Just trying to learn more about my boat

[_chris_]

Hello all,

I was given my boat about two years ago from my grandfather in not working order. I have since cleaned it up and rebuilt the carbs and just done maintnence that it needed, it runs great now but I want to know if this is as good as it gets?

The boat is a 1972 Glastron V-177 Swinger
17.71' long, 85" Beam and 1613 LBS dry
Normally three people on the boat and 18 gallons fuel
Tri hull w/ AQ130C-270 9:5:1 Compression w/ dual Solex 44PAI Carbs 130 HP
I don't know the gear ratio
I am not sure about the prop(it is factory) I am still learning.
I took the boat out last Sunday for the first time and it ran great, got up on plane very quickly. at 5,000 RPM I could do 29 MPH with 3 adults and a full tank of fuel and at 4,500 RPM I was at 26 MPH.
Also running 91 octane fuel with a lead additive.

Two questions
First is can I do anything to bring it up a couple more MPH?
Second I have a small rattling sound when I turn at lower speeds, could this be the u-joints?

Sorry if I these are dumb questions but I really don't know all that much about boat motors but I am trying to learn as much as possible.

 

[mike343]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

We had the outboard version of the same boat--V178 w/ 135 Johnson. Top speed was in the very low thirties. With a 130 I/O (heavier) you are not going to get much more out of it

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

You should be hitting 35 in that boat I would think. Mike, you should have been hitting close to 40. I'm no prop guru but it seems like you should be doing better. Problem is that it sounds like you're already hitting the appropriate WOT RPM range. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

 

[_chris_]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

You should be hitting 35 in that boat I would think. Mike, you should have been hitting close to 40. I'm no prop guru but it seems like you should be doing better. Problem is that it sounds like you're already hitting the appropriate WOT RPM range. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in.

Thanks and yes it does seen to be working right, I personally dont know all that much about props but I am sure there is something I can do to pick it up a little. I would be more than happy to reach 32 or 33 MPH.

Another question is I have been raised to not run thing wide open for too long, is it bad for the boat to run it at the 5,000 RPM for long periods of time? In the owners manual it talked about the max RPM being 5,500 that you should ever bring it to.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

Well it is a 35 year old boat so you may want to change props a bit and enjoy the fact that it still runs well and take it a bit easy on it. With a bit of babying it may last a long time still but with constant 5000+ rpm runs it may be a short timer especially if it already has a rattle. If it gernades at 5000 it will not be worth fixing unless you truly love the boat for other reasons. Good luck and use it but don't abuse it and it will serve you well.

 

[_chris_]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

Well it is a 35 year old boat so you may want to change props a bit and enjoy the fact that it still runs well and take it a bit easy on it. With a bit of babying it may last a long time still but with constant 5000+ rpm runs it may be a short timer especially if it already has a rattle. If it gernades at 5000 it will not be worth fixing unless you truly love the boat for other reasons. Good luck and use it but don't abuse it and it will serve you well.

I try to baby it as much as possible but people tell me I should keep my boat at a high rpm and some say don't I feel it cruises just fine at 4300 but would like to get a little better cruising speed. I go to Lake Mohave a couple times a year and going to Hoover damn and back could take a long time.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

people tell me I should keep my boat at a high rpm

Even if this were true they were probably talking about 2 stroke motors which can carbon up when idling for extended periods. However, more likely they were just confusing the fact that your boat needs to be propped to be able to reach a certain high RPM at WOT. You certainly don't need to run it up there all the time.

 

[_chris_]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

Even if this were true they were probably talking about 2 stroke motors which can carbon up when idling for extended periods. However, more likely they were just confusing the fact that your boat needs to be propped to be able to reach a certain high RPM at WOT. You certainly don't need to run it up there all the time.

Thanks. I have learned now that if i raise my motor a tad after I plane I could also gain a few MPH, I have always run it all the way down which I guess pushes the bow down into the water.


On another note does anyone know how difficult it is to change out the u-joints?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just trying to learn more about my boat

I have learned now that if i raise my motor a tad after I plane I could also gain a few MPH, I have always run it all the way down which I guess pushes the bow down into the water.

Absolutely. You will probably be quite pleased with the results when you play with your trim some.