do for guys who may need to know or want to see how to do it. Good on ya!

 

[2fast4mom]

Cliff the number for this are as follows. I have never run this motor. I bought it while under the influence of the koolaid and yeah you guys know the shyster I'm talking about:

Leak down:

30%, 7%, 6%
40%, 24%, 21%

2005 drag motor on my 2002, 30 hours:

2%, 4%, 2%
3%, 0%, 2%

New 1998 260, 5 hours:

2% across all.

Thanks Whipper . You always have good positive posts!

 

[Jr in Jax]

Lou,
Susan has taken the week off for the rally and we are planning on coming up if we can find some nice 1 bedroom accommodations for the 20-27. We would return on Sunday morning to Jax.

I don't think any of our kids will be coming due to all of the new Granddaughters and the long drive up there.

I have not gotten the boat to Jack this year to undo last year's beating, hopefully he will have time to go over it for me. He just finished the torn up PWCs for me.




Jim Randle
Cell 904 716 4021.

 

[skewby]

Jr. sams boat dock has a couple places still for rent. euchee might still have a floating cabin still.

 

[FlatOutAlly]

Leak down:

30%, 7%, 6%
40%, 24%, 21%

Yikes. Probably oversized 2.4 slugs. :wink Im sure you paid the Ruck and Brucato bills too.

 

[Dave Hensley]

Cliff the number for this are as follows. I have never run this motor. I bought it while under the influence of the koolaid and yeah you guys know the shyster I'm talking about:

Leak down:

30%, 7%, 6%
40%, 24%, 21%

2005 drag motor on my 2002, 30 hours:

2%, 4%, 2%
3%, 0%, 2%

New 1998 260, 5 hours:

2% across all.

Thanks Whipper . You always have good positive posts!

And the name is.......??

 

[Jr in Jax]

Jr. sams boat dock has a couple places still for rent. euchee might still have a floating cabin still.

Can someone who has seen the available properties for that time frame give me advice on which one of them is best?

Phone numbers and contact persons would also be appreciated too.

We would also consider a nice house to rent for the time we are there.

Thanks for any help.
Jim Randle [JR]
904 716 4021

 

[2fast4mom]

I should clarify things on this thread at least in one case...Michael, Jason P's motor was NOT built by the shyster I am referring to, it was "allegedly" built by Dale Eaves and Paul Nichols, as reported to me by the seller, whose name escapes me at the present moment but I will post it when I recall. Chad Harpole. Bingo. That was in 2007 and I never ran the motor, but before committing to buying it, I had it gone over thoroughly by Brandon Powers in Florida who gave it a clean bill of health including dyno numbers and injectors tests. These were posted on the forum. So I sold that motor with full disclosure and in good faith, and Jason P can verify that.

Learning about who to deal with and who NOT to deal with, unfortunately, has cost me the better part of a college education at current tuition costs. All builders are legends in their own minds, at least the loudest ones are.

The current drag block with the massive leakdown was sold to me in 2005 by GPI aka Randy Pierson. He initially sold me one really good 260 in 2004, but everything after that was pure s__t. This particular motor was said to be "the most powerful motor I've ever built" supposedly 450hp with MAD EFI on it, a lot of it is powder coated yellow. And it was supposed to have been "freshened up" right before I got it. It's been sitting on a pallet since 2005-06 and never run.

So when I pulled off the starboard head, the one with the 40-24-21 leak down numbers, surprisingly nothing appears blatantly wrong...no scores, grooves, etc., and the cylinders have pretty aggressive (to my untrained eye) cross-hatch marks. So maybe (grasping at straws before I drown) it has never been broken in yet?

The hyperbole on this unit was relentless. "It's my PERSONAL motor; I don't really want to sell it" ad infinitum and I'm embarrassed now to say what I paid for it but will because I am so pissed off. $11,000.00. YEP.

Add this to the collection of GPI landfill powerheads that I have NEVER listed for sale strictly because of their questionable origins and having no faith whatsoever in what is inside of them. I did sell one to a friend in OK at the fastpass rally a couple years ago, losing over $6,000 on that one but I told him I knew nothing about it and that was fine with him. Later, I got the report that it was absolute junk on the insides.

Currently I have a GPI 280 block with 260 electrics and modified with the injector-before-reeds plate, it was on my Grandsport for awhile and never blew up, neither did it make any power and sounds like a percolating coffee pot at idle. I replaced it with a new 200XS SS in 2013 and that made the Grandsport into a whole new boat.

And I have this yellow MAD EFI motor with the horrible leak down numbers. These are the last two remnants of my degree from GPI. I have never posted them for sale, because my name is worth more to me than money.

 

[wc911]

Lou.....So how do you really feel????:banghead

 

[skewby]

http://samsboatdock.com/ http://www.eucheemarinaresort.com/ http://www.halasplace.biz/ euchee is where the rally will be based it has a restaurant 5 days a week and a dock bar on the week ends. sams will be more laid back and quieter. its a couple miles down 304 (i think we call it river road) or by buy water. sams is a nice place owned by a retired banker i believe, he is a nice guy. he just doesn't want it to be a loud party there because he has people that stay there that work at the nuclear plant that have to leave for work at 4 a.m. both are nice.is a big farm house used for weddings and other get togethers. jr you have a pm

 

[xb03fs]

id be interested to know the health of my motor if there is time. I only plan on being at the rally a few days so it may not be worth it timewise unless it is really quick and easy.\\

 

[DOUBLE J]

I'm in. I would like to check my 280 also.

 

[FlatOutAlly]

..... These are the last two remnants of my degree from GPI. I have never posted them for sale, because my name is worth more to me than money.

I know that feeling.....:help

 

[GotMyAlly]

Lou....what you need is a pair of these....

 

[Lotus 50]

What do you suppose went wrong with GPI/Randy Pierson. He could do good work, he knew a lot, and then more than a few reports of people getting hosed. Debt trouble? Substance abuse?

He was very helpful for me when I spoke with him once on the phone 20 years ago. Had all the time in the world for a guy buying nothing.

 

[michael j giesler]

That door should stay closed i couldn't tell you how many people he hosed and that's just in Wisconsin

 

[BGohr]

If it was built by the same guy that did jason p motor i can verify that junk

Mike, are you talking about that PH Jason bought that was supposed to be some great race PH that was fresh with a big bearing crank? That was worn out, had cast fishing motor pistons, mismatched rods, and a stock oiler crank?

He didn't tell me where it came from but it sure looked like another GPI motor that I had to correct. Junk