Slowmoe
Member
Ok my last thread had a bunch of questions about my 1997 speedster but I would like to focus on one, the cavitation/ventilation issue.
My port engine, when taking off from a stop would rev up to like 8000 rpm and the boat would take several seconds to plane out, leading me to believe I had a ventillation problem. I pulled both pumps, and the port drive system and found the following:
1. Both wear rings have decent clearance; from about 5 thou to around 30 on both.
2. Both propellers look great
3. The ride shoes appear to be sealed good. The port one had been removed previously.
4. All the bolts coming throught the hull from the ride shoe are without the big glob of sealant found around the ones on the starboard side.
5. The carbon ring/ steel ring contact surface had some dirty grease on it. When I removed it both seating surfaces LOOK pristine. Very smooth no deep scratches. The orings inside the steel ring look ok, maybe a little flat but it feels tight on the driveshaft.
6. All the grease came out of the port PTO flywheel boot and my driveshaft was stripped out inside the flywheel. The flywheel splines look ok.
7. Where the weedless cable goes through the hull, at the metal box assembly to hull interface i noticed that the sealant used there did not appear to be sufficient; there were areas where you could not see any sealant, compared to the starboard side where you can see it oozing out all the way around the fitting.
8. Everything else appeared ok.
My guess on why it was sucking ait is either one or all of the following:
1. Sucking air from the hull around the ride shoe bolts
2. Sucking air throught h hull at the carbon seal from the irregular surface of the greasy seal. Did not look at this area while the boat was running.
3. Sucking air throught he weedless cable fitting
Also am I correct in assuming that if the mating surfaces of the carbon/ steel rings look smooth that they are ok?
I was thinking about spraying the carbon seal boot with soapy water prior to tightening down the clamps in order to make sure the two surfaces mated evenly and not maybe grab the carbon ring at a cocked angle....?
My port engine, when taking off from a stop would rev up to like 8000 rpm and the boat would take several seconds to plane out, leading me to believe I had a ventillation problem. I pulled both pumps, and the port drive system and found the following:
1. Both wear rings have decent clearance; from about 5 thou to around 30 on both.
2. Both propellers look great
3. The ride shoes appear to be sealed good. The port one had been removed previously.
4. All the bolts coming throught the hull from the ride shoe are without the big glob of sealant found around the ones on the starboard side.
5. The carbon ring/ steel ring contact surface had some dirty grease on it. When I removed it both seating surfaces LOOK pristine. Very smooth no deep scratches. The orings inside the steel ring look ok, maybe a little flat but it feels tight on the driveshaft.
6. All the grease came out of the port PTO flywheel boot and my driveshaft was stripped out inside the flywheel. The flywheel splines look ok.
7. Where the weedless cable goes through the hull, at the metal box assembly to hull interface i noticed that the sealant used there did not appear to be sufficient; there were areas where you could not see any sealant, compared to the starboard side where you can see it oozing out all the way around the fitting.
8. Everything else appeared ok.
My guess on why it was sucking ait is either one or all of the following:
1. Sucking air from the hull around the ride shoe bolts
2. Sucking air throught h hull at the carbon seal from the irregular surface of the greasy seal. Did not look at this area while the boat was running.
3. Sucking air throught he weedless cable fitting
Also am I correct in assuming that if the mating surfaces of the carbon/ steel rings look smooth that they are ok?
I was thinking about spraying the carbon seal boot with soapy water prior to tightening down the clamps in order to make sure the two surfaces mated evenly and not maybe grab the carbon ring at a cocked angle....?
