New (to me) XB2003 learning and setup

[ntxwaterfowl]

Don't endanger your engine, get a pressure gauge and the low water pick up. "but is this where a prop with more lift would be helpful?" Yes and no. Yes if it lifted the entire boat, no if you ran out of cooling water and fried your engine. I little tid bit about heat sensors. If the sensor is screwed into, attached to, the metal it takes time to transfer the heat build up thru and into the sensor. If the senser is in direct contact with the water at the first hottest point = sooner.
I have a digital temp gauge with a exposed tip pyro sender. It also has a bright red LED that comes on to tell me things are hot.
Put the boat in the lake and ran it on plane but a slow speed to put heat in the engine before romping on it. I traveled maybe 1/4 mile when the LED started flashing. Shut the engine off and came off plane and to a stop. Restarted the engine and noted No water pressure. Walked back to the transom and trimmed out the engine. A small Fritos bag floated to the surface. The gauge paid for itself.

That's great advice, I was thinking of switching the temp for a pressure gauge but I may want to add a pressure gauge and keep the temp as well then. I believe my gauge is in direct contact with the water by how it responded but I need to confirm that too. I certainly don't want to fry an engine.

 

[SLOmofo]

Digital is instant...now, where analog is s l o w...or history.

 

[Ohmer]

What digital temp gauge did you install and where did you put the tip pyro sender?Does the sender come with the gauge? Thanks Wayne

 

[SLOmofo]

The gauge isn't made anymore. There are exposed tip senders that are the quickest. This is where I bought stuff. http://www.exhaustgas.com/

 

[dubmoney]

Gotta have the exposed tip its better. I think you are confusing him. I thought thermocouples were for the pyrometer gauge. They go in the exhaust stream. Didn't this thing get started trying to emphasis the importance of having a temp sender in contact with the water in the head, vs the stock head temp sensor which is in contact with the outside of the head?

 

[SLOmofo]

Whitney were all corn fused, although some more then others. I'm the more on side.
You... can shove that sensor anywhere you want ..... as long as both gauge and sensor parameters are within the temp range. I do know of what you speak.... the analog with a gauge with a needle, the guages lowest number might be 400 degrees and go up to 3,000. A digital may start sub zero and go to 10,000 . But it will show every degree point between. Oh.... and almost instantly.

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

Well I’ve taken the boat out 5 times since I fixed the steering but every time I had company. This morning I was finally by myself for some practice and the wind hit... go figure. In search of water free from rolling whitecaps or wakeboard boats I drove about 10 miles in some whitecaps that would of rattled my teeth out in my old boat but the ally was so smooth I did 50-55 very comfortably.
The little bit of time I did get in less rough, but not smooth, water I tried getting on the pad but just couldn’t get it. I’m looking forward to the nosecone and I also picked up a 27 Renegade on eBay I’m looking forward to trying out later this week. I probably should get a 25 but this was only $50 so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Still loving this boat!

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

Crazy update here,
Talked with a gentleman at the ramp who commented on how small my motor was. His first question was if I put 200 stickers on a 150. Long story short we got to talking and looking at numbers on the block/carbs/heads etc. and I'm 99.9% sure this is a fast strike 150. I'm going to call BRP and see what I can find out but like I said, I'm pretty dadgum sure now.

If this is a 150, then I really, REALLY can't wait to see what more HP will do in the future because it already is a pretty impressive boat. I've been feeling it was a little slower than I thought it would be but I had attributed that to prop and the lack of hole shot to it being carbureted, (it doesn't run real well trimmed down for take off). I don't believe the seller did anything nefarious or untruthful, he was nothing but a stand-up guy. I think it had been altered before he got it.

 

[RiverRat71]

It looks like a Fast Strike 150 or 175. My understanding is the 150 was really a 175 & the 175 was a 200. RR

 

[whipper]

When trimming dont do big trim moves from 60-65 up. Even at 55-65 you will be to the floor its one bump at a time and learning to counter the chine walk so your smooth from 65 to probably around 70- 75 with your prop and setup. Dont lift your foot keep it down and also make sure WOT is WOT. The extra rpm and speed come from trim but only one bump wait for that speed to come then one bump wait for that speed to come. As your going above 63-65 more in at the 70 mark is when you will be learning to drive her. Throw 45 lbs of weight in the port gunnel to offset your weight at the helm that will make a big difference when trying to balance. over trimmed is slow pluss water pressure issues so just one bump at a time and wait for speed after each bump!! {for now} With more power and larger props the speed and how fast you bump comes quicker as does speed.But you gota get her above 65 to feel the chine walk to learn that part first and foremost. Try a 25 pitch or 27 that will get you into the speed to practice driving without chine walking.

