Mystery cavitation story #26

[pktaske]

So I spent all this time, money and effort tuning up the 2.5L engine and sealing the Merc Alpha outdrive and I'm ready to l head out last week. Start her up in the driveway and she fires up on the first key turn. Sweet! Feeling good. Get in the water and I'm keeping low revs in a no wake zone for a bit. All is good. After I get by the sailboats, I start pushing her and everything is humming till I hit about 3400 rpm. Engine sounds like it should but absolutely NO push. Bring her down to low rpms and she 'catches' again. Run her slowlly up to 3400 and boom, same thing. Over and over. I'm thinking out drive problem / stripped prop spindle. I have no clue really. So I stay out and fish for a while, then trailer her up and go home, keeping the speed down.

Question: I pull in my driveway and what do I see?

 

[searay3]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

I give up...what do you see??? All kidding aside, If you have a coupler or prop hub issue, RPM's go up, boat does not speed up. What year merc?

 

[pktaske]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

1986.

In this case, the rpms perked up only a bit and, by the looks of the water, I was guessing the prop was still turning but the boat was slowing way down.

Hint - the answer was laying in the driveway.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

Ayuh,....

A Shreaded Bow line,..??

 

[240sx4u]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

I have a feeling that whatever it was may have had a little of your pride laying on the drive right next to it...

Drain plug?

Evan

 

[pktaske]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

Lying in the driveway was my garden hose stretched out towards the street as far as could be. On the end of it was a funny little plastic attachment the likes of which I had never seen before.

 

[JustJason]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

coulda been worse....
you coulda been that little old lady that likes to float her boat with the trailer still attached to it....

 

[pktaske]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

I forget to take the muffs off the outdrive and the hose disconnected in the driveway when I pulled out, leaving them on. At higher speeds, they were disrupting the flow of water to the prop! They had also pushed back a bit and were allowing water up through the pump so I wasn't overheating. I can't tell you when I saw them hanging on the back how relieved I was that it wasn't somthing worse. It did kill my gas mileage though.

 

[pktaske]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

BTW - muffs were still useable.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

So when you got to the ramp you didn't see the hose?

You never got out of the car or truck to disconnect anything before you launched?

You didn't check to see if the plug was in?

You didn't hook a line to the boat?

You didn't have any straps on the rear of the boat?

You didn't check to see if the drive was up when you left the driveway?

You know if it smells like bull---t, looks like bull---t it must be i'll leave the rest to your imagination.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

He said the hose broke off the muffs so there was no hose when he got to the ramp, just a set of black muffs on the black outdrive. It's not out of the question that he didn't see them. What crawled up your nose this morning Chief?

Yeah he made the whole thing up to get famous on the iBoats forums. That's it.

 

[Geo2008]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

He said the hose broke off the muffs so there was no hose when he got to the ramp, just a set of black muffs on the black outdrive. It's not out of the question that he didn't see them. WTF crawled up your pooper this morning Chief?

Yeah he made the whole thing up to get famous on the iBoats forums. That's it.

HAHAHAH...yeah, who peed in your corn flakes cheif??

The hose was in the driveway, not behind the boat.

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

Easy guys.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

i have done almost the same thing. looked in side mirror and saw the hose moving.

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

Ok guys like judge judy say don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.

 

[pktaske]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

So when you got to the ramp you didn't see the hose?

You never got out of the car or truck to disconnect anything before you launched?

You didn't check to see if the plug was in?

You didn't hook a line to the boat?

You didn't have any straps on the rear of the boat?

You didn't check to see if the drive was up when you left the driveway?

You know if it smells like bull---t, looks like bull---t it must be i'll leave the rest to your imagination.

Better yet - slap a pair of muffs on an Alpha One yourself!

 

[oops!]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

i got to the ramp once and found my muffs still on.......there were two of us working on the boat....it was an i thought you got them kinda thing........(he disconnected the hose).....

actually.....when murphy shows up....anything can happen

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

Had a similar episode on a 115 Rude a few years ago, no muffs though. Boat had run great all day then started to cavitate @ 3k rpm. Stopped, cut it off, raised the motor for inspection, saw nothing unusual and assumed a spun prop. Got back underway slowly because it was still slipping and now I'm overheating ??? Raise the motor again and pretty as a picture, there is a child's flip-flop stuck to the front of my cavitation plate. Don't know how I missed it the first time, but was just glad nothing was broken. Live and learn.

 

[towtruck1]

Re: Mystery cavitation story #26

Not a boat story but.....

I was taking a few friends flying years ago (I have a private pilot license), when one of my friends asked..

"What's that chain hanging off the wing???"

Turned out I forgot to unhook the tie-down chain and taxied right out of the parking spot and taken off, breaking the chain where it was attached to the ground.

So my chain and ego are in about the same place that pktaske's hose and ego are lying....

Stupid human tricks with an airplane can be even more unforgiving than those done with a boat, but I got lucky this time...