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Thanks Phil, that's what I was starting to think as well. So today I moved the 3/4 full 12 gallon tank up to the front seat. It's just sitting there until I get my 14 gallon under seat tank. I just put fresh carbs on the engine, runs much smoother now. Tonight was a very light chop, the kind that breaks the wetted surface without slowing you down. It did seem to ride a bit better when encountering wakes. At max trim, with a slight porpoise, I hit 28.3 mph against the tide, 31.9 mph with the tide. Basically no change except a slightly better ride. And that's subjective I guess. Maybe the weight doesn't effect this whaler as much as I originally thought. Though I must say, if 29-30 is all the 13' with a 40 is good for, I should have bought an 11. Just as fast with less fuel use......j/k. Somethings wrong or most people are full of $hite. Lol
Anyway, the point I'm getting at is if my 160 pound Yamaha has trouble breaking 31 mph downstream, an engine weighing 60 pounds more would be a waste. I must say though to all of us who remember a "seat of the pants 40 mph whaler", 31 mph sure does feel fast..
Additionally, to anyone who doesn't re a d the last four pages, I'm happy with my 13. It's rock solid and gets me out where I want to be. I'm just exploring my current set up, looking for tweaks, arranging things to their best locations, and ranting about the heavy weight of a replacement engine......Though I do see now why people usually recommend the 15 if you're looking for a classic whaler. It's only a little bigger, is actually fast and you don't have to worry as much about your engine choice. Plus....they say it rides much much better....
I also must have a ghetto stainless steel prop. There are no markings on it anywhere. No name. No size. Nothing. It's looks like I have 2" of clearance between the blade tip and cavitation plate though. Eventually I'm putting a tachometer on so that will help.
I don't think you are going to see 40mph out out of 40hp Yamaha, but the speeds you are seeing are slower than I would expect.
At what height is the engine mounted? (ie which bolt hole in the bracket)
Are you trimming the motor out?
Perhaps a different prop will help. A tach is needed to properly figure it out.
DGood: Agreed. I dont expect 40 mph out of that 40hp. Though people will tell you all day long their 13 runs 45+.......:) If you average my speed both ways it ends up with me doing about 30 MPH. We raised the motor up one hole today at the marina to see if that helps. It did nothing except make it ride a little better. The boat seems to ride more level now. I gained no speed and lost no speed. It is now three holes down from the top or two holes up from the bottom. The cavitation plate is 3/4" above the bottom. Before it was below the bottom. The marina manager, who I know and respect, stated that he wouldn't raise it any more. He said it looks good and if anything at the top range of where it should be.
At this point I am starting to think it has the wrong prop. Though I am in the dark until I hook up the Faria tach. Just because its cheap, I ordered a 10 1/8 x 15 three blade aluminium prop to try out. It was the recommended size for speed with my boat and engine combo.
I'm doing all of this because before I start messing around with other engines I want to maximize the gear I currently have.
Funny observation though, while it was on the sling today, I noticed that the bottom has a very pronounced step molded into the hull about midway from the bow. It is VERY pronounced and drops off a good 2'. I looked at other 13' whalers laying around and they do not have this. This boat was apparently a Frankenstein boat that started life in 1977 as a tiller model. Over the years it was converted to a sport and I finished the conversion to a Super Sport.....very strange though. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture.
I faced a similar dilemma a few years ago when replacing an old 40 2strk. on a 16 ' Carolina Skiff. I am in the extended warranty business and Tohatsu does make a great motor. The 40/50 series are low pressure direct injected 2 strokes with similar fuel efficiency and quietness of operation to the 4strokes. That being said, I went with the Mercury 30 h.p. 4 strk ---- which is actually made by Tohatsu ! I did this because of the weight difference ( 167 lbs vs the 205). Tohatsu supplies Mercury with all of their engines below 40 h.p.
