Ahmic Vacation.

[kenmyfam]

Well we got back a couple of days ago from our vacation at Ahmic Lake.
Had a great time as usual. The weather co-operated for the most part but my motor did not to begin with. Typical as I had not used the boat this season until we got there due to my frequent business trips and the weather when home. Bottom line was that the VRO pump (fuel and oil) started failing. Did all the tests to confirm and that is what it was. Priced up a replacement pump and was quoted $508:00 !!!!!!! Priced up a standard fuel only pump and came in at $56:00 for an aftermarket pump and $92:00 for a genuine OMC pump. Decision was a no brainer. Bought the OMC pump, had to make an adaptor bracket for it to fit the existing VRO bracket, disconnect the 2 stroke oil feed and block it off, disconnect the oil warning wiring, pre mix the existing fuel in the tank (guesswork but went slightly rich to be safe) a little extra smoke does not hurt if it means keeping the motor lubricated. All further fuelings pre-mixed at 50 to 1 so it will gradually become the correct mix. Boat running fine and was down for about 4 hours total. Took the oil tank and oil lines off after getting home and tidied up my temporary oil line plugging job.
Now I know that as long as I put oil in each time I gas up that I am getting the required lubrication. The VRO gave no issues to this point and served me well. It did not overheat, not lube or "fry" the motor when it was failing so no complaints there. Replacement pump is from a 1982 to 1985 pre VRO 140HP so that it had enough flow rate (cause boy it needs it)
On the way home I lost a considerable amount of tread from one trailer tire without my knowledge. We felt nothing and it must have happened about 100 miles from home after our last stop when I checked everything. I can not believe that this tire got us back without blowing out. My spare is on now and I am off to get another tire today. I will post pictures of it when I get a chance.
We had the pleasure of meeting Philthyphil during our vacation. He boated over to our cottage and we had a few beers. He has a vast knowledge of the areas history and we all learned a lot from him. His Doral is in really good shape and has a lot of similarities to mine as they are both of the same era.
I will post photos etc of the fuel pump change out and the tire shortly.
Thanks Phil for the visit it was great to meet you.
Ken.

 

[PhatboyC]

Re: Ahmic Vacation.

At least now you got all the bugs out for the rest of the season.

508$ for a Johnson gas/oil pump? Probably custom made to order by BRP.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Ahmic Vacation.

They had one on the shelf if I chose to part with the $508 plus applicable taxes !!!! I think it will be there for a while unless someone with more money than sense comes in !!!
Boat ran great for the rest of the trip. Much skiing and tubing and fishing. Also a lot of lake cruising.

 

[Philthyphil]

Re: Ahmic Vacation.

Thanks for the kind words and the beers. Sorry about the cell phone fiasco, we went to Burks on Friday anyway. Great trip boat ran perfect and we even hit a log in the river! I always try to watch for stuff coming down the river but this one was not floating deadhead style, just lying full length just underwater. 1 ft dia about 10 ft long. Was just on plane so not going too fast , no damage. went back to check it out and could see we were not the only ones to hit it. Anyway prop and boat fine, not like hitting rocks!
I forgot to ask you when I was over, which dealer did you go to for the pump? Were they helpful or just kinda....you can't do that? I have never really needed stuff up there for the boat so I'm not sure where I would go. Someone close or bite the bullet and rip over to Parry Sound, or Huntsville. There is a go0od dealer in Powassen, Giesler, they make the old wooden boats still and are a BRP dealer. I have gotten some sled stuff from them. Which reminds me every time I look at my VRO pump I just shake my head at how complex and complicated the whole thing is. I think of all the bikes and sleds I have had with oil injection and how simple their systems were. I have three sleds right now, all oil injection and all simple little pumps that are very reliable and easy to change. I had a 1980 Yamaha 340 sled and it was oil injection and no probs every. What were they thinking of at OMC?
Remember when I left I had that low oil alarm just after starting? I just went back and checked the tank....full....wiggled the connection and it stopped. Next day I though of two things to do. The first was to fill a liter bottle of my nice 100 to 1 syn oil I use in my sled and put it in the boat. I hold 60 Lt of fuel so 1 lt of that oil on a full tank would be 60 to 1 and that would get me home if the oil pump quit out on the lake. If the tank less than full would be lots of oil for sure. This oil is almost smokeless and even smells nice....strawberries....lol If it works well in a 600cc engine that makes 125 hp it will be ok to get home in my old 90. Second was to check all my oil pump wiring esp up too the control unit. I think I found a spot where the wiring had been played with and not fastned as well as it should have been. Rerouted and I think it's ok, put a whole tank and then some through and no more false alarms. The big shocker though was I keep seeing little ANTS!!!.last couple of times I took the cover off there were a few ants under the back coner by the mooring line. One time I even noticed a couple of the little guys on the line. Well when I got back by the oil tank lots more running up and down the transom and by the oil tank and under the floor. Well took the floor boards up and ya we got ants!!! Used about 6 traps and a bottle of ant poision to wipe the little buggers out. I think I even found the queen and got her. It has been a bad year at the cottage for ants, we have had some big ones in the cottage and I had an infestation of the little buggers in my pump house. The cottage has not been an issue just a couple of them now and then so a few traps around the doors fixed that. The pumphouse was fine one week the next they were building a nest in the one corner. Poisioned the heck out of them and I think were ok now. I am going to have to keep an eye around the whole place for ant nests and deal with them. On the boat blew me away though ,they were walking down the mooring rope and going under the cover and down the bilge intake hose to the bottom of the boat!! Well when they get there now lots of poision for them. We will go up in a week and i'll know for sure, but I think I got them. I have alway been kinda smug that we have never had mice in the cottage, never, but ants? who woulda thounk?
Good post on how you swaped the pump. I would think any pump with enough volume and the same of pulse power would work. I want to have a look at that the next time you guys are up if I can. For what it cost, might be worth having one on hand for a spare.......cheers......Phil

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Ahmic Vacation.

Hi Phil,
I am currently in Alabama on business. Will reply in more detail when I get back. We are planning to be back up there in September, maybe Labour Day week.
Talk Soon.