Slow, why doesn't the boat get higher rpm!

[adrenaline1073]

Ok, first let me thank everyone in my other posts when I needed help to get the boat in the water! Now onto boat in the water issues

Anyway, today was the first day that I got to take the boat out on the lake. What I find is this... when I'm in my driveway, I can "rev" the engine over 2000 RPM in neutral. What I found out on the lake is that it doesn't go over 2000 RPM with that stick as far forward as it can go!

It is a 1979 Searay 17.5 foot bow-rider with a Mercruiser 165. Any ideas? Linkage perhaps? Is there a good way to test/fix this stuff on the water? :facepalm:

 

[ziggy]

Re: Slow, why doesn't the boat get higher rpm!

revin it up on the hose don't prove anything.
give this a read.as you can see, there are many possible causes of not being able to achieve wot.

what kinda a 165hp engine? L4, or L6?

since yer new to you boat. ya need to find out which service manual to acquire. go look here. chose appropriately. service manuals have trouble shooting guides in them too. these are helpful.

when ya get a new to you boat. i think the winterization/summerization thread is a good one too. it approaches many of the things that ya need to attend to while owning an i/o.