Another possible consideration is the horsepower rating. Up until I believe the very late 80's or early 90's, Mercury and OMC both rated their motors in horsepower at the powerhead and not at the propeller shaft. They eventually changed because Yamaha, Honda, and Suzuki always rated their motors at the shaft and were actually advertising that fact. There is about a 15% difference in that rating. That being said, a newer 40 would be pretty close in actual h.p.to the older 48. The 48 by the way was a 50 but without oil injection. Good Luck !
I knew the 48 was supposedly a stripped down version of the 50 but I didn't know about the oil injection. It seems most people bypass that anyway.
As time goes by and I get all the little details sorted out with this boat it's becoming more and more predictable and comfortable. Moving the tank forward really helped the most and the boat just feels balanced now. I'm sure when I install the 14 gallon under the front seat it will.be perfect. As a bonus, I now have boarding area in the back where the tank used to be. It's right where I mounted the rope ladder and has non skid to boot. Sand a and water now stay back there instead of all over the mahogany. :) Being balanced, the boat seems to handle waves much more comfortably than before. It's like the hull is now dealing with the waves instead of flying over them and slamming the aft two feet into the water.
I ordered the Faria 7k Tach so I won't be in the dark much longer. Ultimately the boat will get repowered. Maybe not this year, but eventually. I don't know why but I just don't like the Yamaha. (Discussed in depth earlier). I'm not sold on the need for a 4 stroke engine in this power range so I will likely look at ETEC's. The more I read about them a and the more people blindly bash them the more interested I get. I think if I can balance the boat with what I have, when the time comes, it's simply a matter of moving the difference in weight forward again. Hence, maintaining the balance.
Back onto the motor rant, As I read hundreds of pages worth of opinions regarding engines, it really amazes me how vehemently people will defend the virtues of a particular engine make. It as if they helped design it and own half the company. I've always found that a majority of people have only had one or two real boats and they become fans of whatever is hanging on the transom when they buy it. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to at marinas and boat ramps who will spend 20 minutes selling you the virtues and perfection of their outboard and claim that "my Yamssonukirude is the best and most reliable engine manufacturer in the world".....so I ask what went wrong with their last outboard and they tell me it's their first boat and they bought it last month......but they heard from a friend cousin brother priest mother that it's the best.......amazing and entertaining. Even marina staff 're not immune, I watched a dock hand moving a boat last week a and it had an Etec 50 on it so I asked him what he thought of it. He said they were garbage and said they are always having problems. So I asked him what was happening. He said simply, "they are harder to flush compared to Yamaha......"......that was all he could think of on the spot. Hmmmm. Yamaha has a HUGE dealer presence here so almost every boat on the river has a Yamaha on it. Literally. Is what it is I guess.
AReinhart wrote:It did nothing except make it ride a little better. The boat seems to ride more level now. I gained no speed and lost no speed. It is now three holes down from the top or two holes up from the bottom. The cavitation plate is 3/4" above the bottom. Before it was below the bottom. The marina manager, who I know and respect, stated that he wouldn't raise it any more. He said it looks good and if anything at the top range of where it should be.
The engine mounting position that you currently have is called 1 hole up. Whaler used to conservatively recommend 1 hole up. I don't own a 13' whaler (and have only ridden in them), but I think the recommendation on the forum is either 2 or 3 holes up depending on the prop. The higher mounting position with get the boat on plane easier (and more level). 13's whaler seem to like weight forward, so you rearward bias may be compounding the issue. The classic whalers usually don 't need a fin on the lower unit if the motor is mounted properly. The fin you have currently may be dragging in the water which is affecting your top speed. I would correct the engine mounting before playing with props.
AReinhart wrote:At this point I am starting to think it has the wrong prop. Though I am in the dark until I hook up the Faria tach. Just because its cheap, I ordered a 10 1/8 x 15 three blade aluminium prop to try out. It was the recommended size for speed with my boat and engine combo.