 

[SLOmofo]

Whipper's(James) info is good. When I first learned to drive the boat I had a stockish engine on then switched to a Stoker ported/built engine, somewhere around the 300 hp mark. It, the lower hp, helped because it did limit speed and acceleration while learning. Then after a while this guy built a 3.3 and the learning continued.

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

Whipper, thanks for that advice! I had actually read something you had written on this forum a couple years ago about that and I've been taking your approach every time I go out. I keep it floored and bump and watch speed/rpm then bump again and watch again etc. I did lower the engine one hole last week because of the water pressure issue and it's better now but it's just squirrely when I start getting on pad. I can feel/hear it getting on pad and that transition is just been tough for me. I'm going to try some different props and see if maybe they might be a little easier to drive but either way I'm sure it will just take some seat time. A day when the wind is blowing 20mph would help too! 67 is still my best speed but I have gotten much more comfortable with it at 60 and below and am starting to play with the turning some too and figure out the limits at speeds under 40... so far I haven't found the limit, but just to get used to how the boat feels.

 

[whipper]

Turning below 60 provided not to much trim is like any boat. 50 or less no issues. If you don't have GPS speed read out a hand held GPS is nice to Velcro to the dash on a flat spot. Peedo speed is way off above 65. I wouldn't try steering turning above 65 mph. There is a way but not worth the risk until You never chine walk again . that day will come. I had super loose steering and didn't even know for a while. Still drove great but just got used to more corrections. When your hull is balanced correctly. The movements are less on the pad to fly with no wobbles. When steering is tighter balanced well its a walk in the park.

Reason I say try a 27 is your 24 and motors rpm barley get you on the pad high to feel the balancing act your trying to learn. Your hole shot will suck a bit but every were else better. Save the 24 for days when you have a load. You should get to around 75 or more with a good 27 . then your up on the pad well and the learning curve might be easier as 65 70 is on and off. I find 70 an odd spot to be even now. Its 65 ,then 75 then up from there. 24 pitch and your rpm. Won't get you were you want to be. You will burn less fuel with a 27 also.

 

[SLOmofo]

Watch your temp closely though. More load makes more heat, lugging an engine creates heat too.

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

I barely got my HDS 9 to fit so I’ve been watching my gps speed. According to the USPS tracker my 27 prop is on my porch! Maybe I can sneak away tonight and try it. I’ll definitly keep an eye on the temp.

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

I took a real quick outing to see how it ran. Jumped out of the hole faster than it had been with the 24 then was way more responsive on the trim. Easier to balance too, got to 68.2 before a wakeboard boat cut me off and took all the calm water away. Also installed some lighting for my compartments tied into my bottom switch. Just a led strip on each side zip tied along the steering cables.

 

[SLOmofo]

How was the temp Look at it as you drive, does it seem to climb the further you go or just stay constant. OMC Loopers are easy siezey. I've stuck mine many, many times with carbs. I had a button that would turn on the enrichener/primer and press it just before getting out of the throttle, sorta like a wash down. Fouled plugs are cheaper than stuck pistons.

Remember that everything you add to the boat adds up to more weight. Even those zip ties....LOL

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

How was the temp Look at it as you drive, does it seem to climb the further you go or just stay constant. Remember that everything you add to the boat adds up to more weight. Even the zip ties....LOL

Temp stayed low, it idles at or just above 160 and when I raised it too much that's where it stayed when on plane. Now that I dropped it a hole it falls down to 135-140 when I'm running. It may have climbed a little at the end of a long run but never above 150. I'm coming out of a pretty small boat so I really haven't filled up the compartments or anything, typically other than batteries (and me) the heaviest thing in the boat is my 8#anchor and seat pedestals. I will try to keep my zip tie additions to a minimum though the biggest (and cheapest) thing to help in that department would be me on a diet...

 

[SLOmofo]

If I am asked. "Are you in shape?" Round is a shape!

 

[ntxwaterfowl]

Well, I said I wasn't going to ask chine walk questions but... I simply can't drive this thing above about 65-67, my best is still 69.3 and that was hanging on the best I could, never fully in control. I think I'm kinda doing the right thing because as I am bouncing from chine to chine if I stop my little (or usually quite large) corrections it gets worse quick. That being said it is a full body workout, my arms are jello within a few minutes of trying to drive on the pad. I know hydraulic steering would make it easier but I'm wondering if something is set up wrong, for those that have the cable steering should it be this hard?

The only thing I feel will really help is getting the nosecone and lifting the motor a few more inches. Everything I have read says that should make it better, but now I'm worried it won't make as big a difference as I had hoped. I know 65-75 is supposed to be the hardest area to drive it and unfortunately that's the best I think this motor is going to do. Will lifting it make a big difference?

Anyone know anyone in the north Texas area that wants to help teach a terrible driver?