stabilizer fin

[73dorefan]

I have a brand spankin new 5.0L MPI mercruiser that seized up with only 60hrs on it. (the first 20hrs were break in hours and kept under 3500 rpms) I started hearing a clicking then banging then seized. Oil was checked and was at normal level. I sincerely hope I'm under warranty but am a little concerned in that I installed a stabilizer fin to help me get on plane quicker. Anybody out there know whether its possible that this contributed to the failure. By the way the motor never overheated and also the oil pressure stayed normal. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Assuming the fin had nothing to do with the problem, should I be content with rebuilding the engine under warranty or given the low hours do you think mercruiser will supply a new engine? Should I insist or will the repair be sufficient?

 

[Don S]

Re: stabilizer fin

That fin won't cause an engine sieze, you have warranty, use it...... NOW.

 

[ziggy]

Re: stabilizer fin

i think a stailizer fin would put undo stress on the drive and assosiated parts. but not the engine. not that it matters, but ya shoulda got trim tabs or smart tabs. friends don't let friends use whaletales.........as they have undesireable side effects..........but most likely not engine failure........

 

[dbull75]

Re: stabilizer fin

i think a stailizer fin would put undo stress on the drive and assosiated parts. but not the engine. not that it matters, but ya shoulda got trim tabs or smart tabs. friends don't let friends use whaletales.........as they have undesireable side effects..........but most likely not engine failure........

What is the undesirable side effects of using a stabilizer/whale tales and what is the difference between them and trim tabs or smart tabs?

 

[thunderroad]

Re: stabilizer fin

I installed a StingRay whale tail on my boat a couple years ago. When I first left the dock and gave it the throttle, it jumped up on plane quicker than I could believe. I thought I'd found the greatest thing in the world....for about 10 minutes. Then I realized what a drag it was putting on my whole boat. MPH at the RPM I was used to was significantly lower, fuel comsumption was up and cornering was very sluggish. WOT dropped about 400 RPM so I know it was straining the engine. After a couple hours in the water, I pulled up to a sandbar, raised the drive and removed the fin.
I will mention the one exception I found with my particular boat. I usually (90% of the time) run in the river where it's smooth. The two times that I've had it in the Lake of the Ozarks (VERY crowded and very rough on a 20 footer) I put the tail on and it allowed me to keep the boat on plane at a lower speed. It was nice from a safety standpoint to have that nose down where I could see what was going on directly in front of me. I'll keep it around just for that reason.

 

[FreeBeeTony]

Re: stabilizer fin

Maybe it was the drive the siezed.............not the engine..............

 

[180shabah]

Re: stabilizer fin

Good thought there Tony, and it is easy to check, just pull the drive off and see what does and does't spin.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: stabilizer fin

Don't touch anything and let the dealer replace the engine!

 

[Rob454]

Re: stabilizer fin

Don't touch anything and let the dealer replace the engine!

O second that. youre under warrnaty I woudlnt even bother picking up a wrench. Let the dealer mess with the fixing
Rob

 

[180shabah]

Re: stabilizer fin

Yeah, I've never purchased a new boat, I forget about that waranty thing.