Funny observation though, while it was on the sling today, I noticed that the bottom has a very pronounced step molded into the hull about midway from the bow. It is VERY pronounced and drops off a good 2'. I looked at other 13' whalers laying around and they do not have this.
13's Whaler have a hook in the hull. I have never look at the underside in detail though.
AReinhart wrote:
I knew the 48 was supposedly a stripped down version of the 50 but I didn't know about the oil injection. It seems most people bypass that anyway.
A lot of the VRO are disabled by using a regular fuel pump. I think they are disable for for two reasons, one if the VRO does fail, it is a lot cheaper to buy a non VRO fuel pump and I think their is a lot people (mechanics included) who are quick to blame the VRO for every engine problem. I have seen at least half dozen people claim the VRO ruin their motor because when you get the details, it is usually is only piston damaged. It is very likely a lean carb cause the problem, a no oil condition would cause problems with the entire engine oiling.
IMO the VRO is good system,, it save oils and it has less smoke idle. It fails running rich (oil).
Interesting. I've read every piece of literature I could find looking for whalers recommendation and came up empty. Thanks. My motor currently looks high. Keep in mind that this started 38 years ago as a tiller boat. The holes that mount my engine were likely not put there by whaler. I'll snap a better picture when I'm down there today. The marina will gladly raise it again but the owner didn't recommend it. Agreed on the weight forward. I bought and installed a Tempo 14 gallon tank that fits under the front thwart seat. It sits and rides much better now. Seems to handle waves better for some reason as well. Now the only things aft are my battery and 40 quart cooler. And they are both up against the seat backrest. I tried to look at the lower unit while at WOT, a balancing act for sure, to me, it looked as if the fin and cav plate was still in the water. I questioned the marina about this, because I've researched it and found pictures on here showing what it should look like. My lower unit and cavitation plate/hydrofoil throw up their own rooster tail. They are clearly NOT out of the water. My fear in raising it more come from not wanting to loose prop bite in rough water, which we get here a lot. At some point I'll try to get a picture of the lower unit at wot without killing myself.
I made a point of looking for the hook. I saw nothing even close. What it has is a huge step, like a hydro, mid way aft. I looked at pictures of many other 13's and can't see this. Man I wish I would have taken a picture. After the step, it is flat to the eye. There are two 3"+ strakes running aft though. Maybe I just didn't see it as maybe its not obvious.
That makes sense regarding VRO. The idea is sound. People tend to bad mouth things if they have an issue even if they were the cause of the issue. It goes back to my post about maintaining older outboards. I work on stuff. All the time. The first thing I do when I get a new piece of equipment is buy all the manuals for it. Maybe it's because I build muscle cars. Maybe it's because I've been a mechanic most of my life. Maybe having a full minus HVAC ASE cert for years caused it....I don't know. But I always work on my own equipment and follow the manufacturers specs. I rarely have problems with things. Sometimes I am utterly amazed at the lack of understanding some people have regarding the equipment they operate. Not to bash or sound arrogant, but a lot of people are just ignorant when it comes to machinery. Like the dock gurus whose answer for every issue is to replace the $6 fuel filter or add a gas treatment. Rarely if ever is a major issue in an engine caused by something like the little filter on the side of the engine being so clogged, the engine blows smoke and won't run......I digress.
Witnessed my first towed Evinrude G2 yesterday. First one I've even seen. Looks like it should power the space shuttle's dinghy or something. I wasn't able to catch up to him to ask what happened but he had a boat full of well dressed people and I'm sure he wasn't happy. Towboat had him. Who knows, maybe he ran out of gas. It was a BIG one though and I'm sure it cost more than my three boats combined.
That leads me into my next rant,
When I'm out on the water, I have a small tool box that holds all the basics I need to partially disassemble my outboards. I can pull carbs, check plugs, rig fuel systems. With these new outboards, can a normal man even fix anything on them while drifting in the water? The guy with the g2 made me think about that. Looking at that engine, there is NOR much you can do when it shuts down.I've watched too many people sit there wearing down their battery blindly turning over an engine that is not starting. HINT:if its not starting, unless it's flooded, Turing it over non stop until the battery dies will not make it start. You have to start troubleshooting.....I once watched a guy start cussing so loud you could hear him half a mile away, he then proceeded to start kicking and punching his cowl until the fiberglass broke and it fell in the water. Turned out someone had knocked the fuel hose loose on his portable tank while climbing into the boat. Started right up when we reconnected it, without a cowl on the engine.......
You should probably start a new thread about dialing in your specific boat. It's difficult to review the facts & details you have shared throughout this thread.
A couple of quick points, I'd be careful about putting the 14 gal fuel tank under the front seat if you regularly have a couple guys sitting up there. That might be too much weight forward.
As for engine height you want the cavitation plate at the surface of the water at speed. If your boat is heavy all the way up might not be high enough.
Hi MG, I run enough with just me and the dog that it warrants setting the boat up for that. Having said that, this thread was kind of a catch all thread discussing engines, engine choices (or lack of) and general issues with setting up a new to me boat. It wasn't really a "troubleshooting" thread per se' but more of a bounce ideas and rants off the top of my head regarding my particular setup and the issues I'm facing. These issues and ideas; I think would be common to anyone who picks up a 13' sport for the first time. Getting the boat set up, possibly re-powering and dealing with all the rigged junk that previous owners over the years "engineered". It's kind of a "catch all" so to speak because if I started a new thread for everything wrong with this boat and the current state of outboards I might as well start my own forum. Think of it as a discussion where various things come up. I guess if no one replies to anything and I end up talking to myself I'll move on. So far, there seems to be a reasonable back and forth regarding this stuff. Now that I've explained myself, if it is faux pas to do so, please let me know.
Numbers are in. I'm kind of in disbelief but I don't see how its wrong. I installed the tachometer. With the unmarked stainless steel prop my tach says WOT is 3500 RPM at 30.2 MPH. My owners manual says 4500-5500 at WOT. Holy crap. This prop must be for a Volkswagen or something. I dont see how the tach can be wrong. It's set on the 2 CYL setting and reads the idle RPM, 1150-1100 correctly. It sure sounds like more than 3500 RPM. Unbelievable. The new aluminium 10 1/8 x 15 prop should be here soon so I'm really curious to see what happens. .
AReinhart wrote:Numbers are in. I'm kind of in disbelief but I don't see how its wrong. I installed the tachometer. With the unmarked stainless steel prop my tach says WOT is 3500 RPM at 30.2 MPH. My owners manual says 4500-5500 at WOT. Holy crap. This prop must be for a Volkswagen or something. I dont see how the tach can be wrong. It's set on the 2 CYL setting and reads the idle RPM, 1150-1100 correctly. It sure sounds like more than 3500 RPM. Unbelievable.
The Tach settings are usual number of poles the inductive pick up has. I think the Yamaha 40 strokes use 3 pole setting. You will want to confirm that number.
The instructions say that the Yamaha I have, 1997 2 cyl 2 stroke C40 is in fact a 6 pole. The only options it gives you is 4,6,8,10,12 pole. At any other setting, the idle RPM is way off. I've been around engines long enough to know what 1100 rpm compared to 400 rpm sounds like. Ironically, I had originally set the idle speed by ear. When I finally hooked up the Tach, it was reading 1100 rpm. Which is what I was aiming for. Scary accurate my ears are.....lol, (very lucky that day I guess)...for some reason, I believe it. That would explain my low top speed. 1000-1500 rpm should be worth 5 mph or so on this hull. My 10.125x15 prop us in. Just waiting on the hub. Maybe I'll buy one of those little $25 tock tachs to verify my expensive tachometer. Man does this ever end? You buy instruments to check things.....then don't trust the instruments...so you buy instruments to check the instruments.
Beyond that, I had rebuilt the carburetor's to try and cure a rough idle. I found a clean set on eBay for a 1996 C40 and bought the factory rebuild kit. Now, I've rebuilt hundreds of carburetor's in my lifetime so this was nothing new. After installing them, going through the factory service manual and setting up all the adjustments, I just couldn't get the engine to run right. The idle smoothed out but it would miss, sputter and surge at 1/4 throttle on up. I checked for air leaks and went through the entire range of adjustments. The problem only got worse. So yesterday in frustration I bolted the old carbs back on and now I trust the engine again. I did notice that while the carbs look the same, they had a different number inscribed on the throat. I'm beginning to think the guy sold me something else as the part numbers for Ute 96-97 C40 carbs are the same....I got so frustrated that I inflated my Achilles dinghy, strapped on the 1982 Johnson 7.5 that I rebuilt and used it to go fishing with instead. I know that this is not typical and there is a cause for what's happening but man, my first Yamaha outboard and I'm ready to dump this thing over the side.
It's funny how a brand prejudice forms. I've had nothing but joy from all my omc products in the past. Even when fighting starter recoil issues while broken down in a surf. I fixed them because they are simple. They last. My experience with Yamaha so far has been problematic. I've had Yamaha motorcycles over the years and loved them. I've rebuilt Yamaha engines from 600cc to 998cc. Triple carb monsters that required my mercury gauge to tune. Yet, here I am, cussing the Yamaha name and contemplating unbolting the engine mounts so it falls off the back. It's very easy to understand why people bash certain brands. I actually understand how all this stuff works and caught myself falling victim to brand hate. Then all it takes is one guy walking the dock who says "Yamaha is great right up until they break" and at the moment you agree and there it begins. To the average person, their engine causes issues like this and they are forever scarred.
I guess I can't put it off anymore. If I'm going to get this engine running right I'm going to have to buy a few special tools. But while this sucks, at least I can. This is what I'm afraid of with a new engine. When the computer I'd beeping and shutting down the engine, requiring factory computers to diagnose and fix....what does the average man do then?
AReinhart wrote:
Hi MG, I run enough with just me and the dog that it warrants setting the boat up for that. Having said that, this thread was kind of a catch all thread discussing engines, engine choices (or lack of) and general issues with setting up a new to me boat. It wasn't really a "troubleshooting" thread per se' but more of a bounce ideas and rants off the top of my head regarding my particular setup and the issues I'm facing. These issues and ideas; I think would be common to anyone who picks up a 13' sport for the first time. Getting the boat set up, possibly re-powering and dealing with all the rigged junk that previous owners over the years "engineered". It's kind of a "catch all" so to speak because if I started a new thread for everything wrong with this boat and the current state of outboards I might as well start my own forum. Think of it as a discussion where various things come up. I guess if no one replies to anything and I end up talking to myself I'll move on. So far, there seems to be a reasonable back and forth regarding this stuff. Now that I've explained myself, if it is faux pas to do so, please let me know.
I don't care what you do but you have a lot of issues going on and I find it all hard to follow. For instance, you mentioned you bought a 15 pitch prop, which might be a little tall, and I had to re-read all thru this to find out you don't even know what prop you have now. I think a thread about how you dialed in this boat would be a great help for those who go through the same thing in the future, and make it much easier to follow for those participating in the dialing in aspect of this thread. Honestly, there are what, 20,000 words spread over 4 pages here, and counting?
I know starting a new thread will at first seem redundant but it will be much more concise, efficient & a better reference. Again, I have zero problem with what you have going here.
While I am offering up unwanted advice I think you should set up a Personal Page here. It is really simple and it would be very helpful to be able to open your PP and see a picture of what you are dealing with on any given day.
AReinhart wrote:
The instructions say that the Yamaha I have, 1997 2 cyl 2 stroke C40 is in fact a 6 pole. The only options it gives you is 4,6,8,10,12 pole. At any other setting, the idle RPM is way off. I've been around engines long enough to know what 1100 rpm compared to 400 rpm sounds like.
Did you try the 4 & 8 settings? I don't know what Faria tach you have but I find the WOT RPM of 3500 low. Did it sound to you like you have another 2000 RPM left?
Beyond that, I had rebuilt the carburetor's to try and cure a rough idle. I found a clean set on eBay for a 1996 C40 and bought the factory rebuild kit. Now, I've rebuilt hundreds of carburetor's in my lifetime so this was nothing new. After installing them, going through the factory service manual and setting up all the adjustments, I just couldn't get the engine to run right. The idle smoothed out but it would miss, sputter and surge at 1/4 throttle on up. I checked for air leaks and went through the entire range of adjustments. The problem only got worse. So yesterday in frustration I bolted the old carbs back on and now I trust the engine again. I did notice that while the carbs look the same, they had a different number inscribed on the throat. I'm beginning to think the guy sold me something else.
You can usually cure a rough idle by doing a de-carb, but why not re-build the original carbs?
It's funny how a brand prejudice forms. I've had nothing but joy from all my omc products in the past. Even when fighting starter recoil issues while broken down in a surf. I fixed them because they are simple. They last. My experience with Yamaha so far has been problematic. I've had Yamaha motorcycles over the years and loved them. I've rebuilt Yamaha engines from 600cc to 998cc. Triple carb monsters that required my mercury gauge to tune. Yet, here I am, cussing the Yamaha name and contemplating unbolting the engine mounts so it falls off the back. It's very easy to understand why people bash certain brands. I actually understand how all this stuff works and caught myself falling victim to brand hate. Then all it takes is one guy walking the dock who says "Yamaha is great right up until they break" and at the moment you agree and there it begins. To the average person, their engine causes issues like this and they are forever scarred.
I'm an unapologetic Mercury fanboy so I get the brand loyalty, but I don't think your Yamaha deserves all the hate. Seriously, the only thing it has done wrong thus far is have a rough idle. Simple, put a can of Seafoam in a gal of gas and start it. While it is running get a can of Seafoam spray and spray 1/3-1/2 of it in the carbs. Shut the engine down and let the chemicals work for a few hours. Start it again and use up the rest of the spray, shut it down overnight. Anything left of the gallon of gas/Seafoam mix use up at the end of using the boat.
The more times you can run that gallon thru the carbs & let it sit the better. You've re-built enough carbs that have been sitting to know what we are trying to clean out here, and you should know one flush isn't going to clean out stubborn deposits. Also, I only mention Seafoam as it is something most people know & is available everywhere, but there must be a dozen products that do the same thing.
I guess I can't put it off anymore. If I'm going to get this engine running right I'm going to have to buy a few special tools. But while this sucks, at least I can. This is what I'm afraid of with a new engine. When the computer I'd beeping and shutting down the engine, requiring factory computers to diagnose and fix....what does the average man do then?
Outboards have had electronics that can fail in the blink of an eye, regardless of how well you maintain your engine, for more than thirty years. Luckily my Montauk engine is over forty years old. Unless I blow a hole thru the side of the block all I need to bring is a coat hanger and some duct tape.
I thought of something to note about the reliability of electronics. In general they are going to fail within the first 30 days or be very reliable.
That is until they are subjected to adverse conditions or become very old. I'll let you define what is very old with regard to outboard engines, whose very operation could be described as adverse because of just the vibration & heat.
I would have a great deal of trust with the electronics of an engine that is only 5-7 years old. Another way of putting that is if your engine is over 5-7 years old you are on borrowed time.
Yeah I hear ya. I always liked the coat hanger fixes. The other day the wife and I were exploring some back creeks in the inflatable. I keep three tools in its carry box, a flathead, a pair of pliers and a small adjustable wrench. She asked, "that's all the tools you carry? What if something breaks!" I laughed and said that I can darn near field strip this old Johnson with those three tools. It's all ill ever need.
Ill look into setting up a personal page. I can see the usefulness and I guess it would help to see who you're talking to and what equipment I have.
I also agree that some of this needs to go to separate threads. This thing is full of issues. The only ones I've brought up were the idle and lack of speed. I'm developing a distrust for this engine. Which sucks because I operate in areas where you can get in trouble fast. I was r really po'd when I had issues with the new carbs as I really took my time with them and they are immaculate inside and out with all new parts. I bought the second pair because they were $40 and I wanted a spare set to have available on the shelf in my shop. I don't like down time and it was easier for me to take my time on the second set without disabling the boat.
The tachometer is a wash so far. I'm going to call faria tomorrow, it's their Chesapeake series 7000 Rpm outboard tachometer, and see if they have any suggestions. No, it does not sound like there is another 1500 Rpm available. It sounds like 5000+
I took off the unmarked stainless prop, mounted the 10.125x15 aluminum prop today. Now I at least know what I have. Funny thing though, according to the tach, I'm still turning 3450 @ 30.3 mph! Almost no change at all from the unknown stainless prop.
This motor supposedly had about 80 hours on it. Not much for a 1997 engine. It must have sat a lot. I ran the "shock treatment" of ring free through it and am now running 2oz per 10. Twice the maintenance amount for another tank. The idle cleared up a bit but this engine just doesn't sound healthy under 1500 or so and at various rpm between idle and that. It's hard to explain on a forum but you'd understand if you heard it. Something is not right. It's not bad but definitely not 100%. It has never quit on me, even when wheezing and squeaking through the silencer(weird backfire) with the rebuilt carbs.
The words about Yamaha were said in a half joking manner with regards to how brand prejudice begins. Truth be told, I might hold this thing to a higher standard because I really just don't like this engine. No other reason than its not what I want on the back. But regardless, it's what I have so for this season at least, I've got to make it work. By special tools I meant basic troubleshooting stuff. I had a box with a compression gauge, dial indicator and a few other tools in it that disappeared in a recent move. I need to start at the beginning with this engine and get preliminary compression readings and check the timing. If the compression is good, the timing is right and their are no air leaks + clean carbs, adjusted properly and good spark; it should run right. There is nothing else to this engine.
Though I must say, this frustration again had me looking at outboards for sale. I bought this boat to enjoy and use while I restore my sailboat. Unfortunately, all I do is work on it INSTEAD of the sailboat. But I'm stuck either way. I can't sell this Yamaha until it's running right and if it was running right I wouldn't be in a hurry to sell it.........so.....smiles and cold beer.
oh and I should add that I've tried every setting on the back of the tach. #2, 6 pole is what the instructions say and is the only one that seems even close.
I own a 1976 13' Whaler. I bought a 25 hp Suzuki 4 stroke to repower another boat & switched to the Whaler instead. I cut the stern down to 15 " as the motor was a short shaft. Electric start and tiller steer, I've been very happy with it. With a Whale-tail on the lower unit it planes off quickly and runs around 22 knots. I did add about 50Ibs of lead up front to stop the porpoising. Even 22 knots at times is a bit much if the water gets choppy, so slow down. I don't mind performance, but ass slapping in rough water ain't fun for the boat or the folks in it. I worked for Seaford Marine in the early 60's, and do remember the 13's all came with 35-40 hp Johnson's then. I would think they weren't much faster than what I have now. Plus now, the low smoke & noise levels are very welcome.
Areinhart now that you have your old prop of I'm surprised there are no markings at all not even a mold number?
But mark one blade and turn it 360 deg. over a flat service in the axial direction either CW or CCW and see how far it traveled. That, the diameter, and prop angle to hub, will get you close to to what this old prop's spec are.
And with your in water results I bet it is close to what your new prop is, hence the same performance